Grayscale

Chapter Fourteen

        Sam motioned for me to scoot over again, so I moved to the cushion Gabriel had been sitting on before he left to take the call. My head was spinning with all of the information I'd gleaned today. First, there was the coffee shop date with Reed, where he told me he loved me, then there was meeting Gabriel and seeing the colors for the first time, and now all of this lecturing and talking with Sam and Wes. I didn't know how to process any of this.

        Before, I had been so consumed with thoughts of Reed and trying to handle the knowledge that I was talking to and walking with my fucking soulmate that my brain didn't even have time to really take in the colors. Now that Gabriel was gone, though, my brain was beginning to take all of that in. I would try to focus on something Sam or Wes was saying, and without even realizing it, my eyes were wandering away from their faces to something on the coffee table, or over to the TV, which was just a total assault of the senses right now. Colors flashed on and off, commercials for this and that flaunting all of the hues of the rainbow, before it would finally settle on the show, which may have been less flashy, but was every bit as distracting.

        On the one hand, it was so breathtaking to finally be able to see what everyone else saw. It was incredible. I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on all of these years. The world became so different, it was like I was seeing for the first time, like I had been blind all of my life. Everything wasn't a different shade of the same boring color anymore - there were so many different shades and tints, even a few that I was able to recognize after hearing everyone talk about them for years. Looking at my hair, I was able to put a color to the word "blonde." Then, Wes' hair wasn't blonde, and it wasn't black, so I knew that that had to be what brunette looked like. People told me all the time that my purple Converse didn't match anything I wore, so, looking at my feet, I was able to see what "purple" actually was - and they were right. They definitely didn't look great with what I was wearing.

        On the other hand, it was no secret what seeing the colors meant. I knew who my soulmate was now - for better or worse.

        "Caly, Jesus, did you hear anything I just said?" Sam said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "You're totally zoning."

        "Sorry. I've got a lot going on," I sighed.

        "Yeah, no shit," Wes laughed. "I don't think "a lot" really covers it." He took a long drink of his beer, finishing it off before he set it on the cluttered coffee table. "But Sam, tell her what you were saying, babe."

        "Yeah, yeah. What I was saying is that I think you should listen to Wes. Take his advice, and think about what you're doing. I know you, Cal. It was written all over your face when Gabriel was here - you don't want anything to do with the poor guy. But Christ, he's your soulmate. You can't just let that pass you by."

        I crossed my arms. "What are you saying, Sam? That I should just call up Reed, tell him to fuck off, he doesn't matter now that my soulmate finally showed his face? It's not that easy!" I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands in frustration. "Reed means a lot to me," I sighed.

        "Pull your head out of your ass," Wes snapped. He stood up from the couch and headed back into the kitchen and slammed the fridge open, rummaged around in it, then slammed it shut again. When he returned, he was carrying another two beers. "Notice I didn't grab one for you?" He handed one to Sam, then popped the cap off of his. "Get out of here, Calypso. Go talk to Reed. Figure shit out. I don't want to sit here and argue with you because you're so in love. We're not going to do anything but make you mad."

        I sat my mug of hot coco down on the coffee table as softly as I could, trying to contain all the emotions I had bottled up inside. "Thank you," I said stiffly, as I slowly stood. "I'll get out of here, and I . . . I'll figure it out." I made my way toward the door, and neither boy said another word. They really wanted me gone.