Bad Taste (Part II) // Colby Brock

235 - Rebecca

When we got to the house, I was surprised to find Angela's car—a new one, but the same colour and still a convertible—on the driveway. She wasn't in it, and the front door was shut, so I assumed she'd been here for longer than a few minutes.

Tara peered curiously at the car as I pulled up next to it, her ears peeking like a dog's. I noticed her glance at me for a moment hesitantly, making my first reaction reasonably worried. "Weird."

"What?" I demanded.

"Angela's here... for no reason. Like, she's just hanging out." I frowned. "Yeah, I know. She's with everyone in the kitchen."

"Everyone," I echoed. "Including Aryia?" Tara nodded, and my jaw suddenly felt tight. I didn't say anything else, climbing out of the car and grabbing my bag almost aggressively. I threw them both to Tara, since I knew she'd put them away faster than I could.

There was a buzz to the inside of the house emanating from the kitchen, as expected. Katrina's voice and laugh was one of the loudest sounds, with Angela's giggle coming to a close second. Tara was already moving in a blur, taking my backpack upstairs and the plastic bag into the kitchen with the others, but I was taking my time.

I wanted to make sure nothing was being said by Angela, who couldn't know I was here yet, was upsetting in any way, that she really was just hanging out here.

It seemed so, which was weird.

Colby was in the kitchen with the others, a useless can in his hand and a smile on his face as he spoke. I felt almost starstruck for a moment seeing him in his natural element with his friends, something I didn't get to see much before, but now was becoming the norm.

His eyes moved to me as he drew whatever he was saying to a close—I wasn't listening. Someone else started to speak and I moved eagerly across the room into my boyfriend's side. He wrapped his arm around my waist easily, ignoring whoever was speaking to kiss me lightly on the lips.

I stepped in front of him, my back to his front, so I could see Angela standing between Katrina and Cassie, both of which created a barricade. With Xepher next to Cassie, too, it was impossible to get to Angela—and I realised that was because Aryia was at the very end of that line, Devyn and Corey forming the first lines of defence.

Something was very satisfactory about that.

"Hey, Becca," Angela said, interrupting Cassie mid-sentence.

"Ang," I replied.

"You don't happen to have anything to do, right?" she asked hopefully. Her eyes shifted to Colby and back, assuming I'd have plans with him. I usually did, but today had been a bit wishy-washy, so planning hadn't been an option.

"I'm free," I told her honestly. Colby expressed his disapproval by putting his hands on my hips, pressing his fingers deliciously into my body. He wanted me to know that he wanted me with him tonight. That was usually what I wanted, too.

"Great, because I really want to finish the plans for the funeral," Angela explained swiftly, and both Colby and I completely relaxed. He'd never tell me not to do something this important to me.

I smiled, "Where do you wanna go for that?"

"I don't mind," Angela shrugged. "I mean, somewhere with lots of floor space."

"You can come up to my room."

"Your room?" Colby repeated. When I looked back at him, his eyebrow was playfully cocked, his lips twisted on just one side. I rolled my eyes, to which he said, "I don't think so."