Amnesia

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Wow, this place is like rustic chic!" Corey said as he stepped into their room, dropping his bag in the entryway.

Sam laughed, "I mean, I guess that's one way of putting it."

Colby shook his head, not even caring about the decor "Just point me to the closest bed."

"Aww come on," Sam said, "Where's the fun in that?"

Corey smiled, it was good that they were back to bantering. He'd been worried that they might've been stuck in that weird awkwardness that had permeated the morning, but it seemed like whatever had happened, the two of them had decided to put it aside.

"The fun is that I get to go to sleep," Colby said

"Come on, we're in Boulder. A college town. We should go hit up a bar or something."

That was a definite change in mood for Sam, Corey thought. Just a few months ago he'd been refusing to even leave his room, let alone the house. Much less spring for going to a bar and interact with strangers.

Are you sure you're ready for that? was on the tip of Corey's tongue. Of course, he wasn't stupid. He knew about Sam's nightly outings and hookups.

But those didn't really mean anything, even Corey could tell that. They were just a way that Sam was trying to make himself numb and forget about everything that'd happened with Kat.

Corey hadn't told anyone, but he'd been with Sam that day that was just a week before Kat had called it quits.

Sam had been so excited. Standing there in that jewellery store and staring down at the display of rings, trying to pick the perfect one for her.

He'd talked to Corey about how he'd always wanted a wedding and someone to love. Corey could still remember the joy and the excitement on his face as he talked with the salesclerk about Kat. How the clerk had said he wished more men were like Sam. So caring and loving and giving to their partners.

When Sam finally picked the perfect one, a delicate silver band with a pink diamond setting, he'd looked to Corey for his approval.

How was Corey supposed to say anything other than "I think that's perfect, she'll love it?"

At the time, Corey thought it was strange that Sam hadn't asked Colby to do this with him. After all, Colby was his best friend, and they did pretty much everything together- but that was also when their relationship was on a downhill slide.

Colby had been hanging out with Brennen more and more, and to cope with it, Sam had turned to Kat. Lavishing all of the affection that he couldn't expend on Colby on her. God, he'd put everything into that relationship.

Secretly talked to Kat's parents about buying her a ring. Telling his mom that he was going to finally make an honest woman out of her.

It had been exciting. The potential of it. The thought that Sam was ready to take that step with her.

That had made it all the more devastating when less than a month later, Sam had come to Corey's room with red-rimmed eyes.

It was after the whole hospital incident, and Corey could tell that Sam was still seriously fucked up over Kat.

He was dressed in an oversized shirt that Corey thought might have been one he stole from Colby. It wasn't that unusual for either of them to steal each other's clothes, no matter how weird that was in a platonic sense.

The shirt made Sam look like a child, standing there vulnerable and broken in his too-big shirt and sweatpants.

He'd had something clutched in his hand, and it had taken Corey a second to realize it was the ring box from the jewellery store.