Top Priority

59

Taylor’s pov

I drove over to the traphouse in my car, which felt weird to do because this is the second time I ever drove it in California.

Sam had opened the gate for me, and to my surprise, I saw Angelina’s car parked beside Jake’s car that was identical to Colby’s besides the color.

I parked my own vehicle, getting out and walking to the front door.

I felt nervous, I didn’t know how to act around Colby.  I didn’t know what to say anymore to him.

I hoped I could just be normal, and all I wanted was a normal relationship.  The both of us were making it difficult to accomplish even that.

“Oh, hi!” Angelina waved when I opened the door, “I was just leaving,”

She gave me a hug, giggling at my confusion.  It was a beautiful sound.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“You know what, I don’t even remember anymore.  I just showed up,” She shrugged again before walking past me, waving, “Have fun, they’re in the theater room setting up the Youtube thing,”

I watched her as she quickly left, waiting until she shut the door before turning to the movie room.  

With or without Angelina’s help I would have been able to find them, the four of them together made enough noise for people to hear them a mile away.

Sam was the only one who looked like they were concentrating on getting the video uploaded.  The other boys were messing around as usual.

Corey was laying face down on one of the longer couches with Jake sitting on his back.  Colby was in Jake’s lap with a pillow, holding it over Corey’s head.

“Finally!” Sam shouted, his eyes widening in excitement when he saw me, “Someone normal,”

“Yep that’s me,” I said with a laugh, throwing myself on the couch closest to him.

“But not you,” Jake shouted, “Mister Never Normal bitch,”

“I can’t breathe,” Corey groaned out, digging his nails into Jake’s leg.

“Ow, you bitch! Get off me!” He shouted, turning his body and throwing Colby to the side of the couch.

“Oh my god I almost saw him,” Corey sat up, putting his hand on his chest.

“Saw who?” I asked, not completely understanding what he was saying.

“God. I almost saw god thanks to these losers,” He huffed, “I could have died,”

“Could have, but you didn’t,” Colby said, standing up off the couch and approaching me, and I tried pushing away the awkwardness.

I think he could see it in my eyes but ignored it, plopping down beside me, “Sam are you almost done?” He asked, and to my surprise he pulled himself down so he was laying flat on the couch, taking me down with him.

My head came down to his chest, and it took me a moment of considering my options before I decided to relax into him.

“Yeah, give me one second,” I watched from a sideways angle as Sam ran over and turned the lights down.

“Katrina, Tara!” He shouted out of the room, probably to wherever they were.

I didn’t pay attention to them as they came into the room.  

I didn’t understand why he was being so affectionate towards me, it was as if he was silently asking for forgiveness for something we both won’t mention.

I let my arm fall over his waist, listening to his breathing.

Even with all of our problems, I wished times like these would stop time.  I missed how it was when we were first getting to know each other, the simplicity of everything.  We wanted each other, and that was that.

Now we’re both cheating.  One of us because it's in our nature and the other for revenge.

Sam began the video before going to sit down beside Katrina.  I didn’t really pay attention to it, having already lived through it and watching myself on the big screen felt weird.

Katrina and Tara would laugh at certain things, squeal when they saw me on the screen, and fall silent when things got serious about the history of Cerro Gordo.

But I zoned out, letting myself enjoy this time I had with Colby. 

It felt like that no matter what we did to each other, when he held me it all disappeared for a little while.  It was as if he was shielding me from the problems that we started, and I was okay with that.

I was safe in his arms, and I briefly remembered the last time this happened, watching the horror movie.

We weren’t on this exact couch, we were on the one that Corey had been laying on when I walked in.  That’s the couch where I fell asleep, and woke up with Colby.  Times have changed so much since then.

We’ve grown as human beings, in good and bad ways but mostly the latter.  We were horrible for each other, anybody could see it, but that didn’t stop us from being together.  And I’m okay with that, because I know that I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Except I’d rather not have any problems in a relationship but if there was nothing wrong with “us” individually than “us” would be weird.

Every couple has their problems.  I’ve yet to find the issues in Katrina and Sams or Jake and Tara’s, but I didn’t want to know.  I didn’t want their image ruined, the perfect, cute couples that they were.

I wonder if Colby told Sam about Alex yet, if he ever will.  She’s obviously a big part of his life if he was cheating.

Most girls would have broken up with their boyfriends if they found out he was cheating.  I couldn’t understand why I didn’t do the same.

They’ve probably fucked in the same bed we sleep in.  He probably calls her the same pet names he calls me.  She probably runs her hands through his hair when he’s close enough and it’s appropriate.  

He probably takes her out to the same caves we went to, goes to abandoned places just for fun with her.  She probably soaks all of his attention up like a dry sponge.

Probably.  Not certain.

Maybe I haven’t left him because it’s all in my head, or maybe because I want to change him.

I want to make him good again but at the end of the day it’s only destroying me, us.

I knew this relationship wouldn’t last forever like I hoped.

This was going to end with one of us getting hurt.  I knew it, and so did he.

But who was going to get hurt, I couldn’t say, but I could guess.

And it wouldn’t be him.