CHAPTER 15-SHOW ME WHERE YOUR LOVE LIES
One Year Ago.
A party at the Cody home wasn't a rare occasion, in fact Craig was known for throwing them almost every week. It was mostly when Smurf had left the house so that she couldn't watch or dictate anything. Everyone had been going crazy that night because Craig had filled the house or Smurf did with her money with enough alcohol for days. It was never a surprise either that there was enough cocaine floating around either.
Jessica Cody had been dancing to the music in the way back of the yard. She had been enjoying herself as she did at every party. She enjoyed having every guy's eyes on her and loved the attention she received. Wearing a bright pink bikini top and jean shorts, she was slowly trying to take Craig's famous title.
"Drool much?" Craig commented with a grin while taking a drink of his beer.
Baz ripped his eyes away for a moment to give him a snobby look. "I wasn't even looking at her"
Giving him a skeptical look, he knew better. Jessica usually wore the same type of outfit but she was really showing off tonight. The way her tan skin shinned off of the bikini, her tone body grinding to the beat and her blonde hair flying wildly. Craig knew Baz had watched her every at every single moment.
"You know Catherine isn't going to be here…" Of course he was stirring trouble but Craig was also too high to care.
Before he could even respond to his comment, the song had changed and Jessica was done dancing. She had hopped over to them leaning past the both of them for a drink as they were standing at the bar.
"What's the matter with the both of you?" She asked brushing her straight hair from her face. She was in the same boat as Craig but not as bad as he was. When Jessica didn't have a care in the world she didn't care if she danced the night away or not.
Taking a sip out of the cup she had tucked away, she glanced between her brothers. Baz had turned away from her and took a drink of his own. Craig moved away with another grin as it was something he didn't even want to worry about. "Oh Bazzy Boo, what's the matter? Can't have any fun?"
She knew he hated that nickname as it was something she called him when they were kids. Rolling his eyes, Baz took a moment to look at her. Of course it was a complete scan from head to toe. Jessica watched him with a laugh and looked towards the pool.
"Oh I see what this is all about…You don't like me dancing in my bathing suit. For your information I danced in a lot less"
Getting a glare from Baz, she finished off the rest of her drink with smile. "Teasing you is what I'm best at, sorry babe"
Jessica Cody had just gotten off of a long day's work. It had been a nightmare at the clinic where everyone had any illness possible. On top of it there was only her and another nurse so she had been running from room to room all day. She wished it was how it was two days ago when all she worried about was getting J that tetanus shot.
Hopping out the blue jeep, she moved to the backseat in order to grab her backpack and purse. It was a quiet little place where she lived and the only noise going on was her digging around in the car. Walking up the drive, she slung the larger bag on her back and glanced at the building. One she reached the front however, things had quickly changed.
The peach colored door to her apartment had been wide open and the lights were on as she could see it from the windows. Feeling her heart sink, Jessica had looked around the entire place wondering what to do. She wasn't stupid enough to go look by herself especially that she didn't have a weapon or back up. All she had was her wallet, her leftover lunch and a few books that she was planning to read.
Pulling her phone out of her scrubs, she dialed the first person that came to mind and crossed the street while keeping her eyes on the front door. Jessica wasn't sure if someone was still inside and it was too dark out to see if anyone was hanging around outside. Plopping down on the edge of the curb, she sat in silence waiting for her knight in shining armor.
Seeing a familiar silver Charger roll down the street, she pointed to the parking garage and waited for Baz to park the car and walk over.
"Doesn't this remind you of that time I called you when I was like eighteen and had no idea where I was?" Jessica asked once he crossed the street. She was in the process of standing up and grabbing her things.
"Are you talking about the time that you called because you and Craig partied hard and you left with that guy?" Baz wasn't sure what she was bringing up and he turned around to see her apartment.
Nodding faintly she felt that she was repeating history to a degree. She had ended up falling head of heels for a guy that Craig had invited to a party. It was during her time of being hooked on drugs that she was surprised she even remembered it. He left her stranded on the road somewhere and she called Baz to pick her up. Unbeknownst to him at the time she did all sorts of stuff that he ended up rushing her to the hospital as she began overdosing in his car.
