To Catch A Star

Chapter Fourteen

Andi was mad at herself. Since she had been back at the complex, every now and then her sister-in-law's words would rear their ugly head and make Andi analyse her own every move when it came to Colby. It happened sporadically, whether in classes or their alone time, she would catch herself day dreaming about him, gazing at him with a stupid smile or enjoying his closeness far to much to be considered platonic.

She first noticed the night of the meal, well she hadn't noticed. It was Ashley that nudged her good-naturedly out of her staring and winked at her with a soft chuckle. She had been staring at him and god damn if that wasn't embarrassing being caught in the act. Then, while she was in one of her classes, Jon had startled her waving a hand in her face because she had been day dreaming about Colby taking his top off as he had earlier in the week when working out.

The last straw, which made her become far more careful, was waking up from a very heated dream and finding herself pressed to Colby's side, nearly on top of him! Luckily, he hadn't woken up yet and she managed to get off him before he could know. She decided right then that she needed to do two things. First was to have a serious talk with her husband when she got back home. Emma was right, this wasn't fair to either of them, especially him.

She then vowed to distance herself slightly but stealthily. She spent longer with AJ in the evenings, taking her time in the canteen and thinking of subjects to talk about, which AJ didn't seem to mind and didn't question her about thankfully. No one knew about her and Colby's sleeping arrangements and she wanted to keep it that way. She spent longer on the gym equipment, which Colby did question her about but seemed to accept the excuses that she came up with. When they did get into their 'bed', she waited until Colby was asleep before putting one of the pillows between them in an effort to stop her sleeping self from seeking him out.

It had caused more panic attacks than usual but she managed to somehow get to a bathroom or empty room before they became noticeable to anyone. She knew that it was strange for her to be feeling how she did for a man that wasn't her husband, for a man that was way out of her league, for a man that was only being kind and wanted to befriend her. The problem was, she didn't know how to turn those feelings off. No matter what precautions she took, no matter how many times she berated herself, she couldn't help the fluttering in her stomach when he smiled, the pace her heart sped to when he touched her or the fact that the man haunted her dreams every night.

She determined that she wasn't trying hard enough. She would rid herself of this childish crush, she would right the wrongs at home and she would put all her focus and energy on the programme like she should be doing anyway.

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Colby was confused. He wasn't sure what was going on in his brain, but it wouldn't cooperate with him. He wanted to focus on this programme, to be able to concentrate on conversations without his mind wandering, to stop trying to find a certain new friend in every room he entered.

But it was a lost cause. His friend was living rent-free in his mind even when she wasn't by his side or even in the same room. He noticed that when he was conversing with others, his mind somehow wander to her. What was she doing now? Where was she? Is she ok? At first he thought that it was just worry after seeing Andi having a panic attack but then he started comparing people to her... If someone was on a rowing machine, he would think that Andi's form was better. If someone laughed, he thought about Andi's laugh. If someone touched him, he thought about how Andi's was softer.

He found himself smiling when he remembers something she had said or done, the blush on her face... before Jon smacked him up the head one time because he hadn't answered his question and wanted to know what he was smiling about. What the hell was wrong with him!! She was his friend! He had plenty, well a few, friends and they hadn't completely taken over his brain! He was feeling very frustrated, which only got worse when he noticed small things that she had started to do that she thought he didn't notice.

He had noticed that she started to spend more time in the canteen with AJ, he had noticed that she was staying on the machines until she was ready to drop, and he had noticed that as soon as he closed his eyes for long enough, a pillow was being wedged between them.

Did she know that she consumed his every thought?Could she read minds?! The reason he hadn't questioned her was because he didn'twant to come off as clingy and strange, he didn't want to lose the progress hehad made becoming her friend. He needed to sort himself out, he wanted to buthe was so confused by all of this... she was his friend...