Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

125 - Rebecca

The whole, silent room turned toward the door when it opened. Blair let out a scream for help, thrashing against Sam and Cassie. Sam snapped her neck, but it was too late: anyone upstairs knew that we were in control now.

My eyes were too slow to see what all the blurs were doing when the commotion happened. Colby darted to my side, tugging me against his body as Sam and Katrina appeared beside us. I felt Katrina's hand wrap around mine and I didn't even fight her about it; I squeezed her carefully.

The vampiric movement around me was all much too fast to understand with my pitiful human eyes, but I had a feeling we were losing. Each time I'd hear a grunt, Colby would stiffen, and it didn't take much to figure out that was because it was one of us. Why wasn't he fighting? Why was he bothering himself by standing next to me? It made no sense.

Just as I was about to tell him that, Sam did it for me. "Colby, they need you. I can look after Rebecca. Go."

Colby looked at Sam then Katrina then down at me hesitantly. I rolled my eyes, shoving him toward the fight. He still didn't leave.

A familiar voice spoke just next to us. "Colby," Tara said, appearing beside me. She took my other hand and squeezed as her lips moved but words didn't come out. I watched Colby carefully to see the reluctant agreement. Of course, being so human and weak, I didn't see him coming until my face was in his hands and his lips were pressed harshly to mine. I melted right into it, my body falling into his. Both Tara and Katrina let go, letting me grab his shirt at his sides.

It felt like I was pouring my heart out to him, leaving a part of myself with him. I knew he'd protect it.

He pulled back but he didn't stay any longer than that. He was gone and I was standing there a little winded. Why did that feel like a goodbye kiss? Did he think he wasn't going to walk out of here? I wasn't down for that. I wanted him to be safe. I couldn't face the thought of losing Colby now, after I'd had my little revelation when I saw him earlier.

He couldn't-

The world turned into a blur around me. My first instinct was to scream, but my second instinct was to fight back. I pushed at whoever had me as hard as I could, using all of my weak human strength. Nothing happened until everything stopped.

Red. All I saw was red.

"What the fuck?!" I screamed, spinning to face an innocent-looking Tara behind me. "What the fuck, Tara! We can't just fucking leave them there!"

Tara held up her hands. "Colby's orders."

"I'm only here because you don't fucking listen to Colby's orders!" I yelled. "Don't tell me you couldn't let me stay there."

There was a beat of silence. Then I was enveloped in warmth from the side. Before my arm could push Katrina away, I found myself enjoying the warmth and turning into it. My whole body became enveloped inside of Katrina's arms and my pounding heart started to slow.

Sam's voice was soft in the background. "Rebecca, Colby will come back if he's the only one to come back. You have nothing to worry about." I didn't reply, hugging Katrina tighter then letting go. My eyes stung like I was about to cry, but I refused to. I may hug Katrina, but I would never allow myself to cry in front of her or anyone else. Not again, at least.

Calm, I walked to Colby's chair and sat down in it. It smelt like him, which didn't help me very much. Although resisting the urge to snuggle into his scent did distract me enough for time to pass without him.

I wasn't dependent on Colby—not by a long shot. Maybe at night, but at any other time, I could survive without him and I tended to like spending time with myself or with the other girls like Tara and Katrina. Yet being alone and not knowing if he was okay; not knowing if he was alive, was unbearable. I wished I wasn't so weak and could run to my studio just as quickly as everyone else, so I could retrieve him or at least help. But I couldn't. Because I was weak.

A fresh little bubble of anger soared through me, followed by the fuel added from my distress, followed by more anger because I knew I needed Colby now to get rid of it.

Maybe my posture changed, maybe my face changed—I wasn't sure—but Sam, Kat and Tara were suddenly much less keen to be anywhere near me. I clenched my jaw and grabbed the arm of the chair, just for something to squeeze. I was sure if Katrina was there instead, I would be hurting her.

I felt my heart get faster in my chest, my muscles rippling with the need to punch something. If I could just hold out until Colby got here, no one and no thing would get hurt, but it was how long I had to wait that decided the fate of Colby's house. My clock was ticking ten times the speed of any other clock, speeding towards midnight.

The moment it hit twelve, a new hole would be put in the wall, and I was blaming it on Colby.