"I called once I saw the door open; I didn't want to go in just in case someone is still in there"
Baz had been staring at before nodding at her words. He helped her get her things and told her to stay behind her as they made their way to her apartment. Stepping up the stairs cautiously, he put his hand out to tell her to stay behind him as he pulled his gun from his back waistband.
Jessica's blue eyes had widened and she placed a hand on his upper arm. "You brought a gun? Are you crazy?" She whispered once they were approaching the door.
"No, someone broke into your apartment and I'm concerned about you more than anything else"
Softening her face, she braced herself for whatever was going on in her apartment. With Baz in front of her, she felt completely protected and safe but her heart was still feeling uneasy. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary in the living room or kitchen and it was completely silent. Placing her bag down gently, Jessica placed her hands on his shoulders as he started going towards her bedroom.
Quickly opening the bathroom door, it was completely empty which now left the bedroom last. Whipping his way into the room, Baz lowered the gun when no one was standing inside.
"Why didn't they take anything?" Jessica pipped up as she stepped away from him. Walking past him, she grabbed the closet door and opened to make sure no one was inside either. Throwing her arms up, nothing was out of place. Pausing, she shut the door and leaned against it. "What if it was Javi?"
Giving her a skeptical look, his walked over and set the gun on her dresser. Her room was painted exactly like the rest and it still had a beachy vibe to it. Her bed spread was white and sea green with matching nightstands and dressers. It was very simple with some clothes on the floor and another surf board in the corner. The curtains had been sea green as well and it had been similar o her old room at Smurf's.
"What would Javi want with you? He's after Smurf's money…Unless he's that desperate to get you back"
Shooting him a faint glare, she stepped over to him and yanked open the first dresser drawer. "Jealousy looks good on you, wear it more often" She mocked him for the comment he made to her about Lucy. "Who knows what he wants, I'm not as skeptical as you are in the situation. A guy wants money from our family and you seem to think he's not going to ask us for anything"
"Okay, I never said that. All I said is that it's Smurf's problem to deal with and not ours. If Javi showed up then I'll talk to him about it next time he's at her house"
Digging in a drawer, he watched her silently and Jessica faced him. "Wanna close the door so I can change out of my clothes and you don't stand there and watch?"
Smirking faintly, he moved away and out of the room. She had grabbed grey shorts and an old Oceanside High School t-shirt that she still wore with pride. It reminded her that she had been the only one went for her GED out of the family and she was always down to wear it. As Jessica got more comfortable, she stepped back out into the living area.
"Who said I was staying?" Baz asked picking up her bag and moving it out of the way. He set it down on her counter and then moved over to the couch.
"You were staying from the moment I called you. You, Baz Blackwell leave a female unarmed in a robbery situation and not protect me? What would your Mother say?"
Grabbing a water bottle out of the refrigerator, she tossed one onto his lap and jumped down onto the couch next to him. Crossing her legs like she did before, she faced him one. Opening the cap, Jessica took a drink before staring at him.
"Nothing…You're just wearing your shirt that you like to brag in"
Glancing down at it for a second, she put the water down the table. "What? Would rather me take it off? Nice try Boo Boo but you're not suckering me into that one"
"Oh come on, when we were kids we were always dragging you around with us. I'm sorry, but weren't you the one who followed us climbing a crane on the beach?"
"Okay first off I didn't ask you to pull me off of the God damn thing as I wanted to climb down. Second of all you loved dragging your little sister around because like Craig said, it attracted all of the girls to you. Third of all…"
Before Jessica could finish her sentence, Baz had leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Not expecting that to be the next move, she could feel her heart skip a beat. Pulling back for a moment, she cocked her head staring at him before focusing her eyes on his lips. Accepting it, she decided to act best on her emotions. Shifting herself so she could place herself into his lap, Jessica was as eager as he was. Baz had placed his hands on her hips while working them up to the hem of her shirt. She had been running her hands through his hair until things started to change.
