Him and Me.

Him and Me- Twenty Eight.

Colby groaned beside me as he sat up, supporting his weight with his hands. I laughed at how ridiculously slow he was moving, but then groaned too, as my stomach protested. He was sprawled out on the floor of the den, while I was lying down on the couch. It was just after dinner, and we both had too much to eat. Finally, Colby managed to get up on his feet, and then slumped down the nearest bean bag chair.

“You were right. That was the best potato salad I’ve ever had,” Colby declared, his hand patting his stomach. His face was still slightly contorted in pain, and I wanted to laugh again, but it hurt to do so. I nodded in agreement—my mom did make the most delicious potato salad in the world, you couldn’t help but eat a lot. That was what exactly Colby and I did.

It was my mom who invited Colby to stay over for dinner, right after her laughing fit. I long stopped chasing Colby around the den by that time, and was slumped sulking on the couch beside my laughing mother. It seemed like every time Colby says something good about me, he follows it up with a joke, always about my so called violence. I had huffed, thinking that I was not violent. At all.

My mom had patted my arm as she stood up and excused herself to get back to preparing dinner. Apparently she had her potatoes boiling and her beef strips grilling, and had decided to do some work done in between. The moment my mom had exited the room, Colby had approached me, and cautiously lowered himself beside me on the couch. I could feel him darting glances at me out the corner of his eye, and after a couple of minutes, I heard him sigh.

“Kayla, you know I was just kidding around,” he said gently, his voice laced with slim exasperation.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I had crossed my arms over my chest. I knew that it was kind of childish, but I couldn’t help it. There was another sigh.

Colby had moved closer to me on the couch; I had felt him shift on his seat. All of a sudden, a pair of hands landed gently on my cheeks, making me jump slightly. Those hands turned my head around, and then I was staring into Colby’s eyes.

His green orbs held an intensity, and he had looked at my eyes like he was concentrating. I had tried to shrunk back a little, but his hands held my head firmly in place. It was funny because his touch was gentle, yet he still managed to hold my head in the same position. I had no choice but to stare back at that brilliant shade of green, the force emanating from which was seemingly powerful enough to make you feel like you were drowning.

I didn’t know how long we stayed that way, eyes locked with each other. It was like there was some sort of spell that pulled us under, and had kept us under for a while. His hands still held my face, their calloused skin tickling the softness of my cheeks. I had felt his fingers curl around the base of my head, just beneath my ponytail. Goosebumps had suddenly raised on my neck.

Colby’s face began to move towards mine, inching closer. My breath caught in my throat, and just before our noses touched, Colby paused.

“You are under my power,” he said quietly in a sort of singsongy voice. “You are under my spell, and you will forget everything that has happened the past hour. And you, Kayla Johnson…” He paused for what I could only think of now as a dramatic effect.

“You will forgive me.”

I blinked once, then twice. The trance was gone, and despite Colby making fun of me yet again, I actually found this stunt amusing.

That didn’t mean he would get away with it, though.

“Ouch!”

Colby’s hand were immediately removed from my face, and he sat there rubbing both sides of his tummy, hissing through his teeth.