Always the Opposites {Brollins}

[ Chapter 33 ]

"But your scholarship." Rebecca grew worried, "How are you gonna afford school and your place?"

Colby thought about what he was about to say very carefully, knowing it could shift their friendship depending on how she took it. "Becks-"

"I mean, you could always stay at my place for a while, but I don't know if you'd feel comfortable doing that." She interrupted him as she began to ramble nervously.

He simply smiled, appreciating her attempt to make him feel better. "Becky-"

"And then, of course, I don't want to take you away from your mom, and Riley might be overwhelmed." She began to fidget with the ring Riley gave her, weighing pros and cons.

"Rebecca." She paused, silencing herself as she realized she was cutting him off, "Money isn't an issue."

She nodded, "I know you said your dad pays for most of it, but you don't have a job or a scholarship anymore."

He spoke before he gave himself a chance to rethink it. "That may... not be the whole truth."

He watched her expression twist as she hesitated to respond. "What do you mean?"

"My dad's money pays for my stuff." He nodded, "But it's because I gained all of his inheritance when he died."

Things started to add up in Rebecca's head while her eyes darted around. "Your secret car... the comments Elizabeth made..."

"I know I didn't tell you, but I wanted to know you'd stay because you wanted to." Colby quietly responded, "Not because I had money to spare."

"Your dad's company?" She looked back over at him.

"Mine." He said, and her eyes widened, "I was my parent's only child, and when they divorced, my mom didn't get any assets. She went off quietly because he was a powerful man, so it didn't make sense to try to take him to court."

Rebecca nodded as she listened, "But he let her take me. One day things on a job site went haywire, and a structure collapsed with him under."

She shook her head, "Colby, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. He didn't want me." Colby tried to put up a front, but she could hear the slight crack in his voice. "He chose his money over me and left my mother to pick up all of the pieces."

He looked up at the ceiling, "When I found out he died, and I got everything he had, I decided to move out of my grandma's house, where my mom and I had been staying. I gave her some money for helping us all of those years, and I bought my place, finding one for my mom nearby."

He sighed, "So I looked for a distraction where I could act recklessly, and I found Sarah. But I got too attached, I messed with the idea of love, and it messed with me right back."

Colby looked back over at Rebecca, "Little did I know I was putting myself through the same situation again. Because inevitably Sarah left just like my father did, and ignored her own child just like he did."

"It's not your fault Colby." She spoke up after some prolonged silence.

"I know." He nodded slowly, staring into her eyes blankly.

"Do you?" Rebecca stood up and grabbed his hand. "It's really not your fault Colby. You can't control others."

"I know." He nodded, looking down as he choked back some tears.

She cupped his cheeks and watched a tear roll down his cheek, gently placing her forehead onto his and whispering. "It's not your fault."

Her persistence was what made Colby crack, the words he refused to accept from anyone else, she wouldn't let him get away with as easily. He broke down, and Rebecca wrapped her arms around him protectively but also carefully, sitting on the very edge of the bed, while he cried over her shoulder, clutching onto her.

He eventually calmed back down, but before they had a chance to talk again, nurses came in to wrap up his ribs and draw some blood. Rebecca decided to get out of their way, so she stood outside, watching through the window, sending a few texts to update Holly.

"How is he?" She looked up to see Joseph and Jonathan standing in front of her.

"It's pretty rough." She nodded, looking back into the room, "He's got a concussion, some fractured ribs, and a torn MCL."

"How's he taking it?" Joseph quickly peered through the window.

"Better than I thought he would." She nodded, still shaken and not fully processing their conversation from before.

"He won't be able to play for the rest of this season." Jonathan piped up and crossed his arms.

"He knows." She replied, "But it didn't seem to phase him."

After the nurses finished, they asked that only one person went in at a time, to prevent Colby from being overwhelmed, so Joseph went in alone first.

"I only want what's best for my boy." Jonathan spoke abruptly, "So I apologize if I came off as a dick."

"It's okay." Rebecca gave him as good of a smile as she could muster up given the current circumstances.

"I really do think you're good for him." Jonathan nodded, "I'm sure he's told you more about his life than he's told me, and I've known him for years. So that alone speaks for itself."

"You know when you're sober, you speak quite eloquently." Rebecca poked fun at him knowing it'd probably make him feel more comfortable.

"False." He smirked, "I'm smarter when I'm not."

He opened his jacket pocket to unfold a flask hidden within. Rebecca laughed and shook her head before he and Joseph inevitably switched places.

After some silence, Joseph looked at Rebecca and laughed. "I dunno what you've done, but he's down bad for you."

Rebecca turned towards him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Joseph's smile was warm, "Even when he looks like he's on his deathbed, all he can talk about is you."