Chapter Eight: Concessions and Confessions

After paying and putting the gifts in the car, the two of them ended up at a cafe nearby. It was quiet inside, the morning crowd long gone. Private and peaceful.

Kara wasn't a coffee fan, so she was sipping on some tea while Theo stared at her.

"You wanted to talk," she said after a minute when she realized he wasn't going to talk first.

"When I was thirteen, my best friend died," Theo stated. Kara's eyes shot open wide in shock.

Wow! Right off the back, diving right in!

"I... I heard."

"There was a storm and I had left one of my stupid toys at the end of the dock that day. Avery probably saw it and went out to grab it, but the dock was super slippery from the rain and-" Theo slumped back in his chair with a frustrated sound. His light curly hair fell over his eyes when he ducked his head.

"You don't have to tell me this if it's painful," she assured him, worried. He looked like he was in agony thinking about it. How guilty must he have felt over something that wasn't his fault?

"She lived in that house. In your house. They never even found her." Finding Avery moved ever so slightly up her list of chores. "I made a mistake that day that cost my best friend her life."

"No, Theodore, don't-"

"It's fine. I've talked to someone about it, believe me, I know it wasn't actually my fault and Avery's fate wasn't... I've moved past that." Had he really, though?

"Why are you telling me all this," she asked him as gently as possible.

"You're really staying in that house, right? There's no talking you out of it?"

"That's right," she confirmed suspiciously. Was that it? That was all part of his plan to guilt her and demand that she leave? Kara set her jaw and prepared herself for an argument.

"Okay." Wait, huh?

"Okay?" Just like that?

"I freaked out a few days ago and said some things I shouldn't have. That was a real dick move on my part, and I'm sorry. I've been trying to apologize ever since, but I wanted to do it in private." So those times he was just watching her with that strange look on his face... That wasn't him being weird or creepy or rude?

Well, no, it was definitely a little weird, still. But she could forgive him for that.

William's words echoed in her head, then. 'He's sorry, too, and he'll get around to telling you.' Not just a father's placating words, but a deeper insight?

"Why not just apologize to me at my house? You've had several opportunities now. Everytime we were alone you could have said something," she pointed out. Even yesterday would have worked, after Blake went home and it was just the two of them. Instead, he dragged her out to the city miles away from her home.

"I don't really do well near that house," Theo admitted. "Bad memories. And this was important, I wanted to sit and talk it out somewhere nice."

Was he implying that her home isn't nice? Again? Well, he hadn't seen the inside since she started working on it, so that was actually fair. The thought of him thinking her house was shabby bothered her, though. Kara had put a lot of work and love into rebuilding that place this past week or so.

"Right... Someplace nice." If Theo noticed her irritation, he didn't speak on it.

"Anyway, I just want to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that and I definitely shouldn't have just taken off after you fell in the lake. I made a promise to... To Avery and myself, I guess, that no one would die in that lake ever again."

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry, too. I misjudged you, Theodore," Kara confessed a bit guiltily. "It won't happen again."

"Truce?" Kara's heart- her human heart anyway- skipped a beat in her chest. Theo's warm eyes stared into her with so much warmth, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed before. Kara found herself leaning closer, looking deeper into that color. It mirrors the coffee in his hands, warm and rich.

Kara knew he was telling the truth, then. She could feel it. So, all that time he really hadn't meant to be rude or disrespectful. And then, when he started acting all weird it wasn't him being creepy; it was just a man unsure how to voice his inner thoughts.

"Truce," she agreed, sipping more of her tea. It was really just an excuse to hide her smile behind the mug as she nervously looked up at him again. For a human, he wasn't so bad.

Kara finished her tea slowly and Theo downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp when she started to get up.

"I guess we better go home, then," he said with a frown. "It's a long drive, after all."

Ugh, the drive.

"I guess so. But, I wouldn't be opposed to maybe... doing this again?" Kara did her best not to regret the offer immediately. A truce didn't mean she had to willingly subject herself to even more time spent with a human.

She got the feeling he could use a little company, though.

"Really? I kind of thought you didn't like me," Theo pointed out.

"Well, I had the impression that you were a rude and disrespectful bully. I was wrong and I'd like to see who you really are." Kara shrugged and openes the door for him. "We don't have to, obviously. I much prefer staying at home. I'm just saying, the offer is out there."

"Thanks. I might take you up on it some day." Well, hopefully not too soon. With Blake's party, her social card was full for the week.

The drive home was quiet and a lot easier than the previous one had been. Kara rolled the window down and the wind helped her carsickness.

"Thank you for coming with me, today," Theo said as turned the radio on halfway. He hummed under his breath, looking completely relaxed.

It wasn't awful.

The hour passed them by and soon Theo was pulling into the driveway of the Hart house. For a trip that lasted almost four hours, it suddenly felt as if it was over in the blink of an eye.

"I'll help with your bags," he told her, sliding out of the car quickly when she unbuckled her seatbelt. Before she could open her door, he was suddenly there opening it for her.

"Um... Thanks."

"Sorry, it's southern hospitality rules. Plus, my mom is totally watching from the window right now and I'm pretty sure she'd throw something at me if I didn't."

There was polite and then there was underfoot. Kara let it slide for now and hopped out of the car.

"We can't have that, I guess," she muttered, unable to help the small quip. Theo grabbed almost all the bags before she could and left just a few for her to carry along the path through the woods. Kara was starting to see the trail, now, finally. It looked a lot less leafy than it had that first time.

Has someone been out here raking the path clean?

When they reached her door, Theo set the bags down at her feet.

"Hey," she said, giving him a small smile and catching his arm. "Help me bring this stuff inside, I want you to see something."

"Kara, I'm not-"

"I think you'll be surprised," she insisted with her other hand raised to grab the doorknob. "Consider it part of your apology."

Theo reluctantly agreed with a nod, picking the bags back up and following her in as she tugged him along.

In those three days of no interference, Kara had been very busy. The hallway was now a soft green, with the wooden floors swept, mopped, polished- with the help of her magic- and the kitchen and bathroom were both furnished and finished.

Her house was full of a soft orange light, no longer dark and dreary. She closed the door and beckoned Theo to follow her down the hall to the living room where she set the bags down.

"Welcome to my home. It's not perfect, yet, but I think you can agree it isn't just some ugly old shed," she pointed out, playfully glaring at him. Theo looked around, taking in every detail until his eyes landed on her.

"No, it's isn't ugly at all." Kara's heart skipped again and her smile faltered.

"Right, so- um- I just wanted you to see. To know that it isn't- well, you seen it, you can g- wait!" Theo jumped and Kara felt a little bad. Clearly, he was more nervous than he seemed. "The party is the day after tomorrow, one o'clock, right?"

"Yeah," Theo confirmed, confused.

"Come over around noon that day, then. We'll wrap this stuff and take it over together. It's from you as well, right? Group effort."

Theo let out a soft breath and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. I can... Definitely do that. Friday, then." Kara tipped her chin up proudly and crossed her arms.

"Don't come in without knocking, though. I understand that some people here don't mind that, but I like to know ahead of time when people will be in my space." Theo nodded quickly, palms up in surrender.

"Hey, no argument here. I didn't plan on it. Goodnight, Kara." He started to head back down the hallway and Kara followed him to the door.

"Goodnight, Theodore." The familiar look of displeasure crossed his face and Kara chuckled. "Theo."

He turnes quickly, but she was almost certain his face was a dark shade of crimson as he opened the door and stepped outside. He shoved his hands into his pockets and startef back towards his house, but not before looking back at her one last time.

For a human, he really wasn't that bad.