Betrayal - The Matlock Pack: Book Two

Chapter 11 - Cody

Friday 22 January

~*Cody*~

“Don’t forget to work on these over the weekend. And make sure Nat does too!”

I gave Nahi a thumbs up and a nod as I opened the front door of her apartment. She was putting the books away that we had been poring over for the past few hours, exhausted but happy with our progress for the day. I was two weeks into my studies, and I couldn’t seem to get enough of what she was teaching me because everything was all so fascinating.

Although Nat was still struggling with transporting the rock, I had progressed to small plants. I’d discovered that moving things through the void had everything to do with containing each item’s energy and making sure that it held long enough to get the item there in one piece. Which sounded easy enough in theory, but every item had its own distinct energy that I had to learn how to contain.

It was like memorising a different recipe from a never-ending cookbook. Some recipes were so easy, children could pick them up; others were three-star Michelin quality. I could easily see the need to study for a minimum of a year to get my head around all the basics, however studying for the rest of my life was a distinct possibility if I continued to enjoy my studies as much as I was at the moment.

I shut the door quietly behind me and headed for the stairs to get back to my apartment, eager to coax Nat to go to The Gap again tonight. I knew she’d been having a rough time at training, so I figured a couple of drinks might ease her tension a little.

Plus, Murph said he’d be there. Maybe I could get him drunk enough to sleep with me tonight.

A slim figure stood at the elevator waiting for it to ding its arrival. He was holding a white cane close to his chest, which meant it could only be one person.

I got out my phone to talk for me. “Tate, right?”

He turned to face me, his iridescent emerald eyes wide with curiosity. “Yes?”

I made sure he could hear my fingers tapping away on my phone. “My name’s Cody. I went to school with your sister. How are you?”

He smiled slightly at my words. “I’m good, thanks. You?”

“I’m good. Happy to be done with my studies for the day.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “You’re studying too?”

I nodded before I remembered he couldn’t see me. “Yup. I guess you could call it 'specialised studies'.”

His smile broadened. “Glad to hear I’m not the only one.”

Our conversation paused when the ding sounded the elevator’s arrival. I followed him in. “Which floor?”

“Second, please.”

I pressed the button and waited for the doors to close. “You’re staying with Kadin?”

“Mm-hmm.” If I hadn’t already been watching his face, I would have missed the slightest of frowns flash across it.

I played with my phone and let the silence settle between us, waiting for the elevator to reach its destination.

“Can I ask a question?”

I looked up in surprise, then tapped at my phone. “Sure.”

“Why do you sound electronic?” He held his cane a little closer to his chest, almost strangling it with his hands. He must have felt awkward asking, the poor thing.

I let out a laugh, but the only sound filling the elevator was a huff of air. “I’m temporarily mute.”

“Oh,” he said, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. “Sorry.”

I felt my grin grow. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It is what it is.”

He let his head droop slightly forward, still embarrassed. “You said ‘temporarily’. Why?”

“I’ve been told I will get my voice back when I find my fated mate.”

The elevator rolled to a stop and dinged to let us know we had reached the second floor. I let Tate leave first, then followed him out, intending to head to my apartment.

Tate took three paces from the elevator before he slowed to a stop. “Cody?”

“Yeah?”

A sad smile graced his face. “You’re very lucky.” His cane started moving once more as he continued down the hallway back to his apartment.

