Baby Don't Cut | Colby Brock

21

The next day, I was unusually happy. I had the house to myself, and I had an amazing date with an amazing boy last night. I spent the entire day doing nothing in particular. I watched movies, went through last night's photos we took, slept, went through last night's photos again, showered, and then went through the photos one more time. It was a lazy, blissful day.

I was abruptly woken up by someone knocking on my door. I realized I had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie. Quickly, I fixed myself up and opened the door, only to see those familiar blue eyes on the other side of it.

"Hey," Colby said, smiling.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I questioned, my heart fluttering at the sight of him.

"Well, I had nothing to do, and I was passing by, so I thought I could stop by," he said casually.

"Well, come on in then," I said, gesturing for him to come inside.

Colby stepped in, looking around with a curious expression. "Nice place you've got here," he remarked, his tone playful.

"Well, I see you've set up camp in your living room then, huh?" he remarked, gesturing towards my couch, which had a pillow and a blanket strewn over it, as well as several empty bowls on the coffee table.

"Oh, yeah," I said, laughing a little. "I've kind of made a mess. Fun fact: these bowls have been here since yesterday."

"You are disgusting, Maya," Colby said, fake gagging and then grinning as he started helping me clean everything up.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "It's not that bad! I was just really comfortable and didn't feel like getting up."

Colby chuckled as he gathered the empty bowls. "Sure, sure. Next thing you know, you'll be growing a second layer of skin on this couch."

"Hey, at least I'm not boring," I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

As we moved around the living room, tidying up, the playful banter continued. "You know, if you wanted to live like a hermit, you could have just said so," Colby teased, stacking the bowls in the sink.

"Who says I'm not already living like one?" I shot back, grinning.

Colby laughed, shaking his head. "Well, Hermit Maya, you did an excellent job of turning your living room into a cozy little nest."

I grabbed a few more items and put them away, then turned to Colby. "Thanks for helping me clean up. You really didn't have to."

After a while, we settled back on the couch. Colby glanced at me, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Last night was really special, Maya. I'm glad we did that."

"Me too," I replied, smiling at him. "I had a great time."

He reached out and took my hand, his thumb gently brushing over my knuckles. "I was thinking... maybe we could do it again sometime?"

"I'd like that," I said softly, feeling my heart swell with affection.

Just then, my stomach growled loudly, and we both burst out laughing.

"Hungry?" Colby asked, still chuckling.

"Apparently," I said, blushing. "I kind of forgot to eat today."

"Well, we can't have that," he said, standing up. "How about I make us some dinner? I'm not a master chef, but I can whip up a decent pasta."

"That sounds perfect," I said, following him into the kitchen.

We cooked together, the kitchen quickly becoming a flurry of activity and laughter. Every so often, Colby would bump into me playfully or pretend to take over my tasks, leading to a bit of friendly shoving and giggling. At one point, he even smeared a bit of sauce on my nose, causing me to retaliate by flicking flour at him. The kitchen was a mess, with flour dusting the countertops and splashes of sauce on the stove, but it didn't matter. It was the most fun I'd had cooking in a long time.

"Pass the tomatoes, Chef Colby," I said, trying to sound serious but failing miserably as I laughed.

"Right away, Sous-Chef Maya," he replied with a mock salute, handing me the bowl of chopped tomatoes.

As we worked, Colby started humming a tune, which quickly turned into a full-blown kitchen concert. He grabbed a spatula and used it as a makeshift microphone, belting out an exaggerated version of a one direction song. I joined in, using a wooden spoon as my mic, and soon we were both laughing so hard we could barely stand.

"Okay, okay, we need to focus," I said, trying to catch my breath from laughing so much. "This meal isn't going to cook itself."

"Agreed," Colby said, still chuckling. "But we should definitely take our act on the road. We'd be a hit."

I shook my head, smiling. "Sure, if by 'hit' you mean 'disaster,' then absolutely."

Finally, we managed to get everything cooked, though the kitchen looked like a tornado had blown through it. The meal was simple—pasta with a homemade sauce, garlic bread, and a side salad—but it felt special because we made it together. We set the table, lit a couple of candles for ambiance, and sat down to eat.

Colby raised his glass of water in a mock toast, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "To many more nights like this," he said, his voice softening as he looked at me.

"To many more," I echoed, clinking my glass against his.

As we ate, we talked about everything and nothing, the conversation flowing easily. Colby told me about a funny incident that happened during his last band practice, complete with dramatic reenactments that had me in stitches.

We finished our meal, still chatting and laughing, and then moved to the living room, leaving the kitchen mess for later. Colby plopped down on the couch, patting the spot next to him. I joined him, and we flipped through channels until we found a movie to watch.

As we settled in, Colby turned to me with a thoughtful expression. "You know, I really meant what I said earlier. I want more nights like this. With you."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words. "I want that too, Colby," I admitted, feeling my heart swell with happiness.

We watched the movie in comfortable silence, occasionally making funny comments about the plot or characters. At some point, Colby reached over and took my hand in his, and we stayed like that for the rest of the night, a quiet connection that spoke volumes.

By the time the movie ended, it was late, but neither of us seemed eager to move. "Guess we should probably clean up the kitchen," I said reluctantly.

"Yeah," Colby agreed, but he made no move to get up. Instead, he turned to me, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. "But maybe just a few more minutes here first?"

I smiled, nodding. "A few more minutes sounds perfect."

And as we sat there, hands intertwined, I realized just how special this night had been. It was more than just cooking and watching a movie; it was the beginning of something wonderful, and I couldn't wait to see where it would lead.