Chapter 59: You're Too Young to Handle It
"Ron."
He looked up from his battle with a particularly chewy meat pie his mom had made, crumbs still stuck to the side of his mouth. "Yeah, Mom?"
"Here."
Collins casually passed him a napkin, trying to act nonchalant. At the same time, SJ's head popped up from under the table like a crocodile surfacing from a swamp. He let out a loud, exaggerated, "Oooooooh~" with a mischievous grin.
That earned him a flying onion ring to the face—courtesy of Collins.
"Leigh-Anne and I are heading out later to look into a charity project," Mary said. "Can I trouble you to drop Collins off at school? She's got cheer practice today. If you're not busy, maybe stick around and wait for her? Then you two can come home together for dinner."
Mary and Leigh-Anne—two graceful, scheming middle-aged women—exchanged a knowing smile. The unspoken plan was clear.
Ron, meanwhile, felt like he'd been ambushed. He'd been trying to keep his distance from Collins lately.
"Sure, Mom. It's just… I've got a meeting with Yuri later. We're discussing gear purchases—six figures' worth of stuff. Big deal, you know~" In desperation, Ron brought out his not-so-secret weapon: Yuri, the arms dealer.
To his credit, Yuri had built a great rapport with Ron's family over the years. Every Christmas, like clockwork, he'd stop by with gifts for Ron's parents. The Coopers thought the world of him.
"Work can wait," Mary said calmly, pulling out her phone. "I'll call Yuri and ask him to meet you tomorrow instead."
She didn't dial right away—just let the unspoken threat hang in the air.
Collins, looking slightly flustered, tried to step in. "It's really no trouble. If it's inconvenient—"
"It's no trouble at all~" Ron cut her off with forced enthusiasm. Mary's icy stare saw to that.
Collins' worried frown disappeared, replaced by a warm smile that made her look even more beautiful.
Oh no. That flutter in the chest—was that… attraction?
Ron quickly ducked his head and went back to eating.
Across the table, SJ picked up the onion ring his sister had thrown at him, gave Ron a sly look, then looked at Collins. He took tiny bites out of the ring while giggling quietly like a gremlin.
What the hell are you laughing at, you little brat? Ron shot him a glare. SJ glared right back.
After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? Fine. Decision made. Your Christmas gift this year is going to be a full set of mock exams! Let's see if you're still laughing then!
—
Fifteen minutes later, after using his meal as a stalling tactic, Ron was finally forced into the car by a very fed-up Mary. She even took the plates from under him herself.
As he got in, Mary offered one last unsubtle hint:
"Drive safe, okay? Leigh-Anne and I decided not to cook tonight. You two can grab something while you're out. Oh, and Ron—remember what I taught you about being a gentleman!"
Ron rolled his eyes. Mom, you might as well just call it a date.
—
In the car, Collins was the first to break the silence.
"Thanks for giving me a ride, Ron. I hope I'm not interfering with your work?"
"It's nothing, really. I wasn't that busy. I can always have my team handle the equipment purchase."
There it was again—the automatic flex. He couldn't help himself. Something about being around a beautiful woman just made him act like this.
"Do you want me to get out at the entrance?" he asked a moment later. "I know how high school gossip works. If I drive you in, people might start talking. I'd feel bad if your boyfriend got upset over it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ron wanted to slap himself. Why couldn't he just shut up for once?
Sure enough, Collins smiled sweetly. "I don't have a boyfriend. And I'm not interested in dating any of those immature boys at school. They don't know a thing."
Ron could barely handle the intensity of her gaze now.
In a panic, he resorted to the nuclear option—self-sabotage.
"Dating someone outside school isn't any better. More heartbreak. More jerks. Take me, for example—I'm dating two women at the same time."
He said it hoping she'd lose interest. It wasn't that Ron wasn't attracted to her. He was.
It wasn't guilt, either.
It was fear.
He knew exactly what kind of woman Collins would grow into—and he also knew...
He couldn't afford to fall. Not yet.
Max, Caroline—those women were strangers, people Ron had no real connection to. He could act like a jerk around them with zero guilt, and honestly, they kind of liked that about him.
But Collins… she was different.
She came from an upper-class family with strict values. Not the chaotic, cocktail-party type of rich like Caroline's crowd. Caroline ran in socialite circles, the kind where morals were loose and everything was flexible. Her worldview was naturally more open.
Collins, though, was raised in a conservative Christian household. Don't be fooled by movies or TV—America isn't all wild parties and open relationships. Just like anywhere else, only a portion of people are like that. The Towsie family definitely belonged to the other part.
And because of the ties between their two families, if something did happen between them… Ron would have to take responsibility. The real kind. The kind that meant marrying her.
"I don't believe you," Collins said with a laugh, her smile even more dazzling than before. "You're not that kind of person. No one would admit something like that if it were true. We have guys like that at school—they hide it, scared to death someone will find out."
"I am that kind of person." Ron was exasperated. Girl, why are you putting all that brainpower into misunderstanding me?
"Relationships… You're still too young to handle them."
Collins folded her arms, a hint of anger surfacing. She didn't beat around the bush anymore. "Then if you're already seeing two women, why can't there be a third? Is it because I'm not good enough for you?"
"No, of course not," Ron said with a bitter smile. "You're different from all the others. You're too pure. Too kind. And you know how close our families are. If something happened between us… we'd have to get married.
Otherwise, I'd feel like I was betraying Uncle Sean and Aunt Leigh-Anne."
"So what you're saying is… I'm special?"
Her eyes curved like crescent moons, glowing with youthful charm. Clearly, something clicked for her in a very different way than Ron intended.
"Wait! That's not what I meant!" Ron protested.
"Oh? So I'm not special? Then why can't I be like them?"
Somehow, after going in circles, the conversation had landed right back where it started. Ron felt like banging his head against the steering wheel. He'd rather charge a gang of armed thugs with a nail clipper than keep up this emotional sparring.
"Fine! You're different. You're the most unique of them all, okay~?" Ron gave up. Whatever. He waved the white flag.
Luckily, they had arrived at school. Ron breathed a sigh of relief. His only wish now was to find a quiet spot and decompress while Collins was at practice.
Except… she didn't get out of the car.
Instead, she leaned in.
Before Ron could process what was happening, she kissed him. Fast. Right on the cheek.
He turned, stunned, only to see Collins blushing bright red.
"Our practice will take about two hours," she said shyly. "Spectators are allowed, so… would you wait for me? Then maybe we can grab dinner together?"
Before he could reply, she fumbled for the door handle and jumped out. She took a few steps, then spun around and ran back to the car.
She tapped on the window. Ron rolled it down, confused.
Collins leaned in and said, "And one more thing… I'm not too young. I'm already a C…"
Her face turned scarlet as she dashed off again.
Ron stared after her, flustered.
What the hell—who asked you about that?!
---
Author's Note:
God knows how long I spent working this scene out…
Feel free to leave a comment—honestly, I'm not even sure if I really captured the vibe I was going for.