Spicy Coffee, Sweet Love (A Contemporary Young Adult Romance)

by Andrews, Anna

Wayne glanced at his daughter and nodded toward her. "Yes, I see what you mean about him. Does he sell the stuff?"

  India giggled. "No, Dad. He just loves it, that's all."

  "Talking about me, were you?" Cody chuckled, "Indie, you drink as much as I do."

  "Only because you keep buying it for me. I could go without; I'm not so sure about you."

  Cody just smiled and turned back to Wayne who shook his head. "I'm alright, Boy. You keep your coffee for yourself."

  Cody shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. India stood and came over to sit on the bed, too, so that she was closer to them. Both men smiled at her as she did so. "So," Wayne said. "It's not later than two. What are we going to do until the stars come out?"

  "Talk," India replied. "Dad, you never told me much about yourself. I didn't even know how you met mom until twenty minutes ago. Tell us about your childhood, your life. Please."

  She knew it was an unfair request, as it was hurting her dad to speak, but she also knew that she wouldn't get the chance to find out again and that her dad would want her to know.

  Wayne nodded and was silent for a while, obviously trying to think where to start.

  The hours passed quickly as they listened to Wayne reminisce about his life. Every few sentences or so he'd have to stop for a coughing fit or to catch his breath, but Cody saw by the twinkle in his eyes that he was enjoying himself, far more than he could've in the hospital.

  His stories were interesting, but Cody found himself listening only half the time. The other half he spent focused on India. As Wayne's coughing fits grew longer and more frequent, India grew more uneasy and upset. Cody reached for her free hand, the one that wasn't holding her dad's and immediately her fingers latched onto his with a white-knuckled grip that hurt more than he'd ever let on. He squeezed her hand back, albeit far more gently, willing her to understand that he wanted to support her. Towards dusk, another coughing fit overcame Wayne, and Cody noticed how weak he looked, even compared to an hour ago. He didn't say anything, but he wondered vaguely if the man would live long enough even to see the stars come out.

  "Indie…" Wayne was struggling to say, "I can't talk now."

  "Then don't, Dad," she replied, helping him to lie down and kissing his cheek. "You've told me plenty. Just lie down and relax. The stars will be out soon."

  True to her word, the first star appeared in the still pink evening sky about ten minutes later. It was actually Wayne who spotted it first, being in a better position laying down for star gazing. "Star," was all he managed to say before coughing again. India and Cody followed his gaze and found it, too.

  "Remember Dad when we used to recite that silly poem and make a wish on the first star? I was telling Cody about that the other day."

  Wayne nodded, and Cody spoke up.

  "Recite it for him, Indie."

  She blushed but saw the way her dad watched her eagerly, so she nodded, almost whispering the words.

  "Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Then she turned to her dad. "You make the wish, Dad."

  Wayne reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair from his daughter's cheek. "I wish for my India to be happy," he said clearly, managing to get it out without coughing or losing his breath.

  "I am, Dad," she reassured him. "I know I wasn't, but I am now."

  They exchanged a smile and then all looked up to watch the rest of the stars pop out one at a time. India was the only one to speak once in a while breaking the quiet to point out the constellations to her father or tell him something she remembered about them when she was younger. Cody listened eagerly to this, wanting to learn as much about India as possible. It was only after quite some time that he realized Wayne hadn't so much as coughed in a long while. He glanced back at him and looked hard to find any sign of life in him, but there was nothing: no breathing, no response. Glancing at India, who was still relating a story, Cody reached discreetly behind her to check for a pulse, but he knew instantly from the coldness of Wayne's body that he wouldn't find one.

  "Indie…" Cody interrupted her gently.

  She didn't look at him, just kept gazing up at the stars as she whispered, "I know."

  Chapter 8

  The chaotic bustle of the next few hours was a direct contrast to the ones before. Cody had called the ambulance to come pick Wayne up, and it was the only call that India let him make for her.

