Chapter 72 It Isn't The Same

Chapter 72 It Isn't The Same
Jasmine

I have been busy studying for the past five hours, but I am due a break because Cody will be video-calling soon, as he should be home from work. I set everything aside and go downstairs to make an iced coffee before he calls. Lily and my dad are in bed, and my mom is working in her office, so the house is quiet. 

I head back to my room, settle onto my bed, and open my laptop, patiently awaiting Cody’s call. After sipping my coffee, I see the notification and answer eagerly, eager to see his handsome face. It’s been a few nights since our last video call, so I’m looking forward to catching up tonight. 

He appears on the screen, lying on our bed with wet hair and shirtless, looking sexy. 

“Hey, handsome. Just finished your shower?” I ask with a smirk. 

“Hey, beautiful. I sure am. I know how much you love that look on me,” he says with a chuckle. 

“Yes, I do. How has your day been, my love?” 

“Busy. I am glad to be home. It would be even better if you were here. How was your coffee with Noah?” 

“I know, babe. I wish I were there too. It was good. It was nice to catch up.” 

“What is he doing with himself these days?” he asks. 

“Working. He isn’t starting college next year. What are your plans for tonight?” 

I don’t want to spend our time talking about Noah. If my parents weren’t home, we could be doing more than talking, but I can’t do that, not while I know my mom is still up and Lily could come barging in at any time. 

“Not much. I'm just going to order dinner and stay in our bedroom," he chuckles. 

“Exciting plans then? As exciting as mine? I’ll be studying until early morning," I pout.

“Jasmine, you need to make sure you rest, sweetness. Don’t overdo it.” 

“I will once my essay is done. It needs to be in the first thing on Friday morning.” 
“I don’t want you to get exhausted. How is everyone else doing?" 

I'm doing well. Everything is fine. Lily and my dad are already in bed. My mom is finishing up some work before sleeping. Is anyone else home with you? 

Cody shakes his head. “No, everyone is away doing their own thing. They invited me along, but I was in no mood.” 

“Cody, you should be getting out and having some fun. You can’t just work, eat, and sleep.” 

I am one to talk because I haven’t been doing much, but my circumstances are different. Cody should be enjoying himself after a hard day’s work. 

“I know, but I don’t have the motivation.” 

His lack of motivation might stem from my absence. I dislike the thought of him isolating himself; that's not like him. I really need to return as quickly as possible. 

“Cody, you can’t keep yourself locked up in the apartment outside of work. Talking about work, how are things? Has Silver backed off?” 

He shifts nervously. I interpret that as a no. 

She still has her moments, but I’m managing it. I prefer not to spend time discussing her or anyone else. I just want to talk with you about anything else until one of us needs to leave. 

It's obvious he's hiding things, but I still find myself nodding. I prefer not to spend time talking about her now, but we will discuss it eventually. Cody will reveal everything; I will see to that. 

“Fine, but I need the truth eventually," I say resolutely. 

“I promise I will tell you everything.” 

“Thank you.” 

I don’t like that he has to deal with her when I’m not there, especially as she knows where we stay. I can’t worry about that. I need to trust him to handle it. 


I sigh after hanging up with Cody. We talked for two hours, but it doesn't quite feel the same. I didn’t want to say goodbye, but I had to focus on my work. It's already late here because of the time difference. I'm not really in the mood to study. Does anyone want to study after midnight? Maybe I can do an hour now and then sleep, which means finishing it tomorrow. 

A few minutes later, a text comes through from Cody. 

I love you, angel. Please don’t stay up too late. Text me before you go to sleep xx

I am going to study for an hour and then head to bed. I will text. I love you too xx

Cody doesn’t reply because he knows I have things to do. I take everything out again, put on some music with my earphones so I don’t wake anyone. My mom will come in to say goodnight before she goes to sleep. I thought she’d be already in bed, but it depends on how much she needs to know. 

Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths and get my mind working again. It can only handle a short period, given all the hours it has been working tonight. One hour is better than nothing. It will leave me with over a thousand words to do tomorrow, which I will manage fine. 

I may text Noah tomorrow to see if he wants to grab lunch or something, to get me out for a couple of hours. I will need to see what my mom has planned first. I shake off my thoughts and focus on my work. I prefer writing on paper and then typing it up. It is extra work, but it works best for me. It helps me focus better and notice my mistakes. It makes it easier to make changes when I type it in my notepad. Once I return to class, things will be a bit easier because the workload won’t be heavy. I will only have the homework to do since I will do my other work in class with everyone else.