CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT COLLINS
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
COLLINS
I watch him walk away from the truck and into the flower shop, and the only thing I can do is let out a sigh. My eyes scan the street to see if my father is anywhere I can see him, but he’s like a chameleon.
When Brock told me how much it was going to be, I thought I would throw up on the desk.
I was so embarrassed, I had no idea what to say.
Standing there next to Theo, who has such a loving family, how could I tell him my own father sliced my tires because he was pissed I didn’t give him money?
Even after stealing the money from my account.
I know I’m going to have to eventually have a conversation with him, and it’s going to have to be sooner rather than later. Just the thought makes me feel sick.
My tired eyes are burning as Theo walks out of the shop, his arms wrapped around a bunch of flowers. He opens the back door. “Should I put these in the bed of the truck, or is the back seat fine?” I look over the seat at him. “In case you get sick from the smell?”
This fucking man cannot be real, is the only thing I think of as I close my eyes and then open them again, somehow not expecting the flowers to be there.
He closes the door and walks around the truck.
“When we get home, I’m going to need you to go into the house and pretend you don’t know about them.
” I reach across, putting my hand at the back of his neck.
I can feel the smile that fills my face all the way to my ears.
After such a shitty fucking day, he’s made it seem like it never even happened.
“Okay,” I agree. I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure he knows how much everything he does means to me.
When we get home, I try not to cry as I let myself in with the key he gave me two days ago. I go directly to the kitchen. When the front door opens, I bite my lower lip and listen to his approaching footsteps.
“Hi.” His eyes meet mine. “I got you something.”
I can’t help but put my hands on my mouth and try to hide the smile. “Theo.” His arms are full of different bouquets of flowers. “What did you do?”
“Well, I didn’t know if there was a certain flower that was your favorite.
” He grabs one of the bouquets wrapped in brown paper.
“These ones are wildflowers.” They’re white and pink blooms with a couple of purple ones in between.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen more beautiful flowers in my life.
“This is the one she said smells the best.” He hands me a bouquet with light-pink and white roses, and little light-blue flowers peeking in between.
I bring them to my nose and smell. I can’t help the tear that escapes me.
“This one is called the Sunshine Delight.” It’s sunflowers with little white daisies and yellow roses.
“It’s not my favorite,” he mumbles. “Then there are these. I think they’re my favorite.
” He looks at my face as he hands me the last one, which is filled with pink lilies with soft pink flowers around them.
“I wish I could hug you right now.” I’m crying, and he cups my face in his big hand.
“I really do, but I don’t want to ruin the flowers.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many flowers in my life and .
. .” I try to calm myself down, but I can’t help the emotion coming off of me.
“I had a pretty shitty day and, just like that, you’ve made it so much better.
Sometimes I have to wonder if you are too good to be true. ”
“If I’m too good to be true”—he kisses my lips—“how do you think I feel?” He kisses my cheek.
“You have come into my life and made it better. It’s like I didn’t even know I wasn’t breathing, that I wasn’t truly living.
Now, I can take on anything.” I look down.
“You have to be the kindest soul I’ve ever met in my life.
I’m happy our baby is going to have a part of you in them because I know it’s going to be the best part of them. ”
“I’m going to need you to stop it,” I tell him through tears, and he chuckles. “And I’m going to need you to find me vases for all these flowers.”
“None of them make you feel sick?” he asks, his face worried.
“No.” I sniff, and he grabs them from me and places them on the island.
“Why don’t you go and take a shower, and I’ll get these sorted. Then you can crawl into bed and have a little nap.”
“I don’t think I can nap now.” It’s almost six. “I’m just going to go to bed at seven.”
“Okay, then I’ll cook,” he kisses me, “and then you’ll go to bed.”
“What about you?”
“Are you trying to get me into the shower with you, baby?” He grins. I can’t help but snort.
“Obviously. I don’t think I’ve taken a shower in a while without being felt up.”
“Don’t even pretend you don’t like it.” He grabs my ass in his hands.
“I think you like it more than I like it,” I sass him, and he lets me go.
“Go shower.”
“Okay,” I give in.
I spot my bag in the corner of his closet, where he had put it, and reach in to grab a pair of panties and the long, gray pants with a matching T-shirt.
Once I start the shower, I peel out of my clothes and toss them into the hamper.
