[Les & Corry]

[seas_open]

If there's one thing April doesn't often admit to, it's that she's nervous.

The past several weeks have been exceptional, though, and now she finds herself waiting with Les at his place for Corrine's arrival so that she can tell the woman that they're related. There's a part of her that still doesn't want to say anything, that feels like nothing good can come of this, but Corrine will find out sooner or later. Les knows and Bach knows, and April hadn't asked Bach not to say anything. Besides, Les know and she knows how close he and Corrine are that asking him to keep it a secret is something she can't quite bring herself to do. And even if she was able to ask, she doubts he'd agree to it anyway.

It feels a little bit like everything is unraveling and she's always been in such firm control of her life that this makes her uncomfortable. It makes her want to leave Siren Cove, but at this point she's fairly certain that if she does, she won't make it very far, not with those three sirens looking for their money. She still hasn't decided what to do about them, but she's trying not to think about it right now. Not when she's supposed to be focusing on what she's supposed to say to Corrine.

"I'm not looking forward to this," she admits to Les, looking down at her mother's letter. It had been in her purse at the time the sirens had attacked and she's not sure if she's grateful for that or not. It doesn't really prove anything, it's still just her mother's word, but it's all she has. She's wondering if she shouldn't just let Corrine read the letter and watch everything unfold from there.

Comments

[starsfallen]

Corry was at the Waterhouse finalizing plans with the contractors when she got Les' text. 'Hey, can you come over?' was generic enough, but she'd been anxious to hear about his date and her unanswered texts implied they were too busy to respond - so of course she jumps at the opportunity. But there's business to attend to first, so she texts back. '4:30 good, Picklebrain? I expect some good stories <3'

There were hiccups. She imagines all plans such as these have hiccups, but Corrine is used to getting her way and it's all she can do not to stamp her feet and make a fuss when she's informed that sections of the original carved wood along the balconies are too rotted to save and will need to be completely replaced, along with the original stage. And that the grand staircase is structurally unsound and will need to be knocked down and rebuilt from scratch. And that the art gallery space she promised to include will be an additional quarter million more than expected. But she takes it like an adult, negotiating terms - that some of the original materials will be recycled and the style upheld, that the gallery space can also serve as a cultural center and event space - and in the end it's done. The terms are settled and demolition and construction will begin tomorrow.

After the day, Corry is somewhere between a huff and a triumphant 'whoop!' when she heads off to Les. She stops off and picks up a bottle of sparkling cider - he did help make this happen after all - and heads to the new place, knocking with whatever beat is in her heat at the moment.

It takes longer than she expects, so she shouts out. "Honey, I'm hoooome!" And when he finally comes to the door, Corrine's bottle almost slips from her hand and crashes onto the cement.

"Leslie Parker!" She wraps her arms around him, then cups his face with her free hand. He's a bruise. A swollen mess of healing cuts and black and purple and her heart has completely stopped. "My god. I didn't know you liked it that rough!"

She hands him the bottle and enters in a tizzy of worry and anger. "Tell me what happened. Tell me who did this to you and so help me I will rip them from limb to limb and get away with it because I am a celebrity and I swear to god..." And that includes April. April who she hasn't even noticed is there until she catches the glimpse of blonde out of the corner of her eye. This is not the afternoon she expected. "Just tell me what I have to do."