Enough Courage

☆Chapter 15

In the morning when I get up Collins isn't beside me.

I sit up and search for the clock on the wall. The clock reads 8:30 a.m.

Everybody is probably packing and getting ready to go home. Something I should be doing as well.

I rub my eyes, feeling well rested for once in my life. I think about Collins arm draped across my waist holding me close to him and how I could sleep like that every night.

The house is suspiciously quiet. That either means people are still passed out from a long night of partying or they've gone out.

I force myself out of bed even though I could stay in it all day long.

In the hall I notice after passing all the rooms everyone is gone, luggage and all.

I go down the stairs to see Collins standing at the stove cooking something.

"Good morning." He says.

"Good morning?" I say more like a question as I place my hands flat on the granite countertops. "Where did everyone go?"

"Well Kelesy, Shaina, and Eric went back to campus. Everyone else took an Uber to the airport to fly back to Florida."

"Florida?"

"Yeah, they live in Florida. that's how our parents met."

"How many houses do they have here?"

"Three, but they only own one. they're family owns the rest."

"I thought they were riding back with us? Gabby wanted the front seat, I remember her saying that on the way back."

"Plans changed, I guess. Her parents texted her last night insisting she come home early. They are pretty strict."

For some reason I believe there is more to the story than he's letting on.

"Are they lawyers too?"

"No," he says looking up from the pan he was cooking in. "Doctors."

"You guys seem pretty close?" I say nonchalantly, trying to receive more information.

Collins slides an egg onto a plate with two pancakes. Then sets the plate down in front of me.

"I made you breakfast." He says ignoring ny question. When I don't say anything he answers. "We were pretty close. But we grew up together."

"Thanks for breakfast." I smile at him now ignoring his response. I sit down at the counter on one of the bar stools.

"You're welcome." He smiles back. "Seems like you slept pretty good last night." He says after a few seconds.

"I did. I was pretty exhausted."

"I was thinking we should head back soon. I have a paper to write, it's due at midnight."

"You haven't started it yet?"

"No." He laughs. "Sometimes I'm not very motivated."

"Same."

"I have to get my shit together though. Baseball is about to start."

"Already?"

"Well, pre-season is, it's just practice."

"That must be exciting?"

"I love the game, yes. But it's more than a game to me now. If I don't keep my grades up, I can't play. If I can't play I lose my scholarship. If I lose my scholarship-" he trails off, looking lost.

"You have to go home." I finish his sentence for him.

He nods, "not only that- I'll have to go home and be shipped to a school of their choice. That was the only way I could get them to agree to me coming here for school. If I fail, I do what they want."