Hate to Say I Told You So

Chapter Twenty Two

Ross left after I deserted my post at my window. My phone lit up with a text saying Collin had encouraged Ross to act. He had texted Ross on his way home from my house. Ross left me alone for the rest of the weekend. I moped around my room, only leaving for meals and more coffee, and spent the whole weekend reading real CLFS. Not even Finn and Collin offering to take me to Pages seemed enough to get me out of my funk.

The pit turned cavernous, and I just ignored it by immersing myself in the love issues of Nicholas Sparks' characters, comparing their level of tragedy to my own mess.

Monday morning, my mom pulled me out of bed citing that I had spent enough time brooding and I needed to get out. Just as I had yanked my uniform on and headed down the stairs, the doorbell rang. No one stood there when I answered, but a cup from the coffee shop sat there instead, with a note on it saying "I'm sorry," written on the lid. I knew Ross' handwriting right away. He waited for me outside the school gates until I got there.

"You were right," We both said at the same time.

"Wait, how was I right?" I said,

"I'm in no place to tell you how to handle your dad. I can't even handle my own. I just know that everything that happened with my dad hurt a lot, and I don't want to see you in that kind of pain. How was I right?" Ross took a step towards me and took my face in his hands.

"I have nothing to lose. My dad answers, I tell him to leave me alone and hang up. If I get a voicemail, I leave him a message. I just need you to make sure I do it."

"I'll come after school. We'll hang out because you'll need it." Ross smiled and leaned forward to kiss me, but it felt a touch awkward because I still had my coffee and we both had backpacks in the way. It still worked, and I felt myself smile as Ross' fingers knotted into my hair and his tongue teased my lips. I liked kissing after an argument.

...

I couldn't sit with Ross at lunch because I had to talk to Mr. Kopple about a paper I had written a few weeks ago, back when everything looked a wreck in my personal life. Ross waited for me outside the gates after school. He took my hand and gave me a breath by my ear before we started walking. I walked as slow as possible, but Ross kept tugging me along.

"Belle, the sooner you get home, the sooner you can call him and this will all be over. Done. Kaput." He had turned to face me and emphasized each of the last words by pecking me on the lips.

We knew we would get a surprise when I saw my mom's car in the driveway. She hadn't beaten me home from school since before she had dad broke up. I felt myself grip Ross' hand tight; I could feel him tense up with the pressure.

"Mom?" I shouted, my voice tentative, as I opened the door.

"I'm in here, Isa." I heard from what we once called dad's office.

I headed over there, still gripping Ross' hand. Once I got to the door, he slipped from my grip and hung back a little bit.

She sat in a chair, curled up in a ball, almost in the fetal position.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She took a shattered, deep breath, "I went to lunch with your father this afternoon. He wants a divorce."

...

I heard Ross take a step back out of the room. I understood if he didn't want to stay. I knew I didn't.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. What are you going to do about it?"

She sniffed deeply, "Well, there's not much I can do. I suppose I could drag my feet, but that would cost a lot of money that we don't have."