Addicted

134

"Sort of regretting that now...everything seems so much more intense than it should be." Colby's voice got low, like he was speaking to himself and his eyes had a far off look in them as he looked down my hallway at Prissy.

She was bowed up like a Halloween cat, at the end of the hallway, growling at him. He got on his knees and held his hand out to her.

"Here Kitty, kitty. I won't hurt you sweet girl." His voice was so low and sweet, my heart felt like it would explode in my chest, and my eyes started prickling with tears.

This mean, tough, scary vampire was on his knees in my apartment, trying to coax my cat towards him. She stopped growling and her ears moved a little, but she stayed still.

"Maybe if you use one of her treats?" I suggested, desperately wanting Prissy to accept him.

He glanced up at me with a small, sad smile.

"Maybe." He stood up, and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm used to it. Animals just don't like us." He walked to the couch and laid down, closing his eyes. "Let me know if you hear anything weird, Okay? I'll probably wake up but still. Just call my name."

"Okay," I replied, watching him sadly.

I felt so bad for him right now, but I didn't know how to help. I walked to the end of the hall and scooped up Prissy, putting her over my shoulder before I walked into my room.

 She purred and nuzzled into my neck.

"Why can't you just let Colby pet you, huh? Just a little? Maybe sit in his lap or something?"

She pulled her head back and stared at me, her golden eyes seeming to understand. Or maybe I was just a crazy cat lady thinking that her cat can understand her. I sighed and put her down on the bed.

I turned some music on low volume so I could get started with my chores. Usually, it would be blasting but I was actually nervous with this whole Millie thing. Didn't want her sneaking up on me. She could kill me in a second.

 I fed Prissy, then changed out of my Nordstrom uniform so that I could wash it before returning it. I gathered my clothes up and threw them in the washer. The little wash area was next to the living room so I had a straight view of Colby's long form lying on my couch.

His hoodie was pulled up over his head, his arms crossed across his chest. The hoodie was riding up a little on his stomach, showing that strip of skin again. My fingers actually ached to run across it.

I shook my head at myself. This man actually had me messed up.

After I loaded all of the clothes and got them started, I just went around the apartment straightening up, and throwing things away. I didn't want to vacuum because I wasn't sure if it would wake Colby up or not.

When I had literally finished everything that I could possibly think of, and my apartment was spotless, I decided to take a long hot shower. I'm not even sure how long I stayed under the spray but the water started turning cold on me, so I got out and dried off. I wrapped the towel around me, and walked into my room.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, when I saw Colby lying across my bed on his stomach, with my laptop in front of him.

He glanced up, the grin on his face faltering when he saw me, his blue eyes darkening with lust. I tightened my towel, and blushed.

 "You're awake," I replied, stupidly.

He grinned, still staring at me like a wolf wanting to devour me.

 "Yeah, your singing woke me. Thought I would do some reading till you got out."

My eyes widened. "Wait, what?" He was on my laptop! "What are you reading?! Colby, no, please tell me you're not reading my story!" I ran to the foot of the bed and reached for my laptop but he jerked it away.

 "I'm not finished yet!" he exclaimed, laughing.

 "I told you that I don't let people read my stuff. Usually, not even when it's finished," I whined, falling over onto the bed in a heap, hiding my face.

 I heard his deep chuckle and got even more embarrassed. I didn't like anyone reading my stuff. Didn't really know how I was going to ever finish anything to hand into a publisher.

When I read over it myself, it was just never good enough.

I felt his fingers move my wet hair from the side of my face, then his cool lips press against the skin under my ear.

 "I'm not reading your story. I heard what you said, and I wouldn't read it without you letting me. I AM curious about it though. Seems like you got a lot done."

 I jerked my head up, meeting his eyes. "How do you know, if you aren't reading it?" I retorted sarcastically.

He looked bashful.

 "Because I am reading something you wrote, and I had to shrink the story so that I wouldn't read it. I happened to see how long it was. That's all."

 I felt a little better but...

"So what are you reading then? Something I wrote?"

 He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah...your poetry."

I let my head fall back onto the bed. "Oh Noooo," I groaned out.

No one ever saw my poetry. I had let Kat read some of the short stories and even part of this novel, but never my poetry. No one EVER saw the poetry.

"When did you start writing?" He asked, nudging me in my shoulder.

I turned my head sideways on the bed so that I could speak without it being muffled.

"I don't know. I've always been writing. Even before my parents died. It's just something that I've always done."

 "Was this one about your parents?"

I sat up and looked over to the laptop screen to see which one he was talking about. It was titled "Flames to ashes."

 I nodded.

 "Yeah...I wrote that one while sitting in my bed at the group home. The original was on paper, and covered in tears."

 I remembered writing that one very well. It was one of the last times I cried. Up until I met Colby anyways.