I didn’t type out a response as I stood still, watching him walk away. He already knew what it would be.

~~~

I was firmly ensconced on the sofa watching a movie and nibbling on some peanuts when Nat opened the front door and wandered in. I could almost see the tiny storm clouds clustered above her head, with tiny cartoon lightning bolts aiming towards her scalp.

“Bad day?”

She scowled at me as she walked past the couch and disappeared into her room.

Okay, then. I shrugged, grabbed another handful of peanuts, and returned my focus to the TV. She’d have to come out of her room, eventually. I’d interrogate her then.

It was another half hour or so before she emerged. She collapsed onto the couch next to me, hugged a cushion to her chest, and stared at the TV. I raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Instead, I offered her the bowl of peanuts.

She silently took a handful and started nibbling. Another ten minutes went by before she spoke.

“Am I scary, Cody?”

I glanced at her with a bewildered frown on my face and shook my head. It was still early days for us learning sign language, but I felt confident that she would understand me when I signed “why?” at her.

She sighed. “In my sparring sessions?”

Pausing the movie, I turned to her and nodded to let her know I was listening and for her to continue.

“All the women apart from Kadin are shying away from me because they think I’m too masculine for them to fight. They’re scared of me.”

I tapped away on my phone. “That’s ridiculous—”

“And all the men keep pulling their punches because they think I’m too feminine for them to fight. They’re scared they’ll injure me.”

I chewed my bottom lip as I typed. “That sounds a lot like it’s a ‘them problem’, not a ‘you problem’. Have you spoken to Casey or one of the other trainers about it?”

She sighed. “Casey said that there are always gender lines in the first couple of weeks before things settle in the sparring sessions.”

“There you go, then. It’s normal.”

Nat rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, Cody. It doesn’t feel normal. The only one giving me a fair fight is Kadin.” She stared at me incredulously. “Kadin.” She huffed, then grumbled under her breath, “and she’s kicking my f*****g arse.”

My eyebrows rose so high, I was sure they were disappearing into my hairline. “I doubt that very much.”

Letting herself slump even further down, she let her head rest on the cushioned back of the sofa. “I have no friends in the course, Cody. Owen is treating me like I’ve got leprosy; Bells keeps staring at me, which, frankly, is beginning to creep me the f**k out; Capture the Flag on Wednesday was a bust because no-one wanted me on their team; I zapped Nolan yesterday so badly that now no-one will touch me…” She groaned and threw the cushion across the room, where it bounced harmlessly against the wall. “Things are so bad there that Kadin is the closest I’ve got to a friend.”

I burst out laughing. Nat glared at me when she realised how funny I found it all. “I’m serious! This is bullshit!”

It took me a few minutes to control myself long enough to type coherent sentences. By the time I had picked up my phone, Nat was reluctantly smirking. “Are you done with your pity party?”

She pouted, but the smirk played at the corners of her lips. “No.” She crossed her arms like she was about to throw a tantrum.

I roared with laughter again at the overwhelmingly fake grumpy look on her face. This time she managed to join in, finally beginning to relax. I leaned against her and rested my head against her shoulder. “They just need time to get to know you.”

She sighed. “Yeah, I know,” she said reluctantly. She pressed her lips together, but let her head drop onto mine. “At least I’m ahead on my homework. That’s one benefit of not talking to anyone during the breaks.”

“That reminds me. Nahi wanted me to tell you to work on your transference skills this weekend.”

She groaned. “It’s always something, isn’t it?”

I chuckled. “You’ve got this. If not, I’ll help you.” I thought about the coming weekend. “But first! Tonight, we dine in hell!”

Nat lifted her head from mine and looked at me. “What?”

“Okay, fine. First, we dine at The Gap. There’s an argument to be made that it could be hell, however…”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Oh, come on, Nat. Work with me here.”

“We’re not Spartans, Cody.”

I grumbled and pushed myself away from her shoulder. “You’re no fun.”

She let out an easy laugh. “Never said I was.” She got up to get the cushion and toyed with it awkwardly. “You want to go to The Gap tonight?”

I let an eager grin appear on my face, then nodded like a puppy, excited to go on a walk. I stopped short of letting my tongue loll out, though.

Her forehead furrowed as she thought things through. “Give me an hour?”

I jumped up and punched the air. I signed “you’re the best!” at her, but I don’t think she understood, because her frown grew deeper.

Mental note: teach Nat more sign language.

~~~

I returned to our booth with our drinks, sliding Nat’s over to her, then picking mine up to sip. It was relatively quiet in the bar tonight, but that could have been because we’d arrived a little later than we usually did. The families that typically filled the back area had cleared out, and only couples and small groupings remained.

Whilst waiting for the drinks, I’d looked around the bar and noticed Bells, Owen, and Murph sitting in the booth behind us. I hadn’t seen them when we arrived as I was more focused on finding us an empty spot, but maybe Nat had—she was seated with her back to them, with Bells sitting immediately behind her.

Kadin, Briar, and Rowan were all present as well, but at a table in the back. Kadin looked just as bored as she had last week, although she was a little twitchy in her seat. It wasn’t until I looked further around the back area on my return to our booth that I figured out why—her parents had been seated on the opposite side of the room; her mum staring daggers in Kadin’s direction.

