The Choice (a Painful Past)

155

"Damn, it's like that?" He chuckled, as he grabbed a red solo cup from the table.

"It's like that." I replied.

Sam laughed and poured himself, and Colby, a shot of the whiskey that Colby had bought.

"I've never had this kind." He mused, holding up the bottle to look at it.

"Yeah, me either, but it sounded good." Colby replied, as he stirred my drink and added a few ice cubes.

"Guess we're about to find out." Sam said, picking up his plastic, neon yellow, shot glass.

"Guess so." Colby said, as he handed me my own drink. "I did get the usual though, if we don't like it."

"Colby, that bottle was like 80 bucks!" I exclaimed.

I had been too worried about Will being at the store for me to pay attention to what he actually bought.

"Wait, did you even pay? We didn't stop at the register when we walked out!"

He started laughing and nodded his head. "Yeah, I threw some money on the register, along with my business card. If the dude has a problem, then I'm sure he'll call me."

"Oh." I said, stunned. "Well, okay, but what if you gave him too much money? He's probably not going to call for that."

He just shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure he deserves a tip."

"Wow." I whispered.

It blew my mind to even think about being that free with money. I had to save every cent that I ever came across, it felt like.

My phone started ringing then, so I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey girl! What is going on?! You didn't tell me that Colby was back in town AND that he came to Ben's party!" Sherri practically screamed at me.

I really hoped that they couldn't hear her shrill voice.

"Stop yelling!" I whispered, frantically, into the phone. "Last time I spoke with you, I didn't know about any of it."

I stood and walked over to the door, before Colby called my name. "Cal? Where you going?"

I turned back, pointed to my phone, then the door, before I opened it and walked outside. There was just no way that I could speak freely with her, around them.

"Wait, are you there now?" She asked.

"Um, yeah." I murmured. "But other people are gonna show up soon."

"So, you're telling me that, you're in a motel room, with the boy who was absolutely in love with you in high school? Is that what you're telling me?" She asked.

I could practically hear the gears spinning in her head.

"Yes, but we're not alone and I told you that I don't feel that way about Colby. I never have." I lied.

I didn't think that I had, but the night of the party, all those years ago, plus today, had me rethinking it.

My body definitely wasn't reacting to him like he was my brother.

"Yeah, whatever. Tell that to someone who will believe it. I know how torn you were at that party. Keep lying to yourself though. Two questions. One, does he have a girlfriend? Two, who else is there?"

I sighed and decided to ignore her statement about my love life.

It was just easier.

"One, I don't know. I didn't ask. Two, just his friend, Sam. You remember Sam. The blonde that was always attached to his hip. More to the point though, are you and Shawn coming? Because there's only going to be like two other guys coming, and I don't really want to be the only girl here. Especially in a motel room."

I wasn't worried about my safety. That was one thing that I never had to question about Colby, even if he had changed. I was more worried about what it would look like, with me being the only girl in a motel room full of guys.

"Oh yeah, that sounds like a freaky kind of night." She laughed.

"Sherrriiiii," I moaned. "Please come! Seriously, I need you here. I want to drink, but I don't want to be surrounded by people that I don't really know. Plus, we ran into Will and his girl earlier. I need to tell you about it."

"What?! Oh my God, who is we? You and Colby? What did Will say? Was he pissed? Is Colby just as hot now as I knew he would be? Spill, girl! I need details!" She exclaimed.

I started laughing.

"Nope, not saying a word unless you come over here." I baited her.

"Ugh, you're so annoying." She groaned. "I have to see if Shawn wants to go, but if he says yes, then I'll text you. What room?"

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't really say anything about her getting Shawn's opinion on going or not. I could see where he wouldn't want her to come alone.

"204." I replied, with a sigh. "Please make him say yes. Beg him. Tell him that I need you here, and that I'll just die if you don't come."

"Dramatic much?" She giggled.

"I'm serious!" I exclaimed. "Just come!"

"Fine. I'll see what I can do, drama queen. I love you." She replied.

"Love you too." I said.

I disconnected the call and knocked on the door to be let back into the room.

"Whoooo is iiitttt?" One of them said, in a high girly voice.

I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Open the door, you dorks!" I yelled back.

Sam pulled open the door, with a smile.

"Welcome to our humble abode." He said, in a really bad British accent.

I shook my head, grinning, and walked inside. I picked up my drink from the table, where I had set it before I went outside. I didn't see Colby, so I assumed he was in the bathroom.

I took a sip of my drink, expecting to gag from the taste of liquor, but I couldn't even taste it. Colby had made my drink perfectly.

"Oh, this is dangerous." I murmured, bringing the cup back to look at it.

"Good, huh?" Sam asked, as he set up a large speaker and blue toothed it to his phone.

"A little too good." I replied. "Is there even alcohol in it?"

He laughed, just as Colby walked back out of the small bathroom. "Hey, is your cousin coming?" He asked.

"How did you...?" I asked, wondering how he knew who I was talking to.

He shrugged.

"You speak in a different way, when you talk to Sherri. You always have. It's like you guys are sisters, instead of cousins." He replied.

"We used to be that close." I murmured. "She's more concerned with Shawn, as usual, but we're adults and that's her life. We get together when we can, and we talk on the phone a lot. When we get together, Shawn is always there though. We haven't had a girl's day in a few years. Last time we did, it was just because she was mad at him and wanted to piss him off."

Colby looked at me sympathetically for a few seconds, until I looked down, breaking the spell that his eyes had on me. "So, is she coming? Shawn too, of course. I always liked him." He replied.

"She's asking him if he wants to come. Then, she'll text me and let me know." I answered.

I sat down on the edge of the bed again, then almost fell off of it, when music suddenly blared through the room.

"Oops." Sam said, laughing, as he turned the music down. "My bad. Didn't know it was up that high."

"Jesus Christ dude!" I exclaimed. "I almost spilled my drink all over the floor."

A knock on the door stopped them from replying.