In Another Life

176

"I'll see you around Colby," I replied, then turned to walk home again. "T?" I turned back and rolled my eyes, laughing a little. "What?" "Take some money to get you home?" He held out some cash towards me and I shook my head. "Nah, it's just right around the corner. I'll be okay." I smiled at him, and waved, before walking away again. The night air felt nice on my flushed skin and the time it took me to walk home would help me clear my head before facing Justin. I felt like I had to tell him but I didn't want too. I didn't know what to do. If he ever found out that I had left to meet Colby, that I had KISSED Colby...it would tear him apart. I couldn't tell him. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't notice when I walked straight past my apartment building. Shaking my head at myself, I turned back around, only to see someone duck behind a building as I did. Was I being followed? This was a decent place to live, usually not any trouble but it was still possible. I quickened my steps towards the gate that would allow me inside, keeping an eye on the place where the person had ducked in. Then I saw dark blue streaked hair. "Colby! Is that you? This isn't funny!" I exclaimed, basically whisper yelling just incase Justing had woken up. Colby came out from the side of the building, and walked over to me, a sheepish look on his face. "Just wanted to make sure you made it home okay. I don't like you walking alone," he replied softly. My heart jumped in my chest before it melted at his feet. I glanced up to my balcony, noticing a light on, and my heart jumped again, for a different reason. I pushed Colby back, out of the view of my balcony. "Well, I'm home. I'm fine. Thank you. I walk all the time though. I promise I can take care of myself. Goodnight Colby," I ended softly, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it before letting go and walking back towards my apartment building. "Goodnight T. I love you," his deep, soft voice rang out behind me. I closed my eyes for just a second, letting it wash over me. The sound of it and the words. I took a deep breath, and kept walking, trying to think of what in the fuck I was going to tell Justin. Shit. The truth. I should tell him the truth, right? No. I couldn't. It would crush him and we would have a big argument. There's really no need for him to know yet. I had already decided that I would be friends with Colby, and that's it. I did want him in my life because we did have history. Justin couldn't tell me who I could and couldn't be friends with. "If he had an ex that he was literally so sick over losing that he went off the deep end and started binging drugs, would you want him to be friends with her?" my subconscious decided it wanted to butt in. "Shut up," I murmured to myself as I took the stairs up to my apartment. My heart was pounding harder with every step that I took, my nerves on edge just thinking about facing Justin. About lying to him. I had never lied to him. I put my key in the door, and slowly pushed it open, looking around before I walked inside and closed it quietly behind me. "T?" I sucked in a breath when Justin called my name. I turned to greet him with what I hoped was a convincing smile on my face. "Hey, where've you been? I woke up and you weren't with me. When I checked the apartment, you were gone. You didn't answer any of my texts or calls! You okay?" The first thing he does is ask if I'm okay. He's not so much bothered about me not being home as the reason that I'm not home. I nodded and went to him, letting him fold me into his arms in a tight hug. He rested his chin on top of my head. 'Wanna tell me what happened?" he asked softly, rubbing my back. I pulled away from him, so that I could look into his eyes. "I'm okay. I was just restless, so I tried to organize my portfolio. That didn't work so I decided to take a walk. I didn't realize that I still had my phone on silent.     Sorry I worried you," I replied, laying my head back on his chest. "You smell like a bar. You sure you're okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Fuck. Stupid bar. "I thought about getting a drink. I didn't." "This is because of Colby, isn't it? Seeing him is making you think back to all of that. Why didn't you just wake me up? You know that I'll try to help you through these things," he said. Damn he was so sweet and such a good guy. I didn't deserve him at all. I pulled back and looked up at him again. "Yes and no. Seeing Colby brought back a lot of memories. Good ones. Bad ones. It's not his fault though. This is my burden to bare. Not yours. I thought a walk would help. It did and I was able to say no at the bar. No harm done," I told him, letting go and turning to go to our bedroom. He followed me and sat down on his side, watching me. I started changing clothes, because these really did smell like stale beer and cigarettes. "I just want you to be okay," Justin said softly. I didn't reply back until I finished changing and sat down with him. "I'm fine. I just had a bad night. All better now, I promise." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for caring so much," I replied, my lips next to his ear. He turned his face and pressed his lips to mine, hard. I responded, wrapping my arms around his neck and letting my hands tangle in his hair. Colby popped into my mind. The way his lips felt melded against mine, the way his hair was so soft, and how he would growl just a little when I pulled on it.