In Another Life

138 Colby's POV

I felt empty now and I wasn't sure why. The time that I had just spent with Terra was amazing, and I would cherish it, but it left me feeling...empty. I think it was because my heart knew what was coming and I didn't want to face up to it. So I didn't. Terra didn't speak after I kissed her, and that left me feeling like she felt the emptiness too. Like something wasn't right. It shouldn't be this way. Especially not after a moment shared like that. I sighed to myself, and rolled away from her to clean myself up and discard of the used items. I heard her moving, shifting on the bed behind me. I stood up and pulled my underwear back on. When I sat back down, and looked -over, Terra was standing next to the bed, with her t-shirt on. "Um..I'm gonna go shower. I'll be back," she said, not looking at me. "Okay..." I replied. "Hey T?" She stopped walking but didn't turn around to face me. "You know that I...that I care so much for you, right? You really mean more to me than you know," I whispered. Still, she didn't turn around, but I heard a choked sob quietly escape her throat before she continued walking to the bathroom, carrying her clothes. I lay back on the bed, and let my hands drop down onto the mattress with more force than was necessary. "Damn it," I groaned, then rubbed my hand over my chest. "I think I might fucking love you Beautiful Girl, and this might be the hardest thing that I've ever had to do." I stared at the ceiling, listening to the water running in the shower for a while, until I pulled out my phone. "You good?" the text message said. It was Sam. Of course it was. He was always checking on me and he knew what was going to happen, even though I hadn't properly spoke with him about it. He always knew. I texted him back. telling him that I was okay for now. I put my phone away and heard the water from the shower shut off. I was okay, but if he asked me tomorrow, I wasn't sure what that answer would be. Terra came out of the bathroom a short while later, wearing her t-shirt and underwear, her hair not completely dry. She looked sexy as hell, but her eyes showed a sadness that would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. The shower had washed away most traces that she had been crying, but I could still see the small details. Like the slight redness to her cheeks, and her eyes.  I threw the blanket back for her to get into the bed, still neither of us speaking. She slid in beside me, turning on her side, with her back to me. I reached my arm around, enclosing her in my grasp, and pulling her up against me. If this was all I had left, just tonight, then I wanted her as close as I could get her. I smoother her hair back from the side of her face, then leaned down and kissed her neck, then her cheek, before putting my arm back around her waist. She sighed, her breath catching a little, and I held her closer, tighter. She placed her hand on my arm, and held on tightly. I guess neither of us wanted to let go. The silence that followed was one of morose sadness, the dreading of things to come, a future that we didn't want to happen but one that we couldn't change. Eventually, we both slept, locked in each other's arms, as close as we could get. The morning light didn't bring comfort, instead more dread. I knew she was awake by her breathing, but she lie still, as did I, neither of us wanting to start this dreaded day. I didn't know how she knew, but she knew that this was it. I could tell by the way that she had been acting. I wasn't sure if she was going to end it, contrary to me believing that she wouldn't do it, or let me do it, but it had to be done. My phone began to ring, so I shifted, taking my arm away from her, to roll over and pick up my phone. "It's Sam," I told her, finally meeting her gaze for the first time since last night when she rolled my way. She nodded, then rolled away, and got out of the bed. I sighed again and answered. "Yeah," I answered. "Hey brother, you know we have a plane tonight. And we still have to take the girls home...I just wanted to remind you of the time. You still...doing okay?" "Yep, I know we have to take the girls home and that we have to catch the plane Sam. I'm okay...for now. See you in a bit," I replied, hanging up before he could say anything else. It was now or never I guess.  "Terra?" I called her name, watching her reflection as she stood at the mirror, fully clothed, trying to finger brush her hair. We had absolutely none of our things in this room. Just the clothes on our backs. She met my gaze in the mirror but then looked away. "What?" She asked, her voice sounding almost dead. "We need to talk," I blurted out before I was unable to do so. I watched as she took a deep breath, then turned to face me. "Yeah, I guess we do," she replied. "So, let's talk." She stalked towards me, picking up my pants and shirt along the way and tossing them to me. "Can you at least get dressed first?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise at her stern tone but nodded and crawled out of the bed to dress. After I was finished, I sat next to her on the foot of the bed, and reached for her hand. She surprised me again, when she snatched it back. "Don't. Don't do that," she said, her voice still so stern. "Don't do what T? What am I doing?" I asked, a little annoyed now. I hadn't even said two words yet, and she was starting to act...well...bitchy.