Dare Me (Dare Me Series Book 1)

Dare Me (Part 12 - Alexis)

"What?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Nothing." He licks his lips and adjusts his hand on the wheel. I shrug again and look out the window as we head to mine and Claire's apartment. The sun is reflecting off the high-rise windows and I wish I had my sunglasses. I notice some on his dash. "You gonna wear those?" I ask, lifting my chin toward the black Ray-Bans. "Nah. Be my guest." I reach over and slide them on my face. Ah, sweet relief. "So, what are your plans today?" He looks over at me. "Earlier you said you had somewhere to be." "Oh, right." He sniffs and places his hand on the gear shifter. "My brother and I are going to the gun range." "Really?" I ask. "That sounds fun." He nods. "Yeah. I like shooting shit." I laugh and he doesn't, which makes me laugh more. "You're such a guy." "What does that mean?" he asks. "Right here." I point as we near the apartment building. "It means what it means. You like muscle cars and shooting shit. You're a guy's guy." There's a smile in his eyes as we park near the curb, and both of us exit. "I can walk myself up," I say, sliding his glasses off and putting them in the seat before I shut the door. "I'm aware," he replies, simply. I roll my eyes. "Oookay." I tuck my shirt back in so I won't look like the walk of shame entering the apartment complex lobby before I rub under my eyes one more time. I've got to stop sleeping with makeup on. I'll have wrinkles by the time I'm thirty. "You look fine," he says. "I look like I didn't come home last night." He smirks and adjusts his hat for the hundredth time. Is he nervous? He seems out of place, and I wonder how often he's actually walked a woman up to her apartment. The thought bothers me a bit, but I slide it out of my mind. You don't even know this dude. The elevator slides open, and we step inside. It only contains us, and all I smell is clean soap, spicy forest green. "So, you usually snap at women about seat belts and then carry them into your apartment?" I ask as the golden doors slide open and my phone rings. We step out and I look at the screen, seeing it's an unknown number, but I recognize it. Mark. I hit the shady button. Why is he calling me? Didn't we say everything we had to say when I left? My mind goes back to the odd calmness I had leaving him. It wasn't hard to do, which told me what I needed to know—I should have done it a long time ago. "Someone you don't want to speak to?" Colby asks as we walk down the hall. "Something like that," I mumble. "Who was it?" "I believe I asked you a question first," I say, wondering why the phone call is his business. "Oh, we're still playing this, huh?" He sounds annoyed. "We don't have to be playing anything," I reply with a cheeky smile. We stop in the hallway, and he crosses his arms, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. Colorful tats stand out over his forearms, and his chest stretches the cotton of his shirt. He's something to look at. I wonder what he does to stay in such great shape. I also would like to shove him and tell him to fuck off. After the diner conversation last night about my job choice and now this, it's clear this guy can push my buttons. Colby exhales. "No, I don't usually snap at women about seat belts or carry them to my apartment." "Why did you do it with me then?" "I thought it was my turn?" he asks with a lifted brow. I roll my eyes. "Fine. The unanswered phone call was my ex. Would you like to meet him?" He narrows his blues, and tiny lines form beside them. "You're a smart-ass." I laugh out loud. "Me?" I point toward myself. "I believe you hold that title well enough for the both of us." His tongue goes to the roof of his mouth as he scans over my face. His presence alone is intimidating, but that gaze shakes my bones. "How fresh is this breakup?" "Over a month. Would you like to know how it ended also?" I mean, might as well get it all out now, right? He rubs his chin, scratching at the five o'clock shadow. "I'm all ears." I lean back against the wall. "We were together for two years. He cheated. I moved out." Oddly, saying it out loud doesn't bother me as much as it did only a few days ago. Some things just aren't meant to be, and I'm one hundred percent certain Mark and I are one of those things. He scans over my face again as I chew my gum with a closed mouth. "That's it? And you're done?" I lift my shoulders. "Why do you care, Colby?" This time I cross my arms. I can't say I don't like this banter between us, but I'd really like to know. His reply is quick. "I wish I didn't." Ouch. I feel a tiny sting in my chest from his words. We stand there, both of us with tight eyes. I can't figure this guy out. I shake my head and inhale as I hold the back of my neck. "This is insane," I say, looking to the floor. "I wouldn't say that," he replies. My eyes dart back up to his. "And what would you say?" "Interesting. Entertaining maybe, and definitely not boring." I laugh. "No, if we've been anything, boring is not it." "Was your ex boring?" he asks. I chuckle. "Was he