We'll Be Okay [Solby]

Chapter 6

The unmarked passage of time was infuriating.

Colby sat back against the wall, arms wrapped around his knees. How long have we been here? He wondered quietly to himself. Sam lay next to him, eyes closed in a mockery of relaxed sleep. Colby knew he wasn't sleeping. The agitated twitch in his folded fingers told him that.

How could Colby even think of sleeping?

There was still a cold, sucking hole where their knowledge of the website sat. Colby had no more tears to cry over the over the matter, but still the void remained. It was freezing, unforgiving, stretching icy tentacles up into his throat and down into his gut.

How could they?

He and Sam trusted their fan base with a lot. He saw it as a group of friends, hundreds of thousands of friends, people who believed in him and supported him when he wondered how anyone could. There were a few negative comments from time to time, but overall Colby had come to treasure he and Sam's fan base dearly.

That's what made this betrayal all the more devastating. Colby had thought, had known, that their fan base had their backs. That if anything had ever happened to Sam and him, they would defend them. Sure it was only a few thousand in a group of over a million, but the wound was still deep and ripping.

They'll know we had to, Colby assured himself. They'll know we'd never... Never post that kind of stuff anyway. But Colby couldn't say that they never would have done it.

Not after yesterday.

Yesterday? Earlier?

Colby had no idea how much time had passed since he and Sam had... Since they had... what? Gotten off together? Made out? Had... Sam had kissed him... No one had made him do that. No one had forced them to do what followed, Sam kissing him desperately, pressed against his chest, hands climbing into his hair...

That had been all them. Done of their own free will. Colby could blame the trauma, the forced intimacy, excuse it all as some desperate attempt to feel something actually good and wonderful... He could blame it on a lot of things but he didn't want to. He wanted to believe that Sam had wanted it too.

The look that had been in his eyes earlier, when he cupped Colby's face and stared into his eyes. The look that made Colby feel like he might not be the only one holding a torch.

But what about Kat?

The thought came almost out of nowhere and hit him like a knife, eviscerating those happy little butterflies in his gut. Sam had... He could look at the other times and argue that they had not been cheating because he had had no choice if he wanted to protect Colby, but this time... Sam had kissed him first. Colby might had offered to get him off but Sam had accepted.

Sam had cheated on Kat.

Instantly, Colby felt awful. He harbored no hostility towards Kat anymore. Had gotten over it when Sam had rejected him and he had a little while to process it. He had genuinely begun to enjoy her presence and appreciate what she did for Sam. He always smiled a little easier with her around, laughed a little louder. She had been wonderful to his best friend, and been an awesome partner in crime when pranking Sam.

And he had just helped her boyfriend cheat on her. With his best friend.

Colby groaned, pressing his hands into his face. Sam opened his eyes and looked over at Colby. "What's up dude?"

Colby was sure there were infinitely many better ways to say it, but what came out of his mouth was, "Dude, what about Kat?"

Sam's whole upper body went scarlet as his torso went rigid. "Uh..." was the only thing that came out of his mouth as Colby watched his breathing quicken. "She... I... oh fuck." He covered his face with his hands.