Baby Don't Cut | Colby Brock

19

"Okay, so give me some time to catch up since I missed a few classes too, and after that we can start," I said, settling into the chair and pulling out my books. "In the meantime, you can solve some questions or something. Do whatever you want."

"Yes, ma'am," Colby replied with a mock salute before starting to do who knows what. As I focused on my work, I heard the front door open and Gale walked in.

"Hey, Maya! I haven't seen you for a while now. Did Colby annoy you so much that you stopped tutoring him?" Gale joked.

"Uh, no, I was actually sick, so I couldn't make it," I explained. Then, putting my palm sideways beside my mouth, I whispered, "Don't tell him I said this, but he can get a bit annoying."

We both laughed, sharing a moment of camaraderie.

"Well, it's good to see you back," Gale said, smiling. "So, what's new? Any crazy adventures with this one?" He nodded towards Colby, who was pretending to be deeply engrossed in his work.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Trying to teach him algebra is like trying to teach a cat to swim," I joked.

"Hey, I heard that!" Colby called out, from a different room.

Gale laughed. "Well, I should go meet up with my girlfriend. Good luck with your tutoring session. You'll need it."

"Thanks, Gale. Have a good time," I said as he left.

After about twenty minutes of catching up on my missed classes, I felt ready to start the tutoring session. I called out, "Colby, you can come back now."

Colby reappeared in the dining area with a grin. "Finally! I was starting to get bored out there."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Alright, let's see what you've been working on while I was catching up."

"Uh, sure," he said, sliding his notebook towards me. "But no promises that it makes any sense."

I glanced at his notebook and saw some doodles mixed in with actual math problems. "Colby, are these... stick figure battles?"

He chuckled. "Hey, I need to keep my creative juices flowing."

I shook my head, laughing. "Alright, let's get serious now. We need to go over quadratic equations today."

"Yay, my favorite," he said sarcastically, sitting down next to me.

"Don't worry, I'll make it as painless as possible," I promised, smiling.

"With you teaching, I'm sure it will be," he replied with a grin.

We got down to work, and despite his playful demeanor, Colby was actually trying his best. It was moments like these that made all the effort worth it.

~~~~~~~~~

Colby, as usual, forced me into his car so that he could drive me home. I noticed that this was starting to become a routine, but I wasn't complaining; I liked spending alone time with Colby. "Hey, can I ask you something?" Colby said, dragging me out of my thoughts.

"As long as it's not about calculus," I replied jokingly, earning a chuckle from him.

"Well, no, it's about the night at the party," he said. My eyes widened. The night of the party, when Colby was dropping me off, we kind of maybe kissed, but then the whole entire thing with my dad happened, and we haven't talked about it since.

"Uh, what about that?" I said nervously.

"See, Maya, I really like you. I'm not even going to lie. The only reason I sat beside you on your first day was because I thought you were so pretty," he started, his voice sincere. "But it wasn't just that. As I got to know you, I realized how amazing you are—smart, funny, and kind. And that night, when we kissed, it felt right. But then everything happened, and I didn't want to push you or make you uncomfortable. I've been wanting to talk about it ever since, but I didn't know how you felt."

I sat there in shock, not knowing what to say. I knew I liked him back, but I couldn't afford to let anyone else get that close to me. "It's okay if you don't like me back, I under—"

"I like you too," I cut him off, internally facepalming myself. Why did I say that?

"U-uh, do you really, or are you just saying that so I don't feel bad?" Colby asked, looking both hopeful and uncertain.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "No, Colby, I really do like you. You're not just someone I want to be friends with. You're kind, caring, and you always know how to make me smile. That night at the party... it meant something to me too. I was just scared to admit it because I've been through a lot, and letting someone get close to me is terrifying. But you... you make me feel safe and happy."

Colby's face lit up with a smile that made my heart flutter. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Maya. I've been waiting for so long to hear you say that."

I smiled back at him, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "I'm glad you did. And for the record, that kiss... it was perfect."

He reached over and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Maya, I promise I'll be here for you, no matter what. We'll take it one step at a time, okay?"

"Okay," I said, squeezing his hand back. "One step at a time."

Colby drove us in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both of us processing what had just happened. My heart was still racing, but it was a good kind of nervousness. I glanced over at him, and he had this soft, content smile on his face that made me smile too.

"So," Colby began, breaking the silence. "How about we make this official? You know, like... going on a real date."

"A real date?" I repeated, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "Dinner, a movie, whatever you want. Just you and me, without any calculus involved."

I laughed. "That sounds nice. When were you thinking?"

"How about this weekend? I know a great little place downtown that has the best pasta. I mean, if you like pasta."

"Who doesn't like pasta?" I said with a smile. "This weekend sounds perfect."

We pulled up to my house, and Colby parked the car. He turned to me, still holding my hand. "I'm really glad we talked about this, Maya."

"Me too," I admitted. "I've been thinking about it a lot."

He leaned in, and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me again. But instead, he pressed his forehead to mine, his eyes closing for a brief moment. "I promise, I won't let anything hurt you. We'll take it slow, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, feeling a mix of relief and happiness. "Thank you, Colby."

We finally got out of the car, and Colby walked me to my door. "Goodnight, Maya," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Colby," I replied, giving him one last smile before heading inside. I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement. The weekend was perfect because my dad was going on another work-related trip for five days, so there was nothing in my way. It felt like everything was finally falling into place.