Always

Chapter 55

I was about to literally throw myself at him, when I heard his mother whisper in my ear, effectively dashing my hormones. "You might want to put the dish down dear, before you drop it." Her tone was humorous but I felt the heat rush to my face, burning it with embarrassment. She just witnessed me about to jump her son. I looked down at the dish of plain cornbread in my hands, the special one for Colby since he didn't like spicy foods. The other, with jalapeno, was sitting on the table already. When I looked back up, Colby was standing right in front of me, looking down into my eyes. I tried to keep my eyes locked on his but it was hard. I like the way he looked after working hard. Really like it. He leaned towards me and I took a step back from the predatory look in his eyes. He chuckled deeply, the sound resonating throughout my body. I felt his hand press on the small of my back, while is other hand removed the dish from my hands. Holding it to side, he brought his lips to my ear. "Me too." That's all he said. Those two little words, before squeezing my hip, and walking to the table to set the dish down. How do two little words, that have been said a million times, set my body on fire? It really isn't fair, the effect that he has on me. You would think after two years, that my senses would be at least slightly dulled to him...they aren't. Not even a little. In fact, I think it's grown stronger, like a fire that burned brighter, the more you stoke and build it. "Dear," I hear his mother's voice breaking through my subconscious. I snap out of my internal monologue and glance towards the table where everyone is seated, all looking at me. Colby had a damn smirk on his face, biting the corner of his mouth to keep from laughing or smiling at me. I glared at him. "Yes ma'am?" I replied, still glaring at him. "Are you going to join us?" I could hear the laughter in her tone and I felt that familiar flush in my face as my cheeks started to burn again. I nodded, and made my way to my seat beside Colby to sit down. I jumped when I felt his hand lay against my thigh, warmth spreading where he touched. Again, I thought how this was going to be a really long week. "So, have you thought about where you're going to have the wedding?" I looked up from my bowl and met his mother's eyes. "Yes ma'am. We're going to have a beach wedding." I replied, smiling as I imagined the scene. She clapped her hands gleefully. "Oh that sounds wonderful! Colby always said the beach was his happy place." She smiled fondly at her son. He smiled back and moved his hand from my thigh, wrapping it around my shoulders. "I found a new happy place Ma." She laid her hand on her heart and I could see her eyes turning glossy from the tears that threatened to spill over. "Oh," was all she said. "That's so sweet, I could throw up." His brother Gage replied, laughing at Colby good naturedly. Colby's cheeks tinted pink and he growled at his brother. "Shut up Gage." Gage roared with laughter. "Alright, leave your brother alone." His dad replied, fighting his own smile. "Let him be romantic if he wants to be." "Jesus Christ." Colby muttered, looking down at his plate. "Oh hey," Gage replied after he finished laughing. "I forgot to tell you. I saw Johnny in town yesterday. He wanted me to tell you what's up and wondered if you were going to come to their little kick back. Said for you to text him." Colby's eyes tightened at the corners and he sucked his lips in. Releasing a breath, he looked back at his brother. "Yeah okay. I'll text him later." "Who's Johnny?" I asked curiously. I was interested in his life around here and I wanted to know more about it. "Just an old friend." He replied, shoving food into his mouth. "Nah, Johnny was like the ringleader of their little group. He was the idea guy, getting everyone into trouble with his dumb ideas." Gage laughed. "Shut...UP Gage." Colby voice had turned dark and threatening, glaring at his brother over the table. Gage held up both hands, a smirk playing on his lips. "Sorry man." He didn't look sorry. He looked like he was having fun torturing his brother. Colby removed his arm from my shoulder and propped his elbow on the table, still shoving food into his mouth, like it was a marathon. "Are you okay?" I tried to whisper low enough where no one would hear me. He leaned back, away from his almost empty bowl, and nodded, not meeting my eyes. Hearing about this Johnny character had dropped a wall between us. Great. Another f*cking problem. "Yeah, I'm going to go work on the deck a little more." He stood up, pushing his chair back. He pushed it back in and leaned towards me, pecking me gently on my lips, before walking out the door. "Why do you have to antagonize your brother like that?" His mom asked Gage exasperatedly. Gage shrugged. "It's fun to see him get worked up. Plus I didn't know that I was. I was just telling him about Johnny." "And you know that they didn't get along there towards the end, before Colby moved. He's only going to be here a few days. Try getting along, huh?" I didn't say a word, listening to the exchange between them. I was hoping to find out some kind of information that I knew Colby would be stingy with. He didn't like telling me about so-called 'bad things' that he did, which is ridiculous, but that's how he was. Like he didn't want me to see that side of him. I didn't understand it. We had all been kids and did some really stupid things.