Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

88 - Rebecca

Thank god Colby came over whenever he came over last night, because whatever dreams were about to surface never came. He arrived just in time that they slid straight into my normal, confusing dreams involving my mother or my sister or blue eyes and silver rings. The latter was very welcome, of course, and so was the warmth of the arms wrapped around my waist and the body pressed all down my back. It was more than comfortable; more than intoxicating. I didn't feel like moving even though I knew I couldn't stay in bed all day.

Colby was dead asleep—a product of being exhausted from frustration. I understood, but that didn't make it any less tempting to wake him up. I was still frustrated—sexually more than anything now. There were lots of little things going on in my life, mostly concerning the studio. I had to figure out the locks, get the designs made, prepare myself to go to the showcase, deal with my nutcase sister, most likely talk to my mother at some point—especially since I was now designing again, and I had to keep up with Colby and our relationship.

Right now, the studio stuff seemed most important. Since Colby was going to be sleeping all day, I knew I had to catch Jax and the other designers as soon as so they could start making my designs into real pieces of clothing that I could take to the showcase. I needed to have a chat with Lillian to make sure she'd gotten me a place as a representative too—and confront my sister about trying to take all of my studio's credit. While I was there, I might as well get the new locks.

So there was a lot on the agenda. I started all of it off by twisting around in Colby's arms and looking at his innocent face. When he slept, he looked so much younger than me. Sometimes—especially with my theory—I wondered if he really was younger than me. It seemed possible since I didn't think I'd even asked him his age. If I did, I wondered whether we'd have a Twilight moment.

Not that we could, since Twilight wasn't the same scenario we were going through...

I couldn't be one hundred per cent sure about that when I pressed my hand against his chest and felt nothing there.

Reluctantly and a little sceptically, I managed to shift his big, heavy arm from my waist and slide out of bed. My body hardly wanted to move away from him so soon—I hadn't gone to sleep with him, so this felt like I was being robbed of my time.

But duty called, unfortunately.

I had a brisk shower before curling my hair, doing a little makeup and changing into a pair of shorts, fishnets and a cropped black shirt with a big design over the front of it. I was feeling fairly nervous about having so much that I had to do—responsibility had never really been my thing. I even found myself writing reminders on my phone.

Breakfast was short and sweet: cereal packed to the top of the bowl then a cup of coffee so I didn't burn down the house. It took me way too long of staring at absolutely nothing in my apartment to realise that Katrina was missing. Her blanket was thrown to the side on the couch, the cushions dented where she had been. I assumed, since Colby was here, that she'd been taken back to the house at some point.

My mind drifted elsewhere, though. I found myself checking the balcony door—locked—before I was settled. Katrina's backpack was missing too. I couldn't stop myself from texting her.

'TELL SAM NOT TO ASSUME YOU CAN COME HERE NEXT TIME'

She replied.

'I WILL, SORRY BABE. SLEEP OKAY?'

But I didn't reply to her. 'Babe'. Colby didn't even call me babe, yet she felt the need to? I hated it and that was the main reason I didn't respond to Katrina, despite trying to convince myself that I genuinely didn't like her. I was long lost down that road already; there was no escape for me. Just like the Colby situation—a mutual need for one another plagued me.

By the time I was done stalling, Jax had sent me a nervous text asking where the designs were so they could start working. In a way, I was eager to get to work, too.

So I ignored him and slid through my apartment back to my bedroom. Colby had made my first little job of the day easier for me by rolling onto his back while I was gone, his hand resting on his stomach and his other arm outstretched where I used to be. His eyes were just shielded from the sunlight by my bedside table.

He looked utterly peaceful.

Quietly for once, I snuck over to the side of the bed and placed my hand on his wrist as I leaned over him. I pressed a short kiss on his lips hoping I wouldn't wake him up with it. His head moved towards me for more even in sleep, but I didn't deliver as I smiled and stood up straight. He let out a little groan, rolling the other direction.

Task one done, I thought to myself.

Now for the rest.