boring?" He nods. I think back on our relationship and tilt my head. "Yeah. I'd say so." He smiles. I'm not sure why this makes him happy, but whatever. "Look, Colby. I'm gonna be honest with you here. The breakup made me look at things differently." Colby looks amused. "What things exactly?" he asks. "Well, myself for one." "That's funny. I think you're perfect." I feel my chest turn ruby. "Flattery isn't gonna get you anywhere." "I'm not flattering you," he says, straight-faced. I sigh and try to get a hold of myself here. He's nerve-wracking, and when he compliments me, it only makes me more nervous. "Okay... well, anyway... I'm not looking for a boyfriend." He smirks. "That's good, because I don't have girlfriends." "What does that even mean?" I ask, shaking my head. "You are the strangest person." "You think I'm strange?" He almost looks offended, but I doubt he is. "Just a little," I say, pinching air. His eyebrows curve, but there's a sparkle in his eyes. "Why?" I hold nothing back. "First off, your emotions are all over the place. I can't keep up. One minute you're nice, the next you're a stone castle wall, and as quick as I process all of that, you're an asshole. "Take last night for instance," I say. "You turned all sweet Colby when you wanted to take me to eat, and then you snapped at me about a seat belt." He runs a hand up his face, causing his hat to lift up. And those wrinkles appear on his forehead, and I see it as his mind trails off. What is he thinking about? "Colby?" He looks at me with a pained expression, and my heart sinks. I see the boy in him, and I wonder what happened. Colby isn't this way by accident. No. Past circumstances are the cause. I know because I used to be this way myself. Who am I kidding? I still am. "You don't have to talk about it with me, but you do need to talk to someone. Whatever is inside of you needs to come out." "What are you, a shrink?" he says distastefully. "No. Just a girl who's been down that road before, and I know firsthand how lonely it can be." I have Brennen and Claire. Who do you have? We stare at each other, neither saying anything else, and then I hear the door open down the hall as both of our heads turn. Claire comes out in yoga pants and a tank top. She narrows her eyes when she sees us and I stand up from the wall. "Well, I'm glad to see he didn't chop you up and throw your body parts in a ditch somewhere." I laugh and Colby steps back, clearing the air between us. "I'm in one piece." She rolls her eyes, and when she gets close enough, she slaps me on the arm. "Ow!" I say, rubbing the sting. "That's for not calling me and making me worry." She goes to do it again, but I stop her hand. "Dude, I'm sorry. Can we talk about this later?" I ask, looking from her to him. She goes slack, and I squeeze her hand in apology, because I know I did make her worry. "I'm over it. Colby, good to see you again. I'm going for a run. Decide what you want for supper," she says to me as she heads for the stairs. "I'll pick it up on my way back." "Love you," I call out to her. "Yeah, yeah." She waves her hand before pushing the door open. "You two been friends long?" Colby asks quietly. "Ever since I moved to Los Angeles" I say. "What made you move to Los Angeles?" I ask removing my keys from my bag. "My best friend Sam and I moved here as soon as we graduated high school for YouTube" I slide the key in and turn the knob, opening the door as I do. Looking back at him, I sigh as he slides his hands into his front pockets. "Well... This has been..." I search for the word. He chuckles. "That good, huh?" I smile, because damn, that laugh. It's deep, and like smiling, I'm sure he doesn't do it often, but he should. We don't say anything for a moment, and then I do. "It's been interesting." He lifts a brow. "That's the word I was looking for." He tastes it on his tongue. "Interesting." I lift my right shoulder. "Colby," I say. "How about we be friends?" You seem like you need one, I want to say but don't. "Friends?" he asks skeptically. "Yeah, I mean, you don't do girlfriends or whatever, and I'm not interested in a romantic relationship at all, so why not friends?" He looks at me with a slight narrow of his eyes as he thinks it over. "I think I can live with that." I smile "Good." "So, can friends exchange numbers?" I laugh. "That's like the number one thing they can do." We do so, and I go in for a goodbye hug, breathing in his fresh shower scent. His arm tightens around my back, and his face goes in my hair. I feel things that I shouldn't hugging a friend, but it doesn't last long enough. He clears his throat and steps back. His touch brings me an odd sense of comfort, and I feel bummed that it's gone. He looks uneasy now, and I'm not sure what to make of it. "I'll call you," he says. I step into the apartment. "I'll hold you to that." He winks before he turns, and I notice he goes for the stairs like Claire did. I shut the door and lean against it, trying to process everything that was said and not said. I have no idea if he'll ever call me, but one thing's for sure—I hope he does.