*colby's pov*
i have to say something to corinna.
i have to confront her.
what she did was wrong and she needs to understand that...
but how?
my thoughts were interrupted by the clicking of the lock on the front door.
"WHERE'S MY BOYFRIEND?!" i heard stephanie's voice rumble through the hallway.
"WHERE ELSE WOULD I BE?" i screamed back from my usual spot in the gaming room, the huge bean bag chair.
"hello, boyfriend." she smiled adorably as she came around the corner.
"why do you call me boyfriend every time you see me?" i chuckled. she did it, like, every fricking day.
"because i like reminding myself i have a boyfriend,"
"i'm so honored," i joked, and i pulled her down onto the chair and attacked her face with kisses.
god, that sounded weird.
why are all my attempts at being cute always cringey?
"st-sto-stop, col-olbyyyy!" she stuttered and giggled at the same time, trying to push me off, tickling my sides as revenge.
"okay, okay," i laughed, releasing her.
"so, what have you been doing all day?"
"not much, just waiting around to see where the hell you went. you didn't answer my texts, i thought you died," i joked, making myself sound sad. i wