Page 89 of Win You Over
Theo:Did you speak to the campus therapist yesterday?
Me:Yeah. She was nice. I don’t know if it’ll help, but I’m open to trying.
Soon after we returned from Italy, I started looking into therapists and what it would cost to see someone regularly. I mentioned it at dinner one evening, and Charlene suggested I look into what support the university could offer.
It never crossed my mind to ask the university, so it surprised me when they’d quickly set up a meeting with a doctor who offers therapy sessions for students. And as I am on a scholarship, her rates are massively reduced.
Theo: Tell me all about it over pizza tonight? Maybe we can look at the turntable again.
A grin settles on my face. The old vintage record player is going to be an ongoing challenge for us – I know it.
I type a reply to confirm our pizza date, just as we arrive back at the Langfords’.
When we walk in, the house smells like apple pie and my mouth waters. Charlene walks out of the kitchen, a daisy print apron covering her lime green sundress.
“How was RC Club?” she asks, kissing Curtis on the cheek.
“Amazing,” he replies. “Holden was a natural.”
I’m not sure you can be a ‘natural’ at racing remote controlled cars, but I’ll take it. It was a lot more fun than I expected and while I don’t share their enthusiasm, it is something I will happily do again.
“Great. We’re going tobraaitonight,” she says looking at her husband and then to me and Remi.
“I’m not in for dinner this evening,” I say. “You’re not?” Remington asks before adding, “Dinner with Theo?”
I nod.
“Enjoy,” his mom says, “And bring Theo around to meet us sometime.”
She walks to the console near the front door and picks up a package.
“Before I forget,” she looks at Remi and then at me. “I got this back for you.”
Charlene places the parcel in my hand, the weight settling on my open palm.
Carefully, I tear open the packaging, my hand trembling when I pull out the contents. My eyes sting as I look at my dad’s knife.
“How?” I ask, my gaze shifting from the knife to Charlene and then to Curtis next to her.
“I have my ways.” She grins at her husband. “We had it cleaned,” she adds seconds before I wrap my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly, careful to keep the knife well away from her body.
“Thank you.”
My heart broke when I lost it, but I couldn’t tell Remington that – couldn’t put even more on him, so I tried to forget it even existed.
“Our pleasure,” she replies, then she and Curtis leave the room and Remi takes my hand in his, guiding us up the stairs.
Once in his room, I close the door behind us, and take out the band holding up my hair, letting it fall loosely on my shoulders.
“I can’t believe your parents did this.” I hold up the package containing the knife, then place it on his desk.
“They want you to be happy.” He grabs me around the waist and pulls me closer.
“I am happy.” Remi rubs his nose against the soft skin at my ear before pulling back to look at me.
“I’m not, not tonight. I can’t sleep if you’re not here.” He pouts, his bottom lip sticking out and his eyes widening. I may be stupidly in love with him, but his charm still doesn’t work on me the way he wants it to.
“You’ll survive.” We have a variation of this discussion most nights when I’m not staying over. My boyfriend is exceptionally clingy and I fucking love it.
