Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

31 - Rebecca

          "Should I bring a change of clothes?" I asked as I walked towards my phone and keys on the coffee table. I eyed my sketchbook, daring myself to take that, too. I didn't.

"Why?"

"In case, oh, I don't know, I stay the night?"

Colby's face turned almost pale, and I saw him gulp — it was close to comical. Right, this wasn't going to go well for very long.

"It was a question," I stated.

"Would you want to stay the night?" he asked hesitantly as he slid down from the stool. I forgot how tall he was.

I shrugged. "Depends how everything goes."

He bit the inside of his cheek, shifting his weight. "You know it's going to be hard for me, Becks, right?"

"Yes, I know it'll be hard for you, Colbs. But we said we're trying, aren't we?"

He nodded.

"So I'm going to get some stuff and I'll probably stay over tonight."

He gulped as I walked to my bedroom. I found an outfit to wear tomorrow and threw some other essentials into a backpack. In my head, we would probably fight a little and I would stay over. Almost definitely. In his, I was sure the story was much different. But I didn't want to think about if he flipped the switch and became an asshole — more of one — in front of his friends; I had just a slither of faith in him. Once I was packed, I walked back into the living room where I found Colby sitting on the couch. He was staring at his phone, his shoulders hunched. He looked nervous and annoyed at the same time, and I knew they were both directed at me.

He didn't acknowledge me as I walked over. I flung my backpack onto the couch then placed my hands on Colby's shoulders. His back straightened as he looked up at me. I tried my hardest to smile sincerely, but I wasn't fooling him. He reached up, taking my wrist in his fingers then kissing the back of my hand. I felt the tingles flow up my whole arm.

"I'm going to try, Becks. But I can't promise you anything."

"I get it," I said. "Being a bitch kinda comes naturally, so I'll have to control that too."

He nodded, understanding. This was why I thought Colby and I could work, we were so similar that we could understand every one of each other's issues, and that made it ten times easier to settle these little disagreements and arguments. When he said he'd try not to be an asshole, I knew the struggle he'd go through to stop his quick mouth and control his anger. I would have to do it, too. This was our chance to prove it to ourselves and one another that it'd work. That it could, at least.

Colby got up, walking around the couch. He leaned down to give me a swift, casual kiss and smiled a little. "For good luck. We'll need it."

"We will," I agreed. "Are your friends going to make it harder? Besides the reputation thing? I mean, Tara pisses me off easily and Katrina — god, don't get me started on her."

"That's what I'm mostly worried about," he admitted, playing with one of my curls. "I'm trying here, even now, to be affectionate. I think my attention is going to be split in too many directions at the house and I don't know what me will be left behind."

"Hopefully the asshole so I can argue with him. I like that guy." I winked, and Colby smiled.

He glanced at the backpack on the couch before unexpectedly slapping my ass. "Come on, let's go already."

My mouth dropped open in surprise as I watched him walk towards the front door. He was grinning to himself, proud.

"Colbs?"

He hummed as he spun to look at me.

"Next time you do that, I'm going to do it back. Just warning you."

He laughed and walked out into the hall. I shook my head, picking up my backpack and glancing again at the sketchbook. What if I got some ideas while I was at Colby's place?

I wouldn't let myself get into that. It would only spiral, I was certain of it.

Colby was waiting in the hallway when I walked through my front door. He was leaning against the other wall looking down at his phone again, distracted. I felt the nerves now, knowing we weren't far off going to the house. I locked my apartment door, took a deep breath, and kicked Colby's leg. "Time to go."

"Already?" he groaned, putting his phone away.

"Who were you talking to?"

"I was looking at the news." He wasn't lying.

I frowned at him.

"Dangerous, remember? Mixed up in shady shit, so I have to know if anybody's seen anything about us."

"Oh... huh." I shrugged.

He didn't like my casual reaction again, but this time he didn't say anything about it. He reached out, taking my hand. This was different, especially when he intertwined our fingers. I could feel the rings and the strength. Colby did a lot of things to me that I would never admit aloud. We walked out of my apartment building and hesitated at the parking lot. I saw him staring at his car and mine, considering something. It took me a moment to realise what.

"Nuh uh. You're driving or I'm driving. I'm not taking my car just so you can get rid of me easily." My voice was harsh, stern.

Colby snarled. "You're making this difficult."

"No, I'm making it easier. We won't have a choice then." I tugged on his hand, walking towards his car. He followed after a moment but he was dragging his feet behind me. He held open the passenger side door then shut it and walked around to the driver side. I dropped my backpack into the footwell by my feet, sliding my keys into the front pocket. Colby huffed his way into his seat, twisting his keys in the ignition.

He hesitated, staring out the window — no, glaring, before he reached over and stole my hand. Our fingers naturally slid between each other's to bring our palms together. I felt a little tingle of satisfaction. I didn't know why, but I lifted our hands and kissed his knuckles. He looked at me.

"Try not to be too much of an asshole, I'll try not to be too much of a bitch, and we can do this — the whole relationship and tonight," I said, though I wasn't entirely certain about that myself.

Colby nodded and started to pull off of the parking lot.