The first couple of times, I put my clothes in a pile on the counter to repack, but Theo picked them up and tossed them in with his.
It made me a bit anxious, but after the second time, it felt good. Like I belonged here. Like it was us.
Stepping into the big shower, I let the water course over me.
I can’t wash the smile off my face when I think about the flowers he bought me.
But then I remember where I had just been when he went into the flower shop.
And soon, my mind is focused on the money I’m going to need for new tires. My heart pounds and my stomach dips.
I wash my hair and wrap it in a towel before getting dressed. My stomach grumbles as I comb out my hair. I can hear voices coming from the living room, and I wonder if Caleb has come by to visit.
Theo isn’t in the kitchen, so I check the living room and stop dead in my tracks. I feel the blood drain out of me.
“Thank you very much,” my mother says as Theo hands her a glass of water. She sits there on his couch right next to my father, who is holding a beer in his hand.
“Of course,” Theo replies, “the pleasure is all mine.” My feet feel like they are stuck to the floor.
He turns to look at me, and all I want to do is put a bubble around him and make sure that nothing touches him, especially my parents.
“Well, there she is,” he says, and I wish I had told him not to let them in.
I wish I had the balls to tell him that I don’t ever want to see them.
But I guess, deep down, I was still defending my parents.
“What are you doing here?” Those are the only words that escape me as I make my way to stand next to Theo.
“Now, is that any way to treat your parents?” my mother chides, shaking her head. “We were looking for you at home and, well—”
“We heard in town that the two of you were shacking up,” my father states, and I can feel the tightness in my neck. “So we thought it was the perfect time to meet him.”
“Are you okay?” Theo whispers in my ear.
“Yeah,” I lie to him, “I’m fine. Why don’t you go and get in the shower?” I smile tightly. “Then we can eat.”
“Um.” He hesitates, looking at me and then at my parents. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah.” I need to get him as far away from my parents as possible. “Go shower.”
“If you’re sure,” he double-checks, and I just smile while he bends to kiss my lips. “I’ll be out soon,” he tells my parents. My father takes a long pull of his beer, and my mother bats her eyes at him.
I wait until I can hear the water running before speaking. “What the hell are you two doing here?” I whisper-hiss. My father looks all smug. “Actually, scratch that, I don’t care. I don’t care why you are here. All I care about is the two of you leaving and never coming back here again.”
My mother rolls her eyes at me as my father finishes the beer in his hand. “You don’t think we’re going to just go away without anything, do you?” He puts the empty bottle on the table. “You know better than that, sitting up here in the lap of luxury.”
“I have nothing to give you. Nothing. You took it all, remember?”
My mother looks away, knowing that I know it was her who forged my signature.
I try to keep my voice as calm as can be. “You stole my check.”
“You gave us that check,” he reminds me.
“Don’t sit there and pretend I’m talking about the one-hundred-dollar check. I’m talking about the thousand-dollar check you guys took and forged.”
My father smirks.
“My rent bounced.” My body shakes with nerves and anger. “And now I have to pay for new tires since insurance didn’t cover it.”
“We all go through tough times.” He looks over at my mother.
“Yeah, everyone goes through tough times.” She looks pointedly around. “But it looks like the tough times are behind you now.”
“This is not my house,” I hiss at them, wondering how much longer he’s going to be.
My father gets up and grabs the empty beer bottle, pulling every last drop out of it.
He sidles close, his voice lowering. “You need to ask that man of yours to take care of you. And he needs to make sure he takes care of us.” He points to me.
“It’s only fitting since we took care of you all your life. ”
I want to yell and scream at the top of my lungs, but I need to get them the fuck out of here before Theo comes back.
“Yes,” my mother murmurs, getting up, “it’s only fitting that you help your poor folks out, now that you’re rolling in dough.”
“I’m not rolling in anything,” I snap in a near whisper, not wanting Theo to hear. “I work every single day, like everyone else. And every time I think I’m getting ahead, the two of you”—I point at each of them—“come in and fuck up everything.”
“Watch that tone.” My father’s eyes are beady as he looks at me. “We’ll leave for now. But next time we see you, it would be nice if you helped your poor folks out.” He looks toward the hall to the bedroom. “I would hate to go directly to the source. How would that look?”
He walks past my mother, head high. She gives me one more sly look before she follows him out. I hang my head because it’s the only thing I can do.