Chapter 14: Collins – Confronting the Past and a Near-Kiss

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Collins spends the night sitting on her bedroom floor, staring under the bed, waiting for the apartment ghosts to push out her old photography suitcase. When the ghosts don’t move it, she finally retrieves it herself. She opens the suitcase and takes out her laptop but closes it when Brady calls her down for work. At the shop, she falls asleep at her desk and wakes up late in the afternoon. Brady is worried. To make up for the lost time, Collins takes him to an abandoned house where she once set up a secret darkroom in the attic. They break in through a back entrance. She reveals that a man named Larry died accidentally in the house years ago. In the attic, she shows Brady her portrait series that captures ghosts in the photographs—including Wilder, Cleo (with her mother Joann), Boone (with animal spirits), and Clarke (with the ghost Earnest). Brady asks about her fight with Clarke, and Collins confesses she walked out after a bad argument. While looking at the last photo, Brady and Collins lean in for a kiss, but Larry’s ghost whispers “Welcome home” and startles Collins. She jumps up, hits her head, and Brady insists on taking her home.

Key Events

Collins retrieves her photography suitcase from under the bed after a night of procrastination.
She falls asleep at work and wakes up in the late afternoon, worrying Brady.
Collins leads Brady to an abandoned house and reveals it is the location of her former secret darkroom.
She admits that a man named Larry died by accidental decapitation in the house.
They climb into the attic darkroom, which is lit only by a red safelight.
Collins shows Brady her portrait series: each photo contains a visible ghost connected to the subject.
Brady learns about the ghost Earnest, who appears in Clarke’s portrait.
Collins and Brady almost kiss, but Larry’s ghost speaks, causing Collins to jump and hit her head.
Brady takes her home to rest, ending the chapter.

Character Development

Collins opens the suitcase for the first time in months, symbolizing a willingness to face her abandoned talent. She shares her secret darkroom and all her ghost portraits with Brady, deepening their trust. She also feels a surprising protective anger toward Sweetwater Peak when imagining it destroyed by developers, indicating a shift from wanting to escape to wanting to defend her hometown.

Brady shows persistent care for Collins, noticing her exhaustion and worry. He respects her boundaries by not pressing for details about her fight with Clarke. His offer of his jacket and his protective response after her injury reveal his deepening feelings. He remains good‑humored even during the creepy attic visit, calling her “bad for my blood pressure.”

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The locked suitcase represents Collins’s repressed career and the emotional baggage she carries.
The darkroom attic is a hidden sanctuary where she once pursued her craft in private; now it becomes a space for sharing her secret with Brady.
Ghosts as permanent connections – the spirits that linger in Sweetwater Peak are shown to be tied to people and places, not just haunting but offering continuity.
Interrupted intimacy – the near‑kiss is broken by a ghost’s voice, suggesting that Collins’s past and the town’s presence will not let her move forward without full reconciliation.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for Collins’s emotional arc. She actively retrieves her camera equipment and revisits her old work, a step toward reclaiming her identity as a photographer. By bringing Brady into the attic, she admits him into the most private part of her life. Her angry reaction to the threat of development marks the beginning of her investment in the town’s future. The ghost’s timed interruption hints that Collins must fully make peace with her past before she can embrace a new relationship.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Collins spend hours sitting on the floor and staring under the bed?
She is waiting for the apartment ghosts to push out her suitcase, as they usually do, because she is afraid to retrieve it herself. When the ghosts don’t move it, she is forced to face her fear alone.
What secret does Collins share with Brady in the attic?
She shows him her old portrait series, in which the ghosts of deceased loved ones appear visibly in the photographs. She also reveals that the ghost Earnest is always in Toades, and that both she and Clarke can see him.
What interrupts the romantic moment between Collins and Brady?
As they lean in to kiss, the ghost Larry whispers “Welcome home” into Collins’s ear, startling her so much that she jumps up, hits her head on the low attic ceiling, and ends the moment.