Once she felt her shirt slowly rising, she pulled completely away and moved back into her spot on the couch. Covering her mouth for a second, she thought everything over and spoke, "We can't do this Baz, not again"
Feeling completely confused by her actions, he sat up a little straighter and took a deep breath. It was frustrating to him due to the fact that she had been constantly doing things to lead him on and then abruptly stopped. It was his turn to think things over and he studied her to figure out where she was. "Why not?" Baz asked simply.
"Remember what happened a year ago? I'm not getting kicked out of this family for the third time because of you…I think it's best we just don't do this anymore"
"Weeks ago you were all over me not once, not twice but three times. Now all of a sudden you want to just want to forget about everything we've been doing?" Baz knew what she was referring to. "Catherine is gone; Smurf isn't going to find out and Lucy is over and done with"
Standing up, Jessica wanted to continue with it and it had honestly had taken a lot in her to stop. It was just every time she thought about it things crashed down on them. The two of them were like magnets that were constantly sticking and pulling them apart was hard. The problem however was that she didn't want to keep things secret as every time before.
Ruffling her hair out of her ponytail, it was good for her just to back away. Without saying another word, she stepped out of the way and ended up going back into her bedroom, closing the door silently. Leaning his head back, Baz was trying to figure out what to do next. He was going to prove to her that this time was serious and it wasn't going to be like the other times. It was now his time to get up and chase after her. Walking down the hall, he pushed open the door.
"Look…You and I are going to have a complicated relationship and you're scared, I get it. Smurf can run this family all she wants but I'm not going to let her step into our business. What we do is our business alone and I want you"
Pausing at his words, Jessica gently took a seat on the edge of her bed. "Is this the real Baz talking or is it the Baz that wants into my pants?"
Laughing lightly at her words, he walked further into the sea green room. "I'm serious Jessica. You know as well I as that this is something that both of us want. Trust me on this"
Staring back at him, Jessica was putting a lot on the line. The first time Smurf and Julia had gotten in the way and by the second time it came around was Catherine. She didn't want the third time to be the charm but had a feeling it would happen. She had to think if it was something that she truly wanted even though she knew she did. Wanting a forbidden romance wasn't her cup of tea but she couldn't stay away from Baz no matter who tried blocking her.
Baz was waiting for an answer before he tried doing anything else. He wasn't going to back her into a corner or forced her into but he knew the outcome of both options. If Jessica wasn't going to act on her feelings it would only be a matter of time that they would do something again. If she did then they had a long road ahead of them that both were willing to do.
Nodding faintly at his words, he still was waiting for her to say it out loud. "If you're that serious then yes"
Jessica had leaned back on her elbows on the bed waiting for him to come over. He had done what she wanted and hovered over her. Picking up from where they left off, it was her turn to rip off his white t-shirt. Once she was done with his, she quickly took hers off and pushed him back faintly. Jessica wanted to feel in control so she shoved him onto the bed and got on top of him. Ruffling her hair again, she kissed him back viciously.
Pulling back from him, both Baz and Jessica had been panting heavily. They had been catching their breath while removing the rest of their clothes. Knowing exactly what each other liked, they were always a perfect match for one another. Jessica had laid her hands on his chest and started rolling her hips. Baz had dug his fingertips into them before rolling them over. Holding her hands up above her head, it was time to show that he would give it to her as much as she was giving it to him.
"Are you really going to just sit there and pout the whole time?" Jessica had hopped over for a second time over to Baz.
He had been sitting on a barstool on the opposite side of the pool. Everyone had either talking; dancing, drinking, doing drugs or doing God knows what in the pool. Baz looked miserable and she had watched him back but did so slyly.
She reached for a random red cup that was lying around, finished whatever alcohol was in it and tossed it aside. Grabbing his hand, she attempted to pull him off. "Come on, I'll let you to dance with me"
"You know I don't dance Jess…Go do whatever you were doing" He said almost in a dismissive tone.
Letting go of his hands, she stepped away without a second thought. Going over to the radio that had someone had their phone hooked up to; she changed the song to a hip-hop song that she knew. Jessica walked back over with a smirk, turned her back to Baz and started to grind on him like she had been doing alone earlier. Being caught off guard, Baz didn't say anything but he wasn't complaining. Most of the time Catherine had been around if she wasn't working or if the babysitter was watching Lena and Jessica knew exactly how to tease him whether she was there or not.