  He'd driven her back to her house, and they found that the phone had been ringing off the hook all day from family members whom the hospital had also alerted and then told them that India had removed her father from the facility and was "missing". Some of the messages sounded sympathetic to her, some sounded angry, but most just sounded worried and were demanding more information. India began calling them all back to let them know what had actually happened and that her dad had passed away peacefully about an hour ago.

  Cody asked her a few times if she wanted him to leave or at least to get her something to eat since she hadn't had anything since lunch, but she'd shake her head and cling to his sleeve so he would stay. He noticed that even when she was pacing back and forth on the phone, she never moved from arm's reach of him. That being said, she was also avoiding looking at him as she spoke, concentrating fully on what she was doing. Cody knew she didn't want to see his concern for her just then.

  India's sister was actually very supportive and understanding of her decision to take her dad out to see the stars and said she would've done the same thing but after a conversation with her brother that sounded very one-sided, India's shoulder's slumped, and Cody knew at once that something was wrong.

  "What is it, Indie?" he asked gently, drawing her attention to him.

  She sat down beside him on the sofa, stopping her pacing for just a moment.

  "He says I shouldn't have done it. He said that there was enough time he could've flown out and said goodbye, too, if he'd known where Dad was, especially if he'd been in the hospital since he might have lived longer then. Cody, did I do the right thing?"

  "You did, Indie," Cody assured her, rubbing her back. "And it wasn't your choice; you gave that to your Dad."

  "He didn't know he might have had the chance to say goodbye to Ian as well if he'd stayed in the hospital."

  "No one ever knows the full outcome of their decisions, India. For all we know, the flight would've been delayed, and he still wouldn't have made it. Anyway, he said goodbye to you, and that's what I think he wanted. You and he were always very close, and he wanted to spend his dying moments with you. He did tell me to tell your siblings he loved them."

  India looked surprised at that but remained quiet as Cody continued.

  "But it was you he wanted to be with. And like I said, it was his decision, not yours, so you can't beat yourself up over what ifs. Your sister could've had the same chance, and she agreed you did the right thing."

  "Yeah," India nodded. "I suppose."

  "What would you have preferred?" Cody prompted her, seeing she wasn't quite convinced. "To die in a hospital with a bunch of loved ones staring at you and all trying to say goodbye or to die under the stars with the one person who meant the most to you?"

  Her eyes smiled as she realized that Cody was right. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."

  Then the phone started ringing off the hook again, and India went back to her pacing. Cody stood, too, leaning against a wall as he watched her. The immediate family had informed all the other relatives, and everyone was phoning to ask when it had happened, what had happened, what they could do, and to say they were sorry. Cody could have thrown the phone across the room when he saw how stressed out and tired India was getting. He understood that these were family members who just wanted information about a loved one's death, but he wasn't sure how many more times she could relate the story. He was especially aggravated when one nephew of Wayne's started asking more about wills and inheritances than anything else.

  Finally, there was
a break, and the phone stopped ringing. Cody yawned, and the motion seemed to draw her attention back him. The next thing he knew, her arms were tight around his waist, her face was buried into his chest, and she was sobbing heavily. Cody kissed her head and stroked her hair before just wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly back. He suddenly realized that it was her first tears all night. She cried for a long time and, if he were to be totally honest, he cried some, too. Finally, glancing at a clock on the wall, Cody realized it was nearly five in the morning. Over twenty-four hours since he'd first woken her up with very different plans for the day. She'd barely eaten a thing, and she hadn't slept a wink.

  "C'mon, Indie," he whispered to her gently. "You need to sleep."

  She nodded, and Cody kissed her head one more time before letting go of her and helping her dry her tears. Then he gestured toward the stairs where he assumed her bedroom was.

  "Go get ready for bed, and I'll bring you up a glass of water in a few minutes."

  "Cody, are you going to stay?"

  "Do you want me to?"

  "Please."

