Hot & Heavy (Eren x Reader)

Chapter 49 - Dialling Drunk

Colt reached for you first, and you allowed him to gently hold your arm that gripped across your torso to your opposite elbow in a protective stance. You didn't realize the tension that you held in your shoulders until you felt it release upon his touch.

The drunken stupor you currently found him in was beyond what you had seen before. Usually, Colt would appear unstable and unclear, fogged up with racing thoughts. It was always hard communicating with him. That's what you expected to see upon finding him again. As he stood before you now, his eyes held a sense of clarity and stark soberness to the truth. It made you want to hold back your words even more.

Neither of you moved. Your whole relationship felt like a constant chasing game. When your heart wavered and memories haunted you again, Colt would be quick to save you from yourself. For just a few moments, your strides would move as one. If Colt grew comfortable and old habits sent him down an inebriated storm, you would be there all the same to protect him from himself. And once again, your synchronicity was like a microdose of the most addicting drug.

Never once did you feel settled with Colt. Never once did you rest. There were always deep questions and shallow answers.

Now, you found each other in this single plane of existence with mutual understanding. The truth that you both had been avoiding.

You mustered the courage to speak first. "Did you have a good evening...?"

Colt was quick to follow. "It was a great wedding."

He didn't answer your question, but his willingness to respond to you was at least comforting.

"I'm sorry I left you," you said, opening the wound first.

"You don't have to apologize...for that." The slowness in his words made you quick to realize that he was choosing his words carefully. "I promised that I would be better for you and I wasn't."

Colt's hand slid down from your elbow to your hand as he walked toward the edge of the bed. It felt heavy, like an anchor. His surprisingly calm demeanour was a sight you hadn't seen since you first fell in love with him. For some reason, the sight didn't make your heart flutter or your breath shaky. It just made you sad.

He let go of you to place his hands in his wrinkled dress pants pockets. You could see that his hands were in tight fists. He looked at you, around you, through you. Almost as if he was searching for something that you weren't showing, a secret that you were keeping hidden.

As open as Colt made you feel, you were tired of tasting iron through bitten lips. "Colt, I have to tell you something-"

"You forgot this, by the way," he said before you had a chance to fully spill. Looking down, you could see his extended hand holding out a closed flip phone. "You had...a missed call...from a couple of days ago."

Feeling your heart drop far into your stomach, your eyes snapped to check your voicemail list. If your worst nightmare was about to come true, you would find proof of it if you were to find an open notification.

Expecting betrayal and a clean excuse to get upset, you found an unopened voicemail from an unmarked number dating only a few days ago. Your jaw shook as you looked up from the phone and back at Colt. "You didn't listen to it...?

"Of course not." He had a look of contempt and shrugged. "Besides, I already know what it says."

You blinked and shook your head at his unbelievable response. "You listened to it-?"

Realizing that you had been left speechless, he interjected. "No! Of course not. I was there at the bachelor's party, Y/N. I was talking about how much I love and respect you. You've given me so much grace that it feels undeserving. I told everyone that selfishly, I was proud to heal and grow with you. Especially, after everything you had been through before you came to Marley."