Uphill Battle | Solby

Chapter Ten

I'm sooooooooooo sorry this chapter is so short. The next few chapters will be the last few and they should be much, much longer. I'm not really sure how to extend this chapter. Hang tight! It'll pick up soon, I promise!

Colby didn't mention the therapy session to Brennen on Friday. In fact, he barely talked at all. He felt guilty for putting Brennen through all of that, but things were confusing and complicated and people were shutting him out and letting him and Colby couldn't keep up with it all.

"Dude."

He blinked and looked up, barely registering the fact they were at the shopping centre already. "Sorry bro," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was tired. "Must have zoned out."

He expected Brennen to brush it off, expected to get out and pretend everything was normal but Brennen turned the car off and sat there, staring at the wheel for a while.

"When did this get so complicated?" He asked quietly.

Colby frowned. "Dude, what?"

"Like, it used to be so simple. You and the housemates, you and Sam, you and me. There was balance, dude. Everyone was happy with each other. When did it get so complicated?"

He almost said, when Sam became a clingy little bitch, but he knew that it wasn't because Sam wasn't like that at all. Colby was just angry and hurt and wanted to let it all out but he also didn't want to hurt anyone.

"We lost that balance," he said.

Brennen hummed. "Are we going to get it back?"

Colby didn't have an answer for that.

***

Sam wasn't sure he'd need the Valentine's Day stuff. He wasn't sure what was happening to him and Colby, who hurt who and who was responsible for what, he just knew they were falling apart and neither of them knew how to fix it. Were they even worth fixing?

Yes, he decided firmly, they were worth fixing. They had each other for years, they could have each other for a little longer. That thought alone convinced him to continue with his plans.

"Brennen says Colby plans to spend the morning with you and then after lunch it's your turn," Kat announced from his bed.

Sam turned around to face her. "Is Colby planning lunch or am I?"

Kat sent a text, getting a response seconds later. "Brennen says Colby's got lunch."

Sam nodded and finished fixing up the sound system. Elton had helped him with the present and Sam knew that if this didn't fix what was broken between him and Colby, nothing would.

The rest was up to the brunette.

***

"Sam's cool with the arrangement," Brennen told his best friend as they filled a shopping bag with items. "You all set for tomorrow?"

Colby sighed. "I'm so not ready," he admitted. "But it's Valentine's Day so I've gotta pretend I do."

"Don't do that," Brennen said.

"Do what?"

"Pretend." Colby have him a blank look and Brennen rolled his eyes. "You two are so oblivious, I swear," he muttered. "Look, Sam wants to know you, you want to know him. Pretending will get you nowhere."

Colby snorted. "Sappy much, Taylor?"

"Hey," Brennen nudged his friend. "I'm single. I need someone to act mushy with."

They laughed as they made their way to the checkout and Colby relished in the positivity. He hadn't much of that since Sam's incident and maybe that's what they both needed.

He vowed to fix them tomorrow.