It was no secret that I was worried when Sam and Katrina came back without Rebecca, but it wasn't just her I was worried about. My split-second decision yesterday still haunted me; my visit to Mr Woods was my last chance to change Rebecca's mind on what she wanted. It was a risky, stupid play but it was all I had.
When Sam came into the red room and said, "Rebecca's dad's with her so she should be fine," my heart dropped. Not only was she alone but she was alone with her father, who was there to talk about what we'd discussed. I was screwed if he didn't succeed in his mission.
"I'm not allowing her to do that," he'd said to me with a fury in his eyes—I was sure he hated me in that moment.
"I don't want it to happen either," I'd told him, though I wasn't sure whether he believed me. "Coming to you is my last play."
"It's a stupid one."
"I know... unless it works."
Mr Woods had shook his head. "Whether I change her mind or not, she will not be happy about this. For your sake, I won't mention you."
"She isn't an idiot," I'd muttered and, despite that, I'd hoped she would overlook how her father knew about what she wanted... but when I heard her car coming for the house too fast, all of that hope disintegrated. She was coming to fight with me and it was entirely my fault.
Shit.
As Rebecca stomped through the front doors and into the house, I quickly sunk further into my chair and pulled my hoodie over my nose. It was a silly thing to do but I was too focused on listening to her footsteps to care.
"Oh no," I heard Kevin mutter in amusement, "what have you done?"
Barely acknowledging him, I just shook my head. Rebecca was already in the hallway leading to the red room and everyone was paying attention now, curious as to what was going on. I felt my heart drop the second Rebecca pulled open the door. I'd really fucked up.
She didn't yell at me or storm into the room, she just kicked the door so it slammed against the wall and crossed her arms, staring at me. We both knew why I was in shit in that second but neither of us knew what was about to happen. A sense of dread filled my whole body.
What if I'd fucked this up more than I could afford to?
Finally, Rebecca took a step backwards into the hallway with her eyes still on me. We weren't going to talk about this in this room.
"Colby-" Sam started but I shook my head at him to shut him up. He glanced at Rebecca nervously as I got up from my chair. I paid him no mind, zipping into the hallway with my girlfriend, who'd already turned away from me. I shut the door and followed her.
We made it to the kitchen before she blew up; before she couldn't take the anger I could feel radiating around the room. She spun at me, her hands flailing out. "I have so many fucking things to say to you right now."
"I know," I muttered.
She hesitated. "Why? Why, Colby? Have you fucking forgotten that we're happy right now? Happy! For the first time in fucking ever, things are pretty good. Why'd you have to go and ruin it?" Her voice was dangerously low as she glared at me, her hand on the counter so she wouldn't lash out.
"It was my only chance so I took it," I replied to her.
"Talking to me is your only chance!" She exclaimed back. "And you've just lost that fucking privilege. I can't believe you'd go to my father! Like he'd ever be able to change my mind."
I shrugged. "I had to try it."
"And fuck us up?" I went quiet. "What the fuck did you think he'd say to change my mind? You know more about this than he does so what could he say to change my mind? Seriously, I want an answer."
I didn't say anything.
"Now isn't the fucking time to ignore me, Colby."
When I still didn't answer, she opened her mouth to speak again but I lost the control I was grasping onto for my life. My voice raised just one octave. "I don't know, okay? I just had to do something and you won't listen to me."
Her nostrils flared. "You don't own me and neither does he!"
"I never said I own you," I muttered in annoyance.
"You fucking act like you do." The moment I glared at her was the moment she exploded for the second time. "You fucking know what? The day you own me is the day I die. Die for good. Got that? That's when you can make my decisions for me. I'll be dead, so it's not like it'll make much difference to me."
"Rebecca-"
"No! You don't have anything valid to say." My mouth closed. "You've known what you got yourself into messing with me from the beginning. I don't give a shit that I'm your One, you got involved before you knew that for yourself." She paused, shaking her head. "What I'm about to say is on you."
My heart dropped, anxiety flowing through my entire body.
"You need to realise that you don't own me and you can't make my decisions for me. Until then, we're fucking done."
It felt like I died on the spot. Whatever blood was in my system turned cold, my skin paling at just the thought. No, she hadn't just said that. She wouldn't- She couldn't- No, please, no...
"Got that?" She asked, slamming her hand down on the counter. "You ever try to control me again, you'll fucking regret it. I promise you, you've bitten off more than you can chew. Never go to my father again." She paused. "I'm going home and you aren't invited. Tara is."
Rebecca turned her back on me just like that but it didn't matter, I still knew she wasn't okay. I could hear the way her heart was stuttering; the way she was trying to control herself so she didn't break down while she was still around me. My resolve wasn't so strong. It felt like I was shutting down right there. My heart couldn't handle this.
Watching Rebecca walking away from me was like being stabbed in the chest multiple times, yet all I could think about was what would happen if she left this place and didn't make it to her destination.
My body wouldn't move until the front door slammed. The breath I hadn't realised I was holding released shakily, my head dropping onto my arms, which I rested on the counter.
I was just broken up with.
A hand appeared on my back after a few moments. It was a small hand from a small person, but it relieved some of the hurt that filled me from head to toe. Someone else joined me in the kitchen, this time someone with a much bigger hand. I felt Sam as he took over for Tara, pulling me away from the counter. I met his eyes for a split second before I let him hug me.
Really, I was hugging him, hard. Everything inside me was in pain because she'd left me. She was my everything. Did she know that? Did she care? She was my entire universe and she'd walked out of the door because of me. I had no other excuse: I'd made a huge mistake.
This was why I'd had walls before Rebecca had come around. This hurt was the kind of hurt I'd shielded myself from for years and years—the kind of hurt that wasn't healed by blood. This was why I was an asshole.
Only once I could feel my heart again did I pull back from Sam. He didn't go far, sticking by my side as I turned to look at Tara. She looked at me sadly, like she understood every ounce of the pain I felt. I knew she didn't.
"Go with her," I told her, my voice quieter than ever before.
She frowned at me. "You aren't going to go after her?"
"No."
"I-"
I cut her off. "She doesn't want me around and I can deal with that later. I need someone to be with her. She shouldn't be alone."
Tara's jaw set but she didn't speak what was in her mind. She nodded, whispering for Jake to join her. Although I doubted he was going to be welcome, I didn't say anything about it. I let Tara pat me on the shoulder before she left with an unusually silent Jake.
When the door shut, I turned to Sam with a look in my eye I knew he understood. "We need to get rid of Julian."
"I know," he replied and moved to the side, motioning toward the hallway to the red room. "After you."