Past the Tipping Point

\ Chapter 11 /

"Colby!" Rebecca laughed as he chased her around her kitchen table. "Stop!"

"What? I thought you said you wanted cake..." Colby spoke ominously as he followed her.

"Yes, cake! Not the batter!" Her laughs filled the room, and Colby slid in front of her, catching Rebecca with one arm wrapped around her waist.

"Not a problem." He grinned, "I have something even better."

He rubbed his hand all over her face with a palmful of whipped cream. "Colby!"

She turned towards him in shock, wiping some of the whipped cream off of her face before laughing. "You fucker."

Rebecca shook her head as Colby chuckled victoriously. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Now this is gonna be the only time you ever see whipped cream on any part of my body for the rest of your life."

She promptly walked up to him and dragged her hand across his face to return the favour. "Wait, no! I'm sorry."

"Well, doesn't that suck for you?" She pouted mockingly as she moved to the kitchen sink to rinse off her face. "I guess you should've thought about that beforehand. In fact, I don't think I ever even wanna see whipped cream again."

"No. I'll do anything! I swear." Colby pleaded with her while laughing. "I'm sorry."

"Aw, look at you begging." She whispered to him tauntingly as he stood in front of her. "Is that what you're gonna do for me? You're gonna beg?"

The slow words made Colby feel like he was in some sort of trance, even if she was just messing with him. "Are you gonna get on your hands and knees and beg me like a good boy?"

His lips parted as he nodded slowly, just listening to her words. "Just so you can have the chance to lick some of this whipped cream off of me?"

"Absolutely." His response was full of want, and he was nothing less than mesmerized.

She moved towards him, her hands settling on his chest, and he instinctively lowered his head for a kiss. Except Rebecca stopped just short of his lips and whispered. "Say please, pretty boy."

Colby tried not to stutter on his words, surprised as to where things were going but not at all complaining. "Please."

Her lips moved to his ear as her opposite hand slid up his body and moved around the back of his neck. "Is that what you really want?"

Her words were drawn out as Colby nodded emphatically, and it took every ounce of restraint for him to stay still. "Yes, please."

"Well, too bad, sucka!" Rebecca laughed as she playfully shoved his chest. "That's what ya get bitch!"

Colby shook his head with a shocked grin. "Rude."

"Get over it." Rebecca's smile was enough to make him immediately forgive her joking and teasing ways. "Wash your face, you nasty."

He obliged as Rebecca got a message on her phone. She suddenly looked upset as she read through it, and Colby moved in from behind, settling his head in the crook of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her torso. "Family?"

"Dickhead brother." All of the playfulness was sucked out of the room as she became sombre. "You know, if he just saw things from my perspective or even tried, he'd take my side and leave her for good. But mom got him under her spell. Same as she did with my sister."

She shook her head as she tossed her phone onto the couch and crossed her arms. "Now they both hate me just like her, and I have no family."

"Hey." Colby's tone softened as he turned her around. "We're your family. Our group is. And if you want a more literal one, I'd be happy to partake."

"I appreciate the attempt to make me feel better." Her laugh wasn't nearly as real as it was a few minutes ago, and Colby hated it.

"I mean it." He whispered before gently cupping her cheek and giving her a soft kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know." Rebecca admitted gratefully, rubbing her hands on his arms before moving to the fridge. "Want a drink? Lord knows I need one."

"The cake?" Colby questioned as she passed him a bottle.

She nodded before taking a sip. "We'll get to that in due time." 

Rebecca suddenly sat up with wide eyes, her brain never having been coordinated enough after a night out to reconjure her sickening past. She had to blink a few times on command to make sure she was really awake, or alive for that matter.

She brought her knees to her chest and rested her elbows against them, holding her head in her hands. This sudden Colby resurgence was messing with her, and not in the way she would enjoy it if it were drugs or alcohol.

What was even worse for her, happened as she moved to scratch her head, catching a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye. As she slowly turned her head, she saw Colby lying across her couch, staring up at the ceiling. With one hand underneath his head and the other across his chest.

"What the hell are you doing?" The rasp of Rebecca's voice seemed to catch her more off guard than anything because Colby just shifted his head to look at her.

"Well, someone had to babysit you." He replied casually before actually making a move to sit up. "Make sure you stayed alive and all that."

Rebecca scoffed, her arms draping over her knees. "What do you care?"

"I liked the attitude party girl Rebecca was giving me." Colby stated as he stood up. "Can we get her back but in a sober form?"

"Why you?" Rebecca spoke after a few seconds of staring between them. "Why did you have to be the one to stay the night?"

Colby shrugged as he fought a smile from creeping onto his lips. "Everyone else ran away at the realization."