Bad Taste (Part II) // Colby Brock

210 - Rebecca

To get food, that was where I was being taken. Whether we had more plans than this, I didn't know, only that we were pulling up on the parking lot of Tender Greens, and that Tara was grinning at me through the mirror. I kept my eyes, hands, and comments to myself as I slid out of the car to the hood, where I waited for everyone to catch up with me. Moving at human speed, the vampires were surprisingly slow.

Colby led us into the restaurant with Sam and Kat at the back; Tara temporarily left Jake to walk with me.

"I can order for her," Colby said to Sam, motioning him over, "but you get everyone else's."

Sam nodded and they walked away, so Tara guided me toward a booth. She shoved me in so I was against the window and sat opposite, Jake by her side. I would have questioned why she didn't sit by me, but I guessed she wanted Colby to sit there instead—or maybe he wanted that.

By the time the boys came over to sit down, I was lost in my own world staring at the night outside. Colby's presence didn't even bother me, which meant I must have been stolen completely.

But there was a drink in front of me and suddenly I was thirsty, so I ended up drinking then leaning back, making me and Colby sit shoulder-to-shoulder. He didn't mind and a part of me didn't mind, either.

Sam got into the booth on our side, shoving Colby even closer to me, then he leaned forward and started a conversation with the other two. Colby sat silently beside me listening, just like we would when we were all sitting in the red room. It felt like the most normal thing I'd done since the incident, and suddenly I was enthralled in their conversation rather than my own thoughts.

When I heard Colby laugh, I couldn't help but look at him. He wasn't paying attention to me, staring at Sam as he finished his funny story. He looked happy about being here, as if he'd been waiting for this for a while. A part of me felt bad because I knew I'd been the one holding everyone back.

Colby laughed again, causing me to reach out without thinking. I'd meant to hold his hand because my heart skipped a beat for him, but I panicked and put my hand back in my own lap. Colby, finally noticing my stare, turned to look at me, my hand, then his own. After a second, he placed his hand palm-up on his thigh and turned to look at Sam again.

I stared at his hand for a couple of short, thoughtful moments. I wanted to hold his hand, I really did, and it was obviously what he wanted, too.

Internally sighing, I gave into the temptation. My palm warmed on top of his, but nothing compared to the burning tingles that shot up my arm as soon as he laced his fingers through mine. This what what I'd been missing? This? This amazing feeling?

I really was being stupid.

Loving the warmth, I shuffled in closer to Colby and he, when none of the others were looking—they were staring at the waitress begging for her to bring our food over—slid his hand out of mine to wrap his arm around me. I tucked into his side, remembering how well I fit there, and let my head rest on his chest.

Katrina definitely noticed when she turned back around but neither she nor any of the others mentioned it, scared they'd scare me. I didn't think that was how I was currently working, but I appreciated the gesture none the less.

Colby stayed like that with me even when the food came. He used just one hand to eat and I avoided leaning forward as much as I could. What I hadn't realised was how much I was actually eating—until I caught Tara smiling and staring at my plate. I finished my bite, which happened to be the last one, and found Colby's comfort once more.

They'd discovered the topic of their favourite place to go, leading them to telling me the real plan for tonight—this was just the warm-up.

"We're going to the beach," Katrina told me softly. "We figured you'd enjoy the quiet, but we knew you were hungry so we thought this'd be a good stop on the way."

Though I didn't answer her, we all knew I was happy with the plan they'd come up with.

We had desserts just because we could and I found myself feeling so lost in the night that it felt like I hadn't gone through a huge life crisis in the last couple of days. This was their plan and, no matter how much I may have wished it wasn't, it was working. This was just what I needed to change my entire outlook on life, but I still didn't talk.

I was grateful to be sitting there with friends and a boyfriend; I was grateful to still be alive, but I was far from okay yet.

Once our desserts had been devoured, we filed out of the Tender Greens together and climbed back into the cars. Colby kept his hands to himself even though I didn't want him to, and it was only when my fingers started twitching in my lap that I gave up, reaching across to steal his hand. He didn't hesitate to wrap his fingers around mine and squeeze comfortingly. It worked, the comfort.

He and Sam drove us to the beach, where I willingly strolled by his side holding his hand. The water was pretty so late at night and the way the moon lit up specific sections of the sand made my heart flutter in my chest. I'd loved the beach for years now, but I never knew it could be so enhanced by nightfall.

Colby slid away from me at some point to talk to Sam, who'd called him, so I continued along the water completely alone. I could hear the voices behind me and see the outline of Tara up ahead mysteriously on the phone, but that was all I knew about my surroundings.

As I was letting a breeze seep through my entire body to cool myself down, something icy cold was thrown at me, and my off-guard self decided the correct reaction was to squeal like a high school girl.

I looked up, my hair wet and falling into my face from the messy bun stop my head, and I saw Jake smirking in the water. I didn't know where his shoes were, only that his emo pants had been rolled up to his knees and his leg hair was sticking to his calf. He was watching me with a smirk and, when it seemed like the world had started again, he threw his leg into the water, sending a huge wave of freezing cold water of me.

Squealing again, this time I yelled the only thing my brain could form; a scold directed at the dickhead in the water.

"JAKE!"