Beautiful Boy

Part 46 - Can't You See I'm Not Interested?

~ CHARLIE'S POV ~

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Get us some drinks?" Colby says as we get into one of slew of bars on the way back to the AirBnB. Colby's lips meet my cheek as I nod.
As I walk up to the bar, I notice how everyone else here is dressed and immediately feel self conscious in my leggings and an XPLR crewneck. I do my best to shake off the insecurities as I wait for the bartender to finish helping his current customer.
"Hey, gorgeous." I hear and turn to the man the voice came from, smiling as I expect to see Colby. However, the man in front of me is not Colby. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"Nah, I'm good." I say and raise my hand up to the bartender, who walks my way. "Can I get two Jack and Cokes, please?"
"Yeah, I'll have those right up."
"I asked if I could buy you a drink, sweetness. Not the other way around." The man besides me says and I roll my eyes.
"It's a good thing I didn't buy you a drink then, eh?" I say, keeping my eyes on the bartender's movements as he makes Colby and I's drinks.
"Here are your drinks. Would you like to open up a tab?" The Bartender asks and before I can hand him my card, the annoying, albeit persistent, guy slaps down a card.
"These are on me." He says. "I'm James, by the way."
I look towards the bathrooms and see Colby heading my way. Thank God.
"Hey, babe. Did you get our drinks?" He asks as he walks up to me, throwing his arm over my shoulder.
"Actually, he did." I say, nodding to the douche beside me. Colby smirks as he takes his drink and I take mine.
"Thanks, man." Colby says and we walk away, leaving him looking perplexed. "You good?"
"Yes, but it took you long enough in the bathroom." I say, swatting his chest.
"Sorry, love." He says and leans in and kisses me. I take a drink as we lean up against the banister of a staircase that leads to the rooftop bar.
"Just don't leave for too long again." I say and look across the bar to see the douche, James, watching us. I lean in closer to Colby.
"Are you sure you're good?" Colby asks as he slides his hand around my waist.
"Yeah-" I say and look up the stairs. "Yeah, of course. Do you wanna go up to the roof?"
"I'd love that." He says with a smile. I take his hand and pull him after me up the stairs.

Colby stands next to me, looking out over the city. My eyes trace up his body as he grips onto the edge of the building. His t-shirt sleeve is straining against his biceps as he holds on. I wonder if he is as drunk as I am right now.
I slide my hand up his arm and Colby whips his head towards me with a smile.
"What are you thinking about?" I ask, laying my head on his arm.
"You. How glad I am to be here with you." He says and moves to face me. He slides his hand into my my hair and leans in to kiss me.
"Mmmm." I say as he pulls away from me.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Then, you wanna head back?" Colby says and I nod. He leans in and pecks my lips.
I watch him as he walks towards the stairs. He turns around and flashes a smile at me before he walks down the stairs.
"I've been waiting for him to leave us alone all night." I look to see James standing entirely too close to me. I roll my eyes.
"Can't you see I'm not interested?" I ask with disgust as I take a step away from him.
"I think I can change your mind."
"I'm sure you can't." I say and down the drink in my hand. I walk away from him towards the bar, hoping he'll get the point. "Can I get a shot of José Cuervo?"
"Yeah, of course." The bartender says and pours tequila into a shot glass. "Here you go."
"Thank you." I say and take the shot quickly. I'm at a point where the burn doesn't bother me anymore.
"Mmm," James says from beside me and I roll my eyes as I place the shot glass back onto the bar. "I love a girl who can take a shot without a blink."
"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but just leave me alone." I say as I try to walk away from him, but he grabs my arm. "Let me go."
"I'd rather have a little fun." He says, leaning toward me. His breath reeks of liquor as he speaks. His free hand slides up my body as I try and escape his grasp.
"I said: let me go." I say through gritted teeth.
"I like a girl with some fight in her." He says and tries to kiss me, but I pull my head away.
"Get off of her." Colby's voice says from behind us. I turn to see him standing behind me. His features are emotionless spare from his furrowed eyebrows. He takes a step closer to us and I look at him helplessly.
"No, I don't think I will." James says and tightens grip on my arm, making me yelp.
"I said: get your hands off of her. Or I'll make you." Colby says with an edge in his voice that I've never heard before.
"And I said I'm good here." James says. Colby licks his lips and steps towards us. Colby looks at me and then to James before quickly punching him. James' hand releases me as he reaches for his nose that is now pouring blood.
"In my defense, I warned you." Colby says as he opens his arms to me. "You were just too stupid to listen to me."
"You shouldn't have done that." James says and comes towards us again. Colby quickly decks him again, laying him on his ass.
"Maybe you should stay down this time." Colby says and looks at me. His eyes are filled with rage.
"Colby, come on, let's go." I say, pulling on his arm.
"Yeah, go on, run away. Cause you're not gonna like it when I get up." James says as he struggles to get up.
"I'm not afraid of a guy who can't get anyone to fuck him so he preys on drunk girls who want nothing to do with him." Colby says with a laugh.
"Colby, please." I plead. Colby spits on James before giving in to me.
I praise God as Colby follows me down the stairs, but something in me can't shake the way Colby looked right before he punched that guy. He almost looked like a completely different person, and that person scared me.