Leaning back to see him, Jessica was showing off. It was a complete different personality when she was sober and when she wasn't. "I hate that I can't have you, it only makes me want you more" He leaned in and told her. Baz was doing everything he could to contain himself and Jessica knew it.
Smiling at his words, she stopped dancing and turned to face him. "Who said you can't?" Crashing her lips onto his, she gently pulled him off the seat wanting him to come onto her.
After making out for at least a couple of minutes, he had pulled back and rubbed his head. "Look, Jess…"
Frowning faintly at his words, Jessica bit her lip and backed away. "I get it, you and Catherine are back together after your little split or whatever" Taking a deep breath she started walking away. "You and I can't mess around anymore; you could have just said it"
Hopping away as fast as she could, she ducked into the house to collect herself. Baz and Catherine had taken some time apart from one another which meant Jessica threw herself towards him. While separated the two of them began to hang out often and it led to plenty of sex. She wasn't sure what was going on but she figured they were together since she ended up going to the parties.
Standing at the kitchen island, Jessica looked around until she spotted a friend of Craig's in the large family room. She had asked if she could have a line of her favorite drug so she snorted some coke in order to block out what happened. Feeling two arms grab her around the waist, she turned faintly to see who it was although she already knew it was Baz.
"Bedroom now. I can't wait any longer"
Jessica had woken up the next morning with the sun shining in her eyes. She sat up rubbing her eyes and then forgot who was lying next to her. Looking down at him, she had to replay the night for a second in her mind. The last time she slept with him ended up in a total disaster and she couldn't believe that they had actually gotten away with it this time.
Getting out of bed gently to not make a sound, she had looked around for her clothes and slipped them on. She had no idea what she did with her phone and she assumed it was hitting ten in the morning. Jessica had to be at work by twelve thirty and she wasn't entirely sure what to do. She really had no idea where their relationship stood because she was still on the fence about it.
"You don't have to be so quiet" Baz said which caught her attention, Jessica didn't see that he was already up.
Searching the room once more, she tossed his pants towards him. "Some of us have to get ready for work and I have no idea what time it is"
Leaving the room to go out into the living area she saw the case lying on the counter. Checking it out, it was only ten and that gave her enough time to get ready and solve whatever happened. Jessica waited for him to come out because she knew that he was bound to follow.
"So quick question, I'm a little confused on what exactly happened. You and I…" She called out while trying to make coffee.
Baz had come out a few minutes later wearing just his pants where she had been fully dressed in her previous pajamas. "I thought we talked about this last night?"
"We did but it wasn't anything major" She spoke and leaned on the counter to face him. He had taken a seat on the couch. "I'm not settling to be a friend with a benefit. I'm not going to wait on the side or be played for that matter. I want more than that and I don't know where we stand"
"I know you do and you deserve it" He answered back knowing that he was going to have a tough time convincing her. Jessica had every right to be skeptical as the situation was complicated greatly. "I know what we have is complicated and I know that this isn't going to be easy. Every time we are around each other something happens, all I'm saying is I want you and I don't want anyone else"
Smiling faintly, she turned away from him so he couldn't see it. There were many factors on both sides that were going to test them and try pulling them apart. Baz was right, it wasn't going to be easy and it wasn't something she already knew. Her issue was that she wasn't sure if she should push herself into.
"Well…" Trying to figure out what to say, she was really at a loss of words. "I have to start getting ready for work, I need a shower" Ignoring the coffee for now, she walked behind the couch and he watched her. Standing up, he reached for her but Jessica spun around and placed her hand on his chest. "Do not even think about following"
"Oh come on, you have like two hours for that" Baz grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.
Thinking it over, Jessica shifted herself in his grasp to look at him. He held onto her because he knew she was going to try and get out of it. "Fine, twenty minutes top"
Jessica and Baz had been tucked away in her old bedroom. They had been in there for the last twenty minutes even though their time was about to be cut short due to an old friend. Both had been close to their release and
Pounding her fist on the door, Catherine had found out from Craig where Baz was and she wasn't happy. "Open the damn door"
Baz had been holding onto her hips as he had her bent over the bed. Jessica had been slamming back against him; she was giving it to him as much as he was giving it to her. They were in the process of almost being down but the moment was quickly interrupted. He had loosened his grip on her and Jessica nearly jumped off of the bed after hearing it. Searching the room, she grabbed her shorts swiftly.
