Times Three (X3)

CHAPTER 26 - Cody And Mariyah

"Cody, can I speak to you?" I ask.

"Sure!" He says and we walk away to the side.

"What's up, J?" He shrugs, stiffening his hands in his pockets.

"I'd ask you the same thing." I flash him an intimidating smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want with Mariyah?"

"I.. I really like her?" His frequent shrugging is annoying me. It gives me the impression of a silly young boy who's unsure of what he wants.

"Have you told her that?"

"No." He breathes, looking to the grass and fiddling on of his feet with the ground.

"Why?" I scowl. "Listen, I don't know what you want with her, and neither does she. One moment you kiss her, the next you flirt, but you never say anything about how you feel about her or what you want. It seems to me like you're trying to play some type of game or something, but let me tell you this Mr Cody," I hold up an index finger,

"Mariyah is like a sister to me, I would kill for her. And I mean that in the literal sense. If your intentions are not pure towards her, then find another girl to toy with because if you hurt my sister, I will cut your penis off and ship it to the White House so I won't get in trouble, and I am dead serious." I state sternly in a serious tone. He covers his mouth to conceal his smile.

Does this boy takes anything seriously?

"Just relax, aiit?" He chuckles.. "I promise, I'm not trying to hurt her. The thing is, I've never been in a real relationship and I've never met a girl.. quite like Mariyah. She's pure, she's sweet, caring.. she's.. everything bro." He smiles in admiration as he looks at her across the field and I can tell by the glint in his eyes, the way he looks at her that his intentions are pure.

"Every time I see her or hear her voice, her laugh, I just.. I don't know! Between you and I," He returns his gaze to me, "my heart bleeds for her and I don't even know how to show it because I'm not used to this type a thing. I've been fucked up once, I just want to make sure she's the right one before I try any harder." Even though his brings his feelings across weirdly, the boy is nothing less than genuine. I can see it in his eyes that he's being solid with me and I understand entirely where he's coming from.

"Cody.. open your eyes. Shit, you don't even need eyes to see that Mariyah really.. really likes you, you idiot." I chuckle. "You've gotten hurt before, that's okay.. but don't let that stop you from trying again, you're young! If you do not want her, then walk away and stop sending mixed signals, that shit can get so frustrating. But if you do," my voice lowers in a nice way.. "please remember that it takes two to make it work. Don't be afraid to show her how you really feel because it's only a matter of time before she gets fed up and trust me, you don't want to lose a girl like Mariyah." I hold his shoulder and watch as he mentally brings himself to a conclusion in his own thoughts.

"You're right."He nods. "What I'm doing is selfish. She doesn't deserves to be confused, she deserves the best.. she deserves me." He smiles.

"You know what to do." I swat his arm

"I will. Thank you." He envelopes me into a hug.

Man, I've gotten about a thousand hugs today.

We walk back over to the gang.

"Why are you limping?" Mariyah asks, noticing my crooked walk.

"Some bitch messed up my ankle in the game today, I think it's swollen." I tell her, earning a frown.

We all head to a bar and have a few drinks then leave to go home.

Tariq and I are alone in the room as Cody decided he wanted to take a walk with Mariyah, so they left. My foot is on Tariq's lap, we're comfortably seated at the edge of my bed.. he insisted on icing my ankle and who am I to refuse such a cute smile. I smile, biting at my lower lip at the touch of his hand against my skin.

"How come you didn't tell me that you got captain too?" I ask.

He glances at me then back to my ankle. "It happened when you were away, guess it uhh.. slipped my mind or some shit." He says with a cute shrug.

Everything he does is so cute. How is he so cute by just simply speaking? Shit, how is he cute by doing absolutely nothing?

I blink from my thoughts when Cody and Mariyah stumbles through the door laughing breathlessly with each other. They look so effortlessly happy. I study Mariyah's face closely then smile and shake my head as my brain receives the results from my observation.

Access granted... Zinh's robotic voice echoes in my head.

I approve. I approve of it all.

That sparkle in her eyes tells a cute story of what's happening in her heart.

Tariq was waiting on Cody so they both are about to leave now. Tariq shares his  goodbye and kisses me in my mole then shuffling my hair as if I'm a kid. Cody does the same thing but instead, he kisses her on her lips. Wow.

I coo mentally.

As they close the door behind them, Mariyah drops backwards in her bed and covers her face with both hands. I jump on her bed beside her, hopping on my healthy foot.

"What happened?" I grin, dying to hear her feedback.

"I don't know. I really don't know." She says with a chuckle, blushing.

"He said that.. I'm the most special girl he'd ever met and he wants us to get to know each other more. He told me how pretty and awesome I am and how I make him feel alive. He literally told me his whole heart. And then he added the perfect finishing touch by kissing me and holding me tightly onto him, and it's just something about the way he does it and the feeling that he gives that I'll never be able to explain." With both palms over her chest, she blushes and smiles widely, tilting her head as if someone is tickling her neck.

"He kissed me for about 5 whole minutes straight and not one second of it I got bored or tired. It was the most magical moment of my entire life and I wish it didn't have to end!" She basically pours out her heart in awe and the way her eyes sparkles up and how soft her tone is when she thinks or speaks of him makes me want to cry mentally. It's beautiful.

"I told you that what is to be will eventually fall in place." I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Now you don't have to wonder how he feels or be confused about his actions anymore. No more mixed feelings."

"I saw you talking to him, what threat did you make to him to get him to change?" She shoots me a suspicious look, I grin.

"I didn't change a thing, he just wanted a little more confidence to pursue you. Let's just say, the guy has been hurt before and he just doesn't know how to approach something real for the first time, you thought you were the one that was scared, it was actually him. He's so into you that he didn't know how to put it across." I explain.

"for real for real?" She asks in awe with bright eyes, nibbling at a nail.

"Yes, really. I'm so happy for you punks. You make the perfect couple."

She smiles, taking my hands in hers. I look at our fingers interlocking then look up at her and smile.

"I love you." She tells me.. the unexpected words that cause my heart to melt like butter against sun.

"I love you more." I hug her, fighting back the emotions that are eating me.

My sister...

***

Cody and Mariyah finally hitting it off the right way huh!

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