Addicted

116 (Colby's POV)

"Colby?" Chloe's soft voice permeated my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I asked, laying my chin on top of her head, running my fingers through the hair hanging down her back.

"Were you- did you- never mind. It's stupid," She replied, pulling away from me far too soon.

I didn't want to let her go, but I reluctantly dropped my arms. She must've known that it bothered me, because she took my hand in hers and laced her fingers through mine.

"Did I what?" I was almost scared to ask.

I hadn't done anything stupid...had I? I had actually been good for the last 24 hours at least. She shook her head and blushed.

Now I really wanted to know.

"What Chloe? Did I what? Just ask me," I insisted, my voice growing demanding.

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't laugh at me," She said, smiling up at me.

Her eyes were nervous though.

"I would never."

 She shot me a glance.

 I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Okay, so I would but I promise that I won't this time. What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Nothing's wrong. I just- I had a nightmare last night, but then you showed up in the dream...and everything was okay. I feel like it may have been more than a dream." She looked up at me again. "Was it?"

Uh oh. She didn't look angry about the possibility that I might have broken into her home and crawled into bed with her...damn that sounded like straight creeper material.

"Um..." I trailed off, running my hand through my hair nervously again.

She watched me, then a small smile crossed her lips.

Chloe hugged me again, laying her head on my chest, as her small arms wound around my waist.

 "Thank you. And thank you for putting my laptop up for me."

I didn't say anything, kind of scared to break whatever alternate reality this was. Instead I changed the subject.

"Are you on break?" I asked.

She nodded against my chest.

"Yeah, it wasn't really time for my break but Jeff said that I could go ahead and take it."

 I snorted. "Yeah, Jeffy is such a nice guy."

 She pulled back and looked up at me, her eyes narrowed. "Don't go and do something stupid Colby. He is a nice guy. He can't help it if he has a crush."

Seriously?

 "Are you actually taking up for him, after everything he said about me in there?!" I exclaimed, raising my hand to point at the cafe.

She blushed. She must've forgotten that I heard literally everything.

 "It wasn't that bad..." She trailed off.

 "Really? "He's evil. Something's not right. Ring a bell?" I was getting pissed again, the calming effect of being around Chloe wearing off.

She shook her head.

"If you're just gonna start raging, then I'm going back in."

 "Then go back in Chloe! Go be with little Jeffy! I'm no good for you anyways, right?" I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

Tears welled up in her eyes...yet again. I just seemed to make her cry all the time.

Maybe Jeff was better for her. The thought made me physically ill, my stomach clenching in on itself. She turned on her heel, but I reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't," I replied.

She didn't turn back towards me, but she stopped.

 I guess that was better than nothing.

 "I'm sorry. Again. I swear I'm trying Chloe. It's hard just to change who you are, what you're used to being, how you're used to acting. But I am trying."

Finally, after what felt like years of silence, she turned back towards me.

Her eyes were clear now, just a little red tinged around the inside.

 "I know you are...but this is part of what I'm talking about. I never cried before you. Now it seems like that's all I ever do. The strange part is that I'm still happiest when I'm with you...but am I still me?"

 I scoffed on accident. "Sorry," I replied again.

Fuck.

 "But of course you're you. You're Chloe Daniels, the same girl that I fell in love with. The same smart mouth, the same clever wit, the same sharp mind," I brushed her hair behind her ear as she smirked.

"So you just love me for my mind?" She asked, sarcastically.

 I growled, but definitely not in a mean way.

"I love you for your mind and your body. Thought it would make me look better if I started with your mind."

 I leaned over and kissed her neck, fighting the urge to bite through the fragile skin there. The bandage was still on the other side.

"I love every inch of you. Your neck." I trailed my tongue down the side of her neck, loving the sound of her breath hitching in her throat.

 I reached up and fisted my hand in her hair, pulling sharply so that her head tilted back.

 "Your hair," I murmured against her skin.

"Cooolby," She moaned out as I nipped at her neck.

 I leaned back and stared into her eyes, knowing that the silver ring in my own was probably going crazy right now.

"I love you. Everything about you. If you changed, then you wouldn't be you. I don't want you to change who you are for me. I'm the one that needs to change."

She wrapped her arms around me again, and looked at me. "But I am changing. I can feel it. I'm not the person that I tried so hard to be."

"What's changing about you? Why do you think that?"

 She sighed and lay her head against my chest again.

I loved it when she did that.

"I can't make my own decisions anymore. Not without automatically thinking of what you would do or say about it. I'm weak. I wasn't kidding when I said you made me soft. I turn into this weepy eyed, emotion filled wreck with you...and I don't like it. I swore that I wouldn't let another man treat me badly. Ever. I would kick him to the curb the first time he messed up, because men don't change. With Riley, I was so pissed, and hurt more than anything."

"Chloe, I-"

 "No, stop. I'm not finished.