  "I'll stay. Here, give me your phone. I don't want you answering it again tonight."

  She was too tired to argue as she handed it to him, and Cody watched her go up the stairs. Then he turned the ringers off on both her cell phone and the house phone so that if anyone else called, it wouldn't wake her. They could leave messages for her after she'd had some sleep. He wasn't positive she'd be happy he did that, but he meant to keep his promise to her dad that he was going to look after her.

  He fumbled around in her kitchen for a bit, looking for the glasses, and then filled one with water and carried it carefully up the stairs. Knocking on the only closed door in the hallway, he waited for her to answer. When no sound came, he carefully peeked inside and smiled when he found her fast asleep on top of the bed, still fully dressed. He tiptoed over and placed the water on her nightstand before kissing her forehead and sneaking back out. He snooped around in a few closets looking for a spare blanket but when he couldn't find one, he gave up and returned to the living room couch to sleep without one. The house was warm enough he'd get by without, he thought to himself as he instantly fell asleep, too.

  Cody wasn't sure if it was the sunlight streaming through the window or the sounds coming from the kitchen that woke him up. He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that it was nearly noon already. He sat up, untangling himself from the blanket that India must have placed over him, and made his way to the kitchen where he found her making pancakes. Cody stepped up behind her and gave her a hug. When she looked back up at him, he captured her lips for a kiss.

  "Morning," he smiled.

  "Morning to you," she responded.

  "Did you get enough sleep, Indie?" he asked, noting that she was already showered and dressed, her hair hanging in a wet ponytail.

  "Probably not," she laughed, "but I feel okay now. I can't sleep anymore at the moment at any rate. I slept for about five hours."

  Cody nodded and kissed her cheek before letting go of her, knowing there wasn't much he could do to help her at the moment. He watched while India placed a couple of pancakes each on two plates on the small kitchen table and then they both sat down across from each other.

  "What's the date?" India asked Cody suddenly, after taking a bite of breakfast.

  "26th," he responded. "Why?"

  "It's just weird," she said. "My dad used to say things to me and then he'd say, ‘but you wouldn't remember that, you weren't even born then’. And now there's going to be days that I remember that he won't. It seems weird that on August 26th this year, my dad was never alive. I'll know what happens on this day, but he won't."

  Cody didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, but he did reach across the table and give her hand a quick squeeze. She smiled at him gratefully.

  "I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't been here, Cody."

  "Well I am here, so you don't have to worry about it," he chuckled.

  "I'm serious. For one thing, Dad would've died in the hospital. I wouldn't have even thought to bring him stargazing. I'd be feeling pretty lost and alone right now. By rights, you shouldn't be here. No one is supposed to fall for the crazy lady throwing a fit in a coffee shop."

  Cody laughed. "Not even the crazy guy who is addicted to a fancy type of coffee that he doesn't even know the true name of?"

  She smiled. "Well, maybe him."

  Cody smiled back. "Good because he fell for her hard."

  "She fell for him, too, you know."

  Cody stood and put his now empty plate on the counter before leaning to kiss her cheek.

  "He knows." Then he squatted down so he was eye level with her where she sat at the table still.

  "Listen Indie, are you going to be alright if I leave for a couple hours now? I really need to go home and shower and change."

  She nodded, "I'll be fine. Go ahead. I'm gonna have to get back on the phone again anyway and start making funeral preparations, so I'll just be busy."

  "Which reminds me: you may have messages. I turned off your ringers last night," Cody admitted.

  She raised her eyebrow as she picked up the phone and turned it back on to check. "Eighteen of them to be exact," she chuckled. "Well don't try calling me. I doubt you'll get through."

  "And that's just your house phone," Cody replied, retrieving her cell phone for her as well. "I'll be back later."

  "Wait, one second," she said, standing and leaving the room. Cody stood still, wondering what she was doing, but she returned a moment later and handed him a key. "Just in case I'm on the phone and don't hear the door, you can let yourself in."

