Splinters: Part One

Part One | 50

Chapter 50

Collie's Fault

I stared at Collie's house and put my car into park. No one was home and that's how I wanted it to be. I was going to end it. I didn't want to, but I knew that that's what I had to do. And if Collie bawled, neither her brother nor her father would have the chance to murder me.

Melissa had come up to my room this morning and asked me what was going on through my head. I told her the truth, that I couldn't let it go whether she apologized or not, whether Collie meant it when she said she wouldn't hide anything from me anymore. It was too personal.

I licked my lips and slid out of my car, a rain drop falling onto my forehead. I looked at the sky. Gray, almost black clouds hung above me, puffy and ready to burst with water. I set my eyes forward, noticing that it was already raining in Rhode Island more west, meaning it was making its way towards Barrington. I frowned. How perfect for the occasion.

I closed my car door and slowly made my way to Collie's porch, knocking on the door twice. Collie didn't answer the door as soon as I wanted her to, so I shot her a text.

"I don't know why you knock," she huffed, opening the door after five minutes of me waiting.

I stepped inside. "It's not my house," I pointed out.

"But I'm the only one here."

Collie's hair was curled, which was weird because she wore a plain t-shirt and jean shorts with it. It wasn't like her to wear something like this, not when her hair is like that. She also had her make-up done, something she usually does when we're out or at school. She's only with me right now.

"Why are you all dressed up?"

"I want to look good for my boyfriend," she smirked.

I looked at my feet. "Collie-"

"Let's go to my room and talk, okay?"

She grabbed my right hand and pulled me upstairs. It was clean. Cleaner than usual.

"Alright, what's going on, Collie?" I asked, completely and utterly confused. "You don't keep your room this organized."

"I want to prove to you that I've changed since... The whole Ursanne incident." She took a deep breath. "And that I'm willing to change even more. For you."

I inwardly groaned. "It's not tha-"

She began pulling me toward her bed. "I know what you've been thinking, Brayden. I know what you've been considering. I'm not going to let it happen."

I closed my eyes. She knows.

"I love you," she said, placing her hands on my cheeks. "And I'm not going to let the Collie I used to be ruin the Collie I am now."

"But that's the thing-"

"Don't do it," she whispered. "Don't."

She kissed me, slow and gently, which hindered my thoughts.

I'd miss this if I ended it. I'd miss it a lot.

Then she kissed me again. She kissed me and kissed me and kissed me, over and over and over again, until we were on her bed, not wearing anything under her blankets. We were a tangled mess, doing things we weren't supposed to be doing, but I was too intoxicated with how she was making me feel. I hadn't even really registered what was going on until right before it was going to happen.

"Collie," I whispered, hovering over her. "I don't know."

"C'mon," she encouraged sweetly, kissing my neck. "You love me, right?"