Nineteen

Chapter Forty-Nine

"I can't fit these," I say as I unfold the t-shirt and pajama bottoms he threw to me.

He is much larger than me, and even if I wanted to wear his clothes, I possibly couldn't.

"They'll be fine," he says.

Collin never has much emotion behind anything he says. Days like today make me remember when he told me he cared for me, but yet he acts as if hanging out with me is some kind of job. I just don't know how to take him.

Giving up, I sigh and walk out of the room, in hunt for the bathroom to change into.

As I walk down the hallway, I glance over the rails so I can see into the living room.

"Well, is he here?" a woman's voice says.

I know that voice. I peek a little more over the rails to see Jade talking to Ryan. I think for a second I should yell to her and say hello, but that would be too embarrassing for her to know I'm staying here with a random boy.

I tip toe down the hall and slowly shut the bathroom door behind me. The few drinks I had have now worn off and I am exhausted. 

I change into Collin's clothes and look at myself in the mirror. I look as ridiculous as I thought I would, but I'm too tired to care. 

I pad back down the hall to hear Collin talking through the door. Being nosy as I am, I sit and listen for a few moments.

"I don't care, I said no. It wasn't anything serious." He sounds angry, and I can't help but wonder who is on the other end of the phone call.

I jump when I hear him begin to walk across the room. I quickly open the door to hide the fact that I was actually listening to his conversation.

He's facing the window. "Clark called you. I didn't answer." He rubs his hands up and down his jeans.

I grab my phone to see the missed call. I forgot he was going to pick me up.

"Hello? Em?" he says into the line.

"Hey."

"I went by your room and you wasn't there. I was a little worried."

"Yeah, I'm at Collins for the night," I mumble into the speaker.

"What? You barely know him and you're spending a lot of time with him."

I'm a little aggravated by his tone so I snap, "How else do you get to know someone then?"

He doesn't say anything for a few moments. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

I sigh. "It's fine. I'm just tired. I'm glad you cared about me enough to invite me to stay with you."

He is a great friend, he really is. He is just out of the loop with my current "friend".

"Oh, by the way, Link is looking for you. He said he went by your place and even tried calling you."

"He never tried to call me," I say.

"That's just what he said to me," he replies. 

I glance over at Collin and see that he is still staring out the window. 

"Okay then.."

We both say our goodbye's and hang up the phone.

I'm sitting on the bed and Collin is sitting on the ledge of his window.

"What are you looking at?" I try to start conversation with him. His tense structure and mood change is not a good sign for the night ahead. 

But of course, he doesn't respond to me.

Maybe its a little alcohol in my system flowing through me that makes me say what I say next. 

"I'm going to go to Clark's house so you don't have to feel as if you're my babysitter." I stand form the bed and gather my things.

His eyes jerk to look at me, "what did you just say?" He stands from the bed and walks over to me. "You can't go anywhere tonight."