Page 141 of Anyone But Her

Chapter Twenty-Six

Taylor

"What'd he say?" I ask Luke as we're walking over to Albert's house.

"I'll tell you when we're inside." Luke unlocks the door. "I'm surprised my key still works. I thought for sure Albert's daughter would've changed the locks." He pushes the door open. "Go ahead."

I walk inside, going around some boxes that are by the door. The house is really small but it's what I thought it would look like, given Luke's description.

"Hasn't changed much," Luke says. "There's a little less clutter but other than that it's the same. Albert's daughter said she was going to renovate the place but she must've decided it wasn't worth it."

"It's nice," I say.

"It's a shithole," he says, putting his arm around me. "You can say it. I don't mind."

"It just needs some work. Maybe a few coats of paint, some new curtains. Maybe re-do the tile in the kitchen."

He stands in front of me and smiles. "I got an idea."

"What?"

"You want to help me fix this place up?"

"Um, I guess I could, but I'm not really good at renovating stuff. I've never done it."

"We wouldn't be doing the big stuff, like the tile work. Just stuff like painting. And you could help me pick out new curtains and whatever else you think would look good."

"When do you want to do this?"

"I'm not sure. It'll have to wait until I earn some money but I really want your help, even if it's just to give me ideas on how to make it look better."

"I'd love to! Sounds fun!"

He hugs me. "I love you. Thanks for coming here with me. It's not as sad being here when you're here too. And it really helped to have you with me when I saw my parents."

"So how did it go? What'd your dad say?"

"Not much. He mostly listened. But we both said stuff we should've said a long time ago. I think we understand each other better now."

"Is he going to keep bothering you for money?"

"I don't think so."

"What changed his mind?"

"He didn't really say."

"Then how do you know he'll leave you alone?"

"He asked me to go to a baseball game, and a football game in the fall."

"I don't get it."

"That's his way of telling me he's done fighting with me without actually saying it. He hasn't taken me to a game since I was a kid, like maybe four or five."

"Why'd he stop taking you?"

"He thought I didn't want to go. I started getting into golf when I was five and that's all I wanted to do. I didn't realize until today how much it hurt my dad that I didn't do stuff with him."

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