Addicted

71 (Colby's POV)

Chloe twisted her lips to the side, and scrunched her nose, looking at me innocently.

 "I mean...he has a nose ring..."

 I was astonished. She made the whole thing up.

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

 "You're going to be the actual death of me, you know that right?"

She grinned at me, and winked.

 I should have known that she was just trying to piss me off because that was the exact same thing that I was doing to her. This was going to be a very interesting relationship, and I was going to have to be more careful at controlling myself.

 It was getting easier to be around her. Still had to keep the control on lock, but it was starting to become second nature. Unless her scent took me off guard, or her eyes locked on mine, or she severely pissed me off.

The last one was my biggest worry.

"Sorry I got you so upset," She said to me, looking down at her notes.

 I kind of shook my head, and smiled a little.

"No you aren't. You enjoyed it."

She giggled, a sound that I was growing to really enjoy.

What the fuck was she doing to me? I felt like me, but not me.

 I didn't feel as dragged down, after just one day and night, my shoulders were lighter, like I didn't have the full burden of my past weighing down on them.

 My mind drifted back to the book upstairs, under the pillow on my couch.

The One...I wasn't even going to think about it, because it made me start questioning everything that I was starting to feel for Chloe. I didn't like it. I wanted what I was feeling to be real and not something that was being forced on me.

"I actually did enjoy seeing you jealous."

 The gang wasn't paying attention to us now, though I noticed Sam keep glancing my way. I knew he was listening in, trying to keep an eye on me

. I almost lost control earlier. I couldn't help it. The thought of Chloe with another guy or her thinking about another guy actually set my gut on fire. I almost couldn't keep a lid on the anger. I'm thankful Sam distracted me when he did. I'm not sure what would have happened otherwise.

Chloe probably would have found out about the whole vampire thing pretty quickly, and I wasn't sure that she liked me enough to deal with that part of me just yet. I couldn't tell her unless she loved me. I physically couldn't tell her unless she told me that she loved me.

Even then, I had to know. I would get a certain feeling that let me know that it was real. I had only ever had that with Emilie. That's why I was able to tell her. We all know how well that worked out...

 "I wasn't jealous." I stated, biting my lip.

 She just gave me a look that told me that she knew that I was full of shit.

 "You were one hundred percent jealous. Stop lying."

 I smirked at her. "Okay, I was a little jealous," I admitted.

She smiled smugly.

"I know."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up. It doesn't bother you when someone says something about me being with other girls?"

She actually hadn't acted like it did. That worried me a little, because I wasn't sure if she felt like I did. Not saying that I loved her or anything just....it was intense and confusing. Very strong feelings were involved.

"Not really. Emilie doesn't bother me because, well...I don't have to be threatened by her. The others...you didn't feel anything for them. You just used them."

 I looked away, feeling a little ashamed.

I felt her small hand on my chin, pulling my face back towards her.

 "I don't like to think about you being with them...but you didn't ask them to be your girlfriend." She smiled, a beautiful grin that lit up her face. "You asked me, and I'm glad you did."

Damn it, this girl had me wrapped around her little finger already, and I didn't even realize that it was happening. I leaned over and pressed my lips to her, just for a moment.

 "I'm glad I did too. Look, I have to go somewhere tonight for a little while. I'll be out pretty late but you can go to bed when you want."

 I had gotten through to Millie, with the help of a friend in a separate clan. She was involved with a rogue vampire gang that considered themselves to be outside of the law. That wasn't my problem. What was my problem was the danger that she posed to Chloe, Elton, and myself. It had to be handled, one way or another.

Chloe looked a little disappointed when I told her that I would be leaving.

"Oh...okay. I thought maybe we might hang out, and watch a movie or something. Maybe talk some more." She lifted her eyes to meet mine again. "It's okay though. We've got time. What do you have to do?"

 I just looked at her and sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, chewing on it. "I can't tell you that."

She didn't look surprised. "Well, I have to admit, I don't like this aspect of dating you."

 I didn't blame her but she wasn't ready. We weren't ready for that. Not yet. Maybe never.

 "It's fine though. Maybe you can tell me one day." She gave me a small sad smile, and I felt like shit.

 Wasn't sure that I like all of these feelings that kept flooding through me. Not when I had been shut off from them for so long. It was kind of overwhelming. The good was nice, but the bad was horrible. My emotions were intensified like I was a new born vampire, because they had been shut off for so long.

I didn't intentionally turn them back on. It just happened. Chloe happened.

"When are you leaving?" She asked me, playing with the corner of the paper she held in her lap.

 "Soon. Just Sam and I. Just wanted you to know since you are staying here tonight." She nodded, looking down at her lap. "Chloe?" She looked back up at me again and I noticed how sad her eyes looked. "I'm glad you're staying with me tonight." I replied softly.