Tainted

10 - Colt: Guilty

"Should I call her?" I asked Ben anxiously.

I was unable unable to focus on the football game playing on the tele, even though it was a pretty close game, I found my thoughts were astray.

Ben didn't answer, his gaze remaining fixated on the tele with frustration evident on his face.

"No! Fuck! He missed that goal - it was fucking right there! What the hell! Did you see that, mate?" he hollered at the tele, turning to look at me in disbelief.

I put my face in my hands and groaned. "Fuck. I didn't see!"

I just missed something that could possibly be a hot topic tomorrow at the gym just because I was worrying about Vee.

She wasn't even my official girlfriend for a day and I felt like we were married. During the time I've known her, we were staged as a boyfriend and girlfriend, ducking each other, expressing love to each other, caring for each other... And now it was like we were taking it to a serious level. I didn't want her out of my sight and I just wanted her to listen to me. Was that so much to ask?

"Sorry, man, you were saying?" Ben asked, taking a gulp of his beer.

I shook my head as if to shake away the thoughts, but caught Ben's serious expression and spoke anyhow. "Do I always ruin things?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together and took a few seconds to think about it.

"Yeah, yeah you do. But Vee's wrong, she thinks you'll never change. I think she fails to recognize that you've changed so much already."

"Y'heard?" I asked, rubbing a hand over my face. He nodded, shrugging as if it was no big deal. "Well, do you think I've changed for the good?"

He shot me his one of a kind Ben smile and leaned over to shove my shoulder. "You're still a wanker, but yeah. I think so. Mate, just give her a call, already. This is Vee we're talking about, she probably moved on from the argument already."

I chuckled and stood up, grabbing my phone just as the game started again.

"I'm gonna give her a ring quick then, lemme know what I miss!"

I stepped into the kitchen and waited as the phone rang in my ear, desperate to hear her voice. I'd make sure she was okay first before I flipped out on her to get home.

"Hello?" someone answered, and I recognized the voice as Stella's.

"Stella? Where's Vee?"

I could practically hear her roll her eyes. "She's right here. We're loading the car with her unnecessary shit," she laughed and I heard Vee protest.

"It's not unnecessary!" she shouted in the background.

"Oh, okay," I said incompetently, waiting for Stella to catch the hint and give the phone to Vee.

I'd never really been a big fan of Stella, but I knew that she protective of Vee for a reason. Maybe it was because Vee had no family or just because Stella was older, but I knew there were other reasons behind it. I wouldn't push to find out just as yet.

"Hold on," Stella told me, and I heard some shuffling in the background before finally, Vee took the phone.

"Colt?" she whispered, and I could already imagine seeing her wrapping her arms around her small frame as she spoke.

"Vee," I sighed in relief. "Baby, please come home already. I'm -"

"No, don't apologize, it's okay. You're not ruining things, I just said that because I was frustrated. I'm just..." she trailed off as she thought of the words to say. "I'm kind of new to this idea of being with someone after a long time, and I... I just don't want you to shut me out."