Surprise Me.

Chapter 32- More than Words.

Two months later, Colby sat me down at the table across from Sam, Kat on my right, and a spot for him on my left.

"New video, who's in?" Colby announced.

"Where are we going?" Kat asked.

"Saratoga County Homestead."

"Hell yeah. I'll go." I replied.

"No thanks." Kat sighed. "I've read about that place, I don't want anything to do with that."

"Seth?" Sam asked.

"I can call him and ask if he's in." Colby replied. "We're leaving in about two weeks."

"I hope it snows and makes it a hundred times cooler." I added.

Colby and I decided to sleep in our own rooms once a week, and tonight was that night. A knock on my door woke me up. I rolled over and glanced at the clock on my nightstand that told me it was still the early hours of the morning.

"Maddie?" Colby asked. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come in." I yawned, burrowing under the blankets. Colby entered and stood in between my bed and the door, his hood pulled up, phone in his hand, and an unreadable expression moving in his eyes. He tilted his head and I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes and down his cheeks.

"Colby?" I asked, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

"It's stupid. I'm sorry for waking you up." He answered, his voice catching in his throat.

"There's something wrong. Please tell me, I'm right here."

"I um...had a bad dream. About you. You got hurt really bad during an investigation."

"Honey, that sounds like a night terror. Especially if you woke up crying."

"It's fine. This was stupid."

"It's not stupid. Here, come lay down." I moved over and flipped the covers up. Colby set his phone on the nightstand next to mine before laying down next to me. "You wanna hold me or do you want me to hold you?"

Wordlessly, Colby shifted and laid his head on my chest, wrapping his arms around my middle. I pulled his hood down and combed my fingers through his beautiful dark hair, humming a lullaby to him softly. He was asleep in minutes. Ever since the Conjuring house, he'd been more and more scared of me being hurt. He'd always been cautious, his best friend's kid sister running around with the ghost hunters would put anyone on edge. Regardless, Colby was my personal bodyguard, my gorgeous boyfriend, my partner in crime, and my best friend.

Colby held my hand and guided me off of the plane into the Uber, holding me like I would wander off with the winds even when he was squished between Seth and I in the backseat. We made it to the AirBnB and he immediately led me straight to what I guess had been designated as our room.

"Colby, what are you..." I began. He threw his ball cap onto the bed and leaned in, causing me to stumble back, all the way into the wall. Colby placed his hands on either side of my head to brace himself before leaning down and planting a kiss on my lips. Again and again, just when I thought he was done, he'd lean down and kiss me again.

"God, I needed that." Colby panted, pulling back. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him back.

"Oh, no you don't." I mumbled, kissing him again.

"Mads..." He groaned. I let him go and drew in a shaky breath, trying and failing to stabilize my heart rate.

"What was that all about? Not that I mind."

"I don't know. I just feel like you and I haven't been as close as we used to be, especially with everything that's happened lately. I guess I just needed to reassure myself that you still loved me."

"Oh, Colby. I love you a lot."

"Oh, gross!" Sam groaned, looking directly at the floor. Colby shifted and moved his arms, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Are you done?" Colby asked.

"All I wanted to ask was if you guys wanted to get dinner before we head out there tonight. I didn't wanna come in here and see you pinning my sister to the wall."

"Sam, we've been dating for nine months!" I sighed.

"You're my sister, it's weird."

"Now you know how I felt when I caught you and Kat in the act!"

"I caught you and Colby doing the same thing!"

"At least I wasn't chained to the bed!"

"That time." Colby muttered. I elbowed him in the ribs.

"You three could have a reality TV show." Seth chuckled from behind Sam.

"Oh shut up, Seth." Sam teased.

"Hey!" I said, drawing all of the attention back to me. "Seeing as how I am the only female in this house right now, I'm gonna tell you to can all of the testosterone and buy me dinner. I have an appetite for the first time in months and I'm going to take advantage of it."

"Let's go, then." Sam sighed.

I began my way out the door when Colby stopped and tilted my chin up with his knuckle, pressing a kiss to my lips.

"Quit!" Sam said, whacking Colby with his own ball cap. Colby grinned and ran out of the room, Sam hot on his heels. "Colby! Get back here!"

I heard Colby's cackling laughter as the boys ran in circles around the car.

"He's lucky." Seth said, standing next to me as we watched them. "He's got you to keep him in check now. Before you, I was worried about him. Scared he might do something stupid, you know? Sam was scared he was gonna drink himself to death. I don't see a single one of those qualities he had before in him now that you're here."

"That's...really good to know. This is gonna be my first Christmas with him. I'm excited to say the least." I replied, grinning as Sam slipped and ate shit.

"There's not a doubt in my mind now that you're the best thing that's happened to either of them."

"You were saying that he's gotten rid of all of his bad qualities. All but one."

"Oh?"

I smirked, glancing at Seth before opening the door.

"He likes to be dominant."

😏