I grimaced. Looked like there was family trouble in that household. Maybe that’s why Tate was staying with Kadin?

“What are you feeling like tonight?” Nat was studying the menu like she was cramming for an exam.

I picked up my menu, placed it in front of her and pointed at the picture of the chicken parma.

She rolled her eyes at me. “Again?”

I winked at her and nodded. I don’t even know why she bothered asking anymore. It was my go-to for a pub meal, and The Gap made them very well.

“Heaven forbid you ever decide to try anything different,” she grumbled as she pushed my menu back to me, then picking up her glass to take a sip. She studied her menu again before giving up. “Fine. Two chicken parmas it is.”

I beamed at her and held out my hand for her menu. She shook her head at me and grabbed my menu before sliding out of the booth. “You ordered the drinks. I’ll order the meals.”

I blew her a kiss and laughed when she smirked and shook her head. Tapping a random drum beat on the tabletop, I looked around the room again.

My eyes landed on Mac and his two friends from last week. They must have walked in when I was getting settled into the booth with the drinks, as I felt sure I hadn’t seen them earlier. His colleagues were chatting quite animatedly, but Mac’s focus was on something at the bar. I followed his eyeline, only to discover that Nat had captured his full attention.

Hm. I knew Nat had shown an interest in Mac. Maybe that interest was reciprocated?

Or he could be looking at something else at the bar… I guess the only way I could find out was by watching him when Nat returned.

I let my eyes drift back and forth between Mac and Nat until I saw Nat turn back to our booth. Watching Mac’s eyes follow Nat as she made her way back confirmed my suspicions. Nat had an admirer.

I grinned to myself when I thought about how much Nat needed that esteem boost right now, what with Bells being a dickhead and dumping her at New Year’s. I had always thought that they were a good match, but for him to dump her, then not visit her when she was in a coma? She didn’t deserve that treatment. Maybe Mac could be a good match for her instead; a way to forget her relationship breakdown.

Nat placed both hands on the tabletop and slid back into the booth. “They said it shouldn’t be too long.”

I nodded and glanced back towards Mac to see him still watching our booth. As surreptitiously as I could, I beckoned him over with a tilt of my head. He raised his eyebrows and motioned to his chest. I nodded and bobbed my head again.

“Cody, what are you doing?”

I turned my attention back to Nat, who had narrowed her eyes at me over the lip of her glass. She stared at me, waiting for me to respond, but all I did was put my hands up in surrender and mouthed the word ‘nothing’ to her with the widest eyes I could manage.

She let out a low growl like she didn’t believe me, but let it go.

Which was probably a good thing when Mac slid into the booth next to her, and she nearly choked on her drink.

“Cody…”

I grinned cheekily at her and raised my hands in a ‘what’ gesture, then waved at Mac.

“Hi ladies. How are you both tonight?” Mac grinned at me warmly, waited for my thumbs up, then turned his full attention to Nat.

I wiggled in my seat in excitement. I may also have steepled my fingers and muttered a silent ‘excellent’, but I’m sure no-one noticed.

“Hi Mac,” Nat said softly, her cheeks pinking slightly. “How’s your week been?”

“Busy, but I’m guessing not as busy as yours,” he said, as his eyes twinkled. “First week at a new course is always full on.”

Nat swallowed from her nerves but nodded. “Yeah, you could say that…”

I was grinning like a loon until I felt a presence to my right. Turning around, I noticed Murph standing somewhat awkwardly at the edge of the booth, his hands fidgeting. My grin dropped slightly, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Um,” Murph started before glancing uncomfortably to his right, where he’d been sitting with Bells and Owen, then returning his gaze to me. “Can I join you?”

Mac swivelled in his seat to look at Murph. “Sure, Murph. I don’t mind. What about you two?” He smiled warmly first at Murph, then Nat and me.

Nat shrugged noncommittally. I let out a huff but shuffled along the booth seat to let Murph sit down.

Murph’s shoulders were tense when he slid in next to me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, “I’m sorry, this wasn’t my idea.”

Narrowing my eyes at Bells way too still form behind Nat and Mac, I shook my head slightly, but let it go for now. I figured I could distract Murph from interfering if I needed to.

Or bribe him with the promise of s*x. You know. The usual.