Vampires Rule // Colby Brock

|~8~|

Lydia Drake
Tara's car follows me on the way to my apartment. I want to talk to her and make sure she's okay because she had this strange faraway look on her face before we left. And then I want to vent; to let it all out and just rant for ever. She'll listen, she always does.

When we both park, I notice that she looks a little more like herself. There's the hint of a smile on her face and she climbs out of the car looking happy. I climb out too, walking around the vehicle to grab her for a quick hug that she accepts.

"You okay?" I ask in her ear. She giggles and nods, pulling back but leaving her hands resting on my arms. She's like herself again.

"Colby's just the boss around there and sometimes it can be a little... intimidating. You know? I can only stand up to him for so long then I get a little frightened." She pauses, glancing at the ground, then smiles widely. "But Jake texted me being all cute and possessive so I'm okay now."

"What did he say?" She pulls out her phone and shows the messages of him saying he misses her, wants her back at the house, and that he's not letting her leave again. Weird but also cute. I can see why he's made her happier. "As long as he doesn't hurt you, then I'm okay with it. Wanna talk about him?"

"Yes! Please! We need to have a proper girly chat." I laugh and nod so we walk out of the parking garage to head up to my apartment. She's quick to move and looks excited. Like Tara. I have every intention of staying away from that asshole, although his face, specifically those eyes, are strong in my mind.

Finally, we enter my apartment. I drop my keys on the kitchen counter right beside me and shut the door, putting on the deadlock for good measure. We kick off our shoes and little jackets, throw our bags on the couch, then both of us practically run to my bedroom. I have a small collection—just a couple—of big, oversized hoodies and shirts that are supposed to be for men. They're comfortable, so I've always got them.

"Yes! My girl hasn't changed one bit." Tara reaches out and grabs an orange and black hoodie while I grab a pure black one. We literally change out of our clothes in front of each other—what? We're best friends, it's normal—then I grab some popcorn from the cupboard and begin to microwave it.

"It's been way too long since we've done this." I say with a huge smile on my face. This used to be every weekend pretty much and it's always been my favourite thing to do on Saturdays until Tara moved out here. But now I'm here too.

"I know it has. I can't believe I've let you live here a week without coming to visit you. Honestly, I should have been the one to pick you up." She sticks out her bottom lip sadly, which only makes me smile at her. I reach over the counter to grab her hand just as the microwave beeps.

We both smirk as I turn and grab the popcorn then we walk to the couch together, snuggling into the big hoodies with popcorn between us. She takes the first bite, like I always let her do so, then I take a handful myself.

"Now! Give me all the juicy details!" I exclaim. "What's going on with Jake?" The biggest smile ever spreads on Tara's face. She sits up properly and crosses her legs while taking a handful of popcorn that she shovels down before she finally speaks.

"Okay, so, as you know, I met him at this, like, party? I don't know, I just went and then I saw him. Honestly, I felt this huge pull to him and I just couldn't move away when I saw him. I remember being a little concerned for myself because I'm never like that until we started talking. We're basically the same person and get along so, so well! I couldn't believe it when it happened but next thing I know, we're kissing."

"On the first day you met him?" She hadn't told me that before.

"Yup. Went for this really long walk around LA in the nighttime, you know? It was super sweet and I had such a great time. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I know I'm young, but that's just how I feel about him. It's like everything he does draws me in, even when he's a little scary sometimes. I don't know. I don't think I love him yet but I will, I know it." She grins. Love. What's the point in it? I've never actually been in love before, certainly not so much so that everything about a person draws me in. An image of Colby flashes out of nowhere and scares the hell out of me, but Tara must take my surprise as something else. "Look, I know how you feel about love and that you basically don't believe in it or whatever but, seriously, I think I'm falling for Jake." She pauses, watching me with a big smirk. "You and Colby hit it off, huh?" Hit it off?! I called him two insults at least to his face, let alone the millions I've been saying in my head the whole drive alone. You know, since he hasn't left my head yet.

"In what world is what happened hitting it off?" I ask her in astonishment. She giggles, shaking her head the whole time.

"I may not have been around those guys for long, but long enough to know that Colby likes a challenge and a hot girl. You are both of those things. Besides, he doesn't talk much. Jake says that's a thing that's been going on for a couple of years . . . anyway! He rarely lets someone barge passed him and bump his shoulder without throwing them into a wall."

"I'm a woman, he wouldn't . . ." the look on her face tells me that he would indeed do that. My eyebrows rise in a little bit of shock. He seems like a bit of a hardass and dickhead but I wouldn't take him for a wife beater.

"It's not like that." Tara says quickly. "He doesn't hit girls that don't piss him off. It's not like he sees many anyway to be honest. I've been around for two months and I have seen one girl in the house who he talked to once, so I don't even think that he sees girls. Probably a loner." She pauses, her expression lightening. "Like you!"

"Why are we talking about Colby?" I ask in exasperation to move on. Tara rolls her eyes, grinning as she does so, then throws a popcorn at me.

"He's your type."

"So?" Her face turns to a bit irritated. I know she's suggesting something—probably teasing me—but I haven't figured it out yet. He's my type . . . and that's supposed to mean what to me exactly?

"So! Maybe you two will actually hit it off. Like, hit it." My jaw drops open in complete shock that she'd suggest such a thing but she's grinning at me again, my face lost somewhere in those thoughts of hers. I take the moment to think about myself. It's been nearly two years since I was in bed with someone and even longer since I was in any kind of relationship. I don't see them as important to me right now. Sure, I will eventually want a future, but that's not yet. So for now, boys—especially those that are like Colby—can stay the hell away from me.

"Alright. Movie?" I ask after a little bit of silence. Tara playfully rolls her eyes, breaking out of her own trance, before she nods and leans over to grab my remote. I let her, trust her with knowing what we should watch. And like always, she picks the perfect thing. It's a show we used to watch together after we had our talks and although this talk is far from done, we can continue it later.

The show is about vampires and one of the main characters to is a tall, handsome man with piercing blue eyes . . . just like that, Colby's face is in my mind once more.