From that moment he was in my life, even when I tried to shut him out. He wouldn’t leave, he was that annoying neighbor who pried, but I loved him for it. I often described him as having muscle on muscle and combine that with the colorful tattoos he looked like a walking threat. But I knew the real Colby. When you got below the tattoos, the gruff voice, and the intimidating stare he was a teddy bear who often was my comforter.
A knock on the door interrupted my trip down memory lane. The last time I opened the door I had been delivered fucked-up news so my hesitation was warranted. I peeked through the peephole and my heart fluttered to life as I saw Colby and Blake standing just outside. They were here. Within seconds of opening the door I was in the arms of Colby and he was swinging me around in the air like they did in the movies. My squeals bounced off the empty hall and the sound of Colby’s deep chuckle warmed my heart with familiarity. I didn’t realize how much I had missed him until I was back in his arms. Warm contentment flooded me.
“Well look at you little miss hot shot. I hear you are shooting some pretty fucking awesome rock stars these days,” Colby’s deep voice teased.
“Really and who would that be? I haven’t met any rock stars yet,” I countered with a smirk.
“Fuck I missed you,” he growled in my ear and buried his face in my neck. My eyes slammed shut under the intensity.
An annoyed cough hit my ears. “Are you two done? I was always the third fucking wheel in the Eden and Colby show!”
Colby pulled away from me and turned toward Blake, a glint of humor in his eye. “What? When you weren’t screwing Tori?”
“Fuck you asshole. If you had Eden, I clearly had to go for the best friend,” Blake spat.
My laughter roared out of me. I finally felt like myself.
••••
The Watergrill was a sports bar by the water and according to Blake they have the best steaks in the country so of course we had to go there. After ordering nachos for myself and the world famous steaks for the guys we took a seat at one of the corner tables that just happened to be located by one of the largest televisions I’d ever seen. A football game with Blake’s favorite team blared through the room. Conversation flowed smoothly and comfortably. I hadn’t seen these guys for almost a year, but it was like no time had passed. They told me all about the upcoming tour and filled me in on Colby’s bet with Blake—he would abstain from sex for the duration of the tour, a fact that made me laugh so hard that I choked on my Coke. There was no way in hell that he could do it. I knew Colby, and I knew he loved and needed sex like he needed air.
Halfway through the conversation my phone beeped with an incoming text.
Ky: Why is it that I know you are probably out at dinner but I still want to text you?
Eden: Shouldn’t you be out. I am sure there are plenty of LA girls who would want to spend the night with you.
Ky: Why do you do that? It’s pretty fucking clear that you’re the only person I’d spend the night with.
“So what’s the go with you and that Ky guy?”
My head shot up at the sound of Blake’s voice. Did he see my text? What did Ky mean? I shoved my phone in my bag quickly and tried my hardest to look calm while my head was spinning and my heart beating furiously in my chest.
“Nothing is the go,” I replied in my smoothest voice.
“Oh baby girl, I love you like a sister, but you are as blind as a fucking bat. The moment I stepped foot into his office I felt the tension between you two. Fuck, the moment I hugged you, I thought he was going to punch me in the face.”
“Well seems like someone’s got an admirer.” Colby’s teasing tone caused my cheeks to flush. “Speaking of admirers, did this one tell you that he is completely pussy whipped?” He asked, shooting a look towards Blake.
“Fuck off! I am far from whipped.”
“Okay Eden, you can be the judge of this. So this one—” He motioned toward Blake. “He has some chick who gives him attitude, dismisses his advances, yet he still won’t jump on any of the groupie pussy that is available because of Violet. Now tell me that isn’t being whipped.”
My laughter filled the table. This was what I wanted; friends, laughs, distraction, and comfort. This kind of talk was an everyday occurrence with Colby until he moved to Los Angeles a year ago, and I missed it. I missed him.
Blake rose from his seat. “Fuck you Colby! I am heading to the bar; if we are talking about this I need booze. What do you want?”
“I’ll just have a Coke.”
He nodded and left Colby and me alone.
“You look good.” Colby’s voice dropped and he leaned over the table and grabbed my hands in his. My hands looked so delicate against his decorated hands, covered in bright colors and shades of black.
“I’m so scared Colbs,” I whispered through broken breathing.
His face lost color. “What the fuck is going on Eden?”
“It’s hard being here, I won’t deny that. I am scared that I am going to run into someone or freak out at the worst possible time. I keep getting text messages from an unknown number and that’s starting to freak me out and today Douglas turned up at Ky’s apartment to tell me that Jeremy has been released.”
“Fuck Eden! Why didn’t you call me?”
“I just wanted to ignore the text messages, but now Douglas is investigating them. If I didn’t think about them then I didn’t panic but now with Jeremy somewhere close I can’t help it.”
“Eden, promise me that you will tell someone. What about Ky? If anything Blake has told me, it’s that he seems to have an invested interest in you so tell him.”
“He knows about what happened to me.”
“What?”
I looked at him and sighed. As soon as I admitted this Colby would go into protective mode and I knew what he was like and I knew he would storm into Ky’s office the first opportunity he got yet I couldn’t lie to him.
“The other night I went back to the hotel and found someone had broken in. I called Ky and he came and got me and now I’m staying at his apartment.”
“What the fuck Eden? Has he tried anything? Has Ky fucking tried anything with you?”
“Colby calm down. We kissed and then I told him everything that had happened. He knows I can’t say no, and it pisses him off.”
“It pisses me off too.”
My eyes glistened with tears, and I blinked furiously trying to cease their escape. I couldn’t cry. Not here, not now.
“Give me your phone Eden.”
“Colby, please. What are you doing?” I fished my phone out of my bag and handed it to him with shaking hands. I watched with wide eyes as he pressed on the screen and lifted it up to his ear.
“No, this is Colby. Eden’s best friends from Cali. Yeah. She is here. Just fucking listen to me. We have a problem. I know she told you. She is getting text messages from an unknown number and now fuckstick Jeremy has been released. Do you think I don’t fucking know that? When are you back? Good. Take care of her. This is on you. Sure.”
I stared at Colby with wide eyes. He was ripping Ky a new asshole, and I wish I knew exactly what he was saying. I had come to learn when Colby was pissed by the way he would shift his jaw and right now, sitting opposite me, was a man that was way beyond pissed off.
Colby abruptly held out my phone toward me and nodded at the screen.
“He wants to talk to you.”
I didn’t want to talk to Ky.
“Hello,” I choked as I held the phone to my ear.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? How long have you been getting these messages? What are they saying? Fuck!” Ky roared down the phone.