Chapter 23 Collins
Collins
Clarke looked surprised when she swung open her front door and saw me standing there. Normally when we fought, my approach was to annoy her enough that she had to yell at me; that always started a conversation. But it didn’t seem like the right approach here.
“Oh,” Clarke said. “Hi.”
“Were you expecting someone else?”
“No,” she responded quickly. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.” I narrowed my eyes at her. She was being weird and not just because we were fighting, but I let it slide.
“Can I come in?”
“What if I say no?” Clarke asked.
“I’ll go around the back and sneak in your window and lay in your bed in my outside clothes.”
Clarke let out an annoyed sigh and moved out of the way so I could get inside. “So today sucked,” I said once I got in. I slipped off my shoes and made my way to Clarke’s couch.
“Yeah, it did.”
I patted the spot on the couch next to me. “Sit with me. We need to talk.”
Clarke put her hand over her heart and put a look of faux shock on her face. “Are you breaking up with me?”
If she was joking, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. “Unfortunately, we’re bound for life.”
“How’s the house?” Clarke said as she collapsed on the couch.
“Standing, but worse than I thought it would be,” I sighed. “How’s the shop?”
Clarke laid her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s bad, Collins.”
“I was afraid of that,” I said. “Before we get into all of that I…want to, um, apologize. I’ve been thinking about what you said—about how I’ve been treating you since I got home…
and even before. Really, Lars. I’m sorry.
” Clarke looked up at me, and I sat on the other side of her couch.
Pearl lifted her big head—just now noticing that I was here.
“I’m sorry I made you feel like you weren’t a priority to me or that you couldn’t depend on me when I got back here.
And I’m sorry you’ve had to carry the weight of Toades by yourself. ”
Clarke bit the inside of her cheek, but she didn’t say anything. “Good apology,” she said.
“For me, yes,” I said. I didn’t tell her I’d been practicing it in my head for days. “And I didn’t even make you yell.”
“You’ve only been here for five minutes,” Clarke said.
“Now we need to talk about Mom and Dad. I know you said that Mom told you that she and Dad turned the developer down, but this morning she didn’t seem so sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“They got a second offer.”
Clarke straightened her spine. “She told you that? You asked her about it, like directly?”
I nodded. “Yes—to both.”
“I’m impressed by the second part,” Clarke said.
“And extremely concerned about the first part. But my nervous system is shot after today, Ollie,” Clarke sighed.
“I don’t think I can handle one more thing tonight.
” I decided that I wasn’t going to tell her about my problem…
not yet. I didn’t want it to sound like an excuse for the way I’d been treating her because it wasn’t—not a good one anyway.
I went to hug Clarke, but my arm knocked a bunch of envelopes over. “Jesus Christ,” I said as I bent down to gather them up. “Who is sending you so much mail?”
“It’s all from Toades,” Clarke said. “I haven’t had a chance to go through it yet. Leave it. Do you want me to make us dinner?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to go home,” I said. “Make out with Brady a little more.”
Clarke’s jaw dropped open. “Collins Cartwright. Spill.”
I stood up and started walking toward the front door.
“Another time,” I said. “But rest, okay? Take care of yourself. We’re going to figure this thing out with Mom and Dad.
They’re not going to accept that offer, I promise.
” I opened Clarke’s front door. “I’ll call you in the morning. We’ll hatch a plan.”
“Text me when you get home.”
“I will. No more ghosting…from me anyway.”