XPLR | Colby Brock

~40~

This was a prewritten chapter! Thank you all for your support and kindness!

I couldn't breathe. Was I surprised? Maybe. No, that's not it. Maybe I was surprised that I liked it.

He pulled away, not letting me go too far as he did. He glanced down at me before pulling me back and kissing me a little more passionately, sliding his hand up my body to my cheek, holding me there as I wrapped my arms around his neck to kiss him back.

All my emotions went off at once. I stood up on my toes to reach him a little better, and he tugged me closer with the hand on the small of my back.

Why was he sorry about this?

The first thought in my mind once I gathered my senses was: oh my god. Oh my god! What will Elena say...?

Nothing. I won't tell her. I could already. Guess the trouble that will come of it.

He pulled away again, keeping me close. "Sorry..." he said again, smiling. "Nothing to be sorry about," I said as I looked up at him and took my arms off his neck and he let go. He was all smiles as I looked back at him.

"I.. cant... Yes!" He said excitedly. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that, Rose," he said as he laughed. "Maybe I do," I said softly as I laughed as well. "Literally since I met you in that silo," he said as he gave me a quick look up and down. What was that?

He's wanted to kiss me ever since the silo? That's... odd. I could never tell.

I've only been kissed a number of times, and only from two guys. Kai of course, but there was also the boyfriend I had when I was a junior in high school. His name was Alex, he was in theater, and he was in love with the musical Hamilton. Which was just ironic, truly. He was like Colby in a way, he had said that he had a crush on me ever since the fall concert at the beginning of the year where I had a piano solo. I played Love's Sorrow. I love that piece.

That same year I did a solo with a girl who played violin. The conductor had put us together for this competition, we played Danse Macabre, Camille Saint-Saëns, by far one of my favorite composers because he also did Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.

Alex came to see me, and he gave me a bouquet of roses.

I saw Colby in an entirely different light now. He smiled at me. "It wasn't bad, was it?" He asked as he looked towards me. I shook my head a bit and laughed, too tongue tied to offer any words. "I'll race you upstairs," I managed to say and started to run up the stairs to the balcony, holding the rose tight in my hand.

He caught up to me, but I just barely beat him. He smiled at me. "Cheater. You had a head start," he said and chuckled. "You would've beat me if I didn't," I laughed as I leaned on the rail and looked out at the gorgeous view.

He smiled and looked out with me. "Let me take you out on a real date," he said as he looked towards me. "Like a date-date?" I asked as I laughed a bit, a smile growing on my face. He smiled and nodded. "Yes, a date-date," he said as he took my hand.

"That sounds fun," I said as I looked from him back out to the view. "It will be..." he said, and I could already tell he was going to plan something big. Colby Brock always went big.

"I'm going to buy this place one day, you know," he said, smiling a bit at the thought. "And I'll fix it up all by myself. It'll be my own project, that way I can live and grow old here," he said.

"I think I could raise my kids here. They could play on the beach while my wife and I sit up here and watch," he said as he closed his eyes and let the breeze blow on his face. "I'll start saving now."

I laughed a bit at that. "I'd like to see the finished project," I said as I looked out at the view, then over at him.

"You will," he said as he opened his eyes and looked over at me, leaning over the rail and looking at the sunset. "I will?"

"Yep, because you'll be sitting on the balcony with me, watching the waves," he said as he looked over and smiled at me.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I think I could see that too.

And suddenly I felt happy. Really, really happy.