"I thought she wasn't supposed to be here" She said trying to slip her shorts back on but couldn't find her bikini top anywhere. She had been staying with Smurf for a while so her clothes were thrown all over, she was lucky to find a loose t-shirt.
"She's not…Look, I'll go out first, you just don't worry about it. I'll get Cath out of here" Baz was as frantic as she was but his emotions were more intense. Neither one of them had expected this to happen but he had more on the line than she did.
Ducking out of the room he had chased after Catherine leaving Jessica behind. She had debated on just leaving the party in general but she really wanted to know what was going on. She stood by the door and heard Cath yelling despite the music being loud. Jessica had toyed with her hair for a second then took it upon herself to go to the kitchen where all the noise was going on.
"Craig told me exactly what was going on so save your breath Baz" She said marching into the living area. Baz had ordered everyone out for them to have a conversation. Whipping around, Catherine looked at him. "You know I really trusted you and for you to have sex with her? Your sister for that matter"
"It's not what it looks like, give me a second to explain" Rubbing his head, Baz knew this was a mistake. The only thing he could think to do was save his own ass. "She came onto me and I just…"
"You just what? That's not an excuse"
"Hold up, I sure as hell did not come onto you" Spinning around the corner, Jessica appeared with her arms crossed. "You wanted this as much as I did so don't try to make me look like the bad guy. You were more than eager to do me than anyone else at this party"
Seeing the Cody sister made Catherine furious. She was mad at both of them but she was more so at her. It was clear to her that Jessica had always wanted him and Cath wasn't having it. She had more with Baz as Lena was the common factor that they shared. Looking at the girl made her furious and Baz was stuck in the middle.
"You know, I have been giving you the benefit of doubt lately. I let you watch Lena when I was at work, I knew you were a junkie and I still let you watch our daughter. From this point on I want you to stay away from me and my family"
Blinking after her remark, Jessica had been insulted by her words. She had partially expected Baz to stand up for her but knew he wouldn't. He always stayed on Catherine's good graces and he needed to smooth things over with her not only for Lena but for Smurf as well. Craig and Deran had just stepped in the room from the back door but slowly halted when they realized the tension.
Glancing at her brothers, she had realized that it was a mistake and that she screwed up big time. Instead of apologizing, she fired back at her. "Maybe you should keep a tighter leash because I'm not the only girl he's screwing…" All three men had snapped their heads towards her after hearing that statement. Jessica didn't stop there however, she kept going. "Apparently you don't have what it takes to keep him happy because he wouldn't be fucking me if you did"
Craig couldn't help laugh out loud at the remark. Deran's eyes had widened and tried to say something in order to get his sister out of there. Baz's face had changed and she knew at that moment that she said something she shouldn't have. Catherine wasn't having it and charged towards her. Having been between them physically, Baz grabbed her but Jessica charged back at her. Deran stepped up and both men were holding the girls back from one another.
Their hair and arms were flying wildly and it had taken a good amount of time to calm them down. Words were being thrown and they hadn't been listening to the boys. "You will never have what I have. You want it so bad that you are desperate to get it. You will never ever have kid, a boyfriend that cares for you because the last one beat the shit out of you and you ran to your brothers. You'll never get him, get what I have or have the family that you've dreamed of"
Right as they let go of the girls, it was Catherine who decided to scream back. People had already started coming in and watching with front row seats. All that she said about her ex-boyfriend was true and it was another thing she wasn't proud of. Rushing at her, Jessica ended up being the fool through it all as Cath reached past Baz and knocked her straight in the face.
Baz had enough of it and pulled Catherine and drug her to the front door. Leaving, he needed to gain control of everything as it was turning into a bigger mess than it should have. Jessica had crumbled onto the floor feeling blood leak from her nose. She had climbed into a sitting position covering her face. The Cody Brothers both went to pick up their sister but she only shoved them away. Making her decision right there, she was going to pack her things and disappear from the family once again.