  "Thanks," he smiled at her, putting it in his pocket and kissing her before leaving.

  When he returned he found, as predicted, that she was still on the telephone. He entered the room quietly, sitting on the couch so as to not disturb her. She smiled at him and came to sit beside him, still listening to the person on the other end. When she got off the phone she snuggled into his side, tucking her feet up under her.

  Cody kissed her temple.

  "What can I do for you, Indie?"

  She shook her head. "Just hold me. I've got most everything sorted out, but it all doesn't seem real to me yet, you know? Everything I know has been turned upside down in a week: my dad, work, you. It's like I'm suddenly living an entirely different life, and I'm not even quite sure where I fit into it myself yet."

  "Are you scared?"

  She avoided his eyes as she nodded. "A little bit, yeah. I don't know why."

  Cody's reply was interrupted by another phone call, so he just hugged her closer to himself and half-listened to her end of the conversation. When she hung up, she spoke to him.

  "Funeral will be on Thursday. Will you be able to get off work to come with me?"

  "Of course."

  "I shouldn't have quit my job when I did," India grinned at him. "I could've had an extra week’s pay on bereavement leave and quit after that."

  Cody laughed. "Well, true, but you wouldn't have had the chance to tell your dad you quit."

  "I don't really regret quitting; I’m just thinking about the bad timing is all. I was so worried about finding another job, you know, and I guess I still should be but in light of the situation, I've almost forgotten about my finances. It seems so unimportant now. I can't let it stay like that though. I have to give myself a wakeup call and remind myself to get out and start looking."

  "Take your time, Indie. I told you I'm gonna look after you."

  "Sure, and I trust you on that Cody, but I don't expect you to start paying my bills for me."

  "Well, we'll just see how things go, okay? Just don't take another job you're going to hate, that's all." He wondered vaguely if he should mention his cousin, but he hadn't heard back from Holly yet, so he kept his mouth shut. The clock on the wall struck 4:00, and Cody stared at it startled.

  "How is it already that late?"

 
; She smiled. "Well, we did sleep half the day don't forget."

  "And I can't be up late tonight; I've got work tomorrow," Cody responded. "I'd better get out and do something so I don't feel like I slept the day away or I'll never sleep tonight. Join me for a walk?"

  "In your field?"

  "Are you okay going back there? We can go somewhere else, Indie."

  "Is the bed still there?"

  "Yeah."

  "I'm not sure I can handle seeing that right now. I'll go back there with you once it's gone."

  Cody nodded and stood. "C'mon then. You lead the way."

  India wasn't sure exactly where they were going or even exactly where they were to be honest. Cody had said she could lead, but she'd not had any plan in mind as they wandered aimlessly down the city streets hand in hand. Neither of them spoke much. At one point, they stopped at a street vendor, and Cody bought them each a corndog and bottled water. After a particularly long silence, India suddenly looked up at Cody and asked him, "What are you thinking about?"

  He smiled at her. "Truth? I was just thinking about how much I love you."

  "Crazy, isn't it? That we can love each other so much in so short a time. It scares me a bit, actually."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know anything about you, Cody. Seems to me I've told you a lot more about myself than you have told me about yourself. I trust you completely, I love you completely, but if I'm wrong, if you're not who I think you are, I'm going to wind up so hurt."

  Cody stopped walking, and India wondered if she'd hurt him. He did look a bit upset about it, but she was just being honest. She didn't know that much about him. He held her eyes with his own for a few moments, searching her thoughts, before speaking. "I'm not going to let you down, India. I promise."

  "I do trust you, Cody. It's just the nagging logical side of my brain that tells me I should be cautious. I've been quite successfully ignoring it."

  "Good," Cody laughed. "But you're right. I haven't told you much about myself. It's not that I mind you knowing, it's just that you seemed to have a lot more going on in your life than I do at the moment and talking about you was far less dull. I'll tell you anything you want to know, Indie. Ask me."