CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Good morning fake fiancée." Charlie yawned.
"Charlie, you have got to help me find the ring!"
"Ring?"
"Yeah. I slept with it on my finger and now it's gone."
Charlie, still lying down, scratched his back. "Here it is!" Charlie announced as he pulled it out from under him.
Jody took it and slid it into place on her finger. "How on Earth did it get there?"
Charlie shrugged. "You always did roll around a lot."
Jody picked up a pillow and threw it at his head. Charlie stood up and grabbed another pillow. He hit Jody with it and they picked up the other pillows. A few minutes later they were screaming and laughing so hard that Eva, Erik, and Mr. Sawyer all came into their room.
Charlie hit Jody with a pillow and flung it behind him. It hit Mr. Sawyer in the face.
"Oumph! Mr. Sawyer's muffled voice came through the pillow.
Charlie and Jody dropped their pillows and turned to face their friends.
Charlie looked at Mr. Sawyer and tried not t to laugh. "Sorry about that. We were just… uh…"
"It's ok. Come out and have breakfast." Mr. Sawyer nodded toward the small kitchen.
Charlie and Jody followed everyone out to he kitchen.
Everyone except Mr. Sawyer was still wearing their pajamas. Eva had on tight blue biking shorts and a large white tee shirt. Erik had on gray sweatpants rolled up to the knees and a black tank. Charlie had on blue and green plaid cotton sleeping pants and no shirt. Jody had on Charlie's green boxers and white shirt. Mr. Sawyer had a suit and nice black dress shoes on.
They all got bowls of cereal and started talking.
"I think that I'll be leaving sooner than planned. I don't want to get in the way of you kids." Mr. Sawyer said.
"Oh, but you won't." Erik said.
"Well, Kate, my wife, needs me back home. So I'll just be leaving in 2 days instead of 5."
"Ok. If you're sure." Charlie said. He was trying to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It would mean no more stress from trying to fool him. But it also meant no more Jody as a fiancée, no matter if it had been fake. It would go back to being just friends again. Or as much as just friends as those two could get.
Mr. Sawyer watched Charlie eat. "Charlie, are you and Jody already married or something?"
Charlie almost choked on his cereal. "No, why?"
"That ring. Though, it is on the wrong finger."
Charlie looked down at his hand. "Oh, no. Jody gave this to me before she left for San Francisco. I just always liked to wear rings."
"What does it say on it?" Mr. Sawyer asked, looking at it closer.
"Dance." Charlie said.
"Ha! Clever! That's great."
Charlie nodded and smiled at Jody before eating the rest of his breakfast. They didn't talk much the rest of the time. After ward Eva, Erik, and Charlie rushed off to ABC. Jody got changed and went back out to the main room.
"Jody, I think I'll leave to day if you don't mind." He father said from the couch.
"Why? You've been traveling non-stop for weeks!"
"Yes, I know. But I think I'll go home today just the same."
"Well, ok." Jody said.
Mr. Sawyer got his bags and kissed his daughter good-bye.
"Tell everyone I say good-bye, ok?"
"Ok Dad, bye." Jody said as her father left the apartment building.
When everyone got home Charlie rushed up to Jody and put his arms on her waist. He looked around and then quickly dropped his arms.
"Where's your dad?"
"My dad decided to leave today. I don't know why, but you can't ever change his mind."
Charlie nodded, a little sad. "Oh. Well, then I guess you can take this back." Charlie grabbed the bag of clothes Jody had secretly put in his room.
Jody took the bag and let it sink to the floor in her arms. "Yeah, I guess so." She said, looking at the ring.
Jody locked her self in her room the rest of the day. She finished unpacking her clothes into the closet and dresser. She put all her shoeboxes on the shelf at the top of the closet except one. That one she kept in a drawer in her dresser by itself. It had the ticket stub, engagement ring and other Charlie things in it. She couldn't put it away in a closet just like that.
The next morning when Jody woke up, everyone else was already gone. She got dressed and went out to Cooper's company to meet with Cooper. When she reached his office door she paused a minute before knocking.
"Come in." Cooper's familiar voice said from inside.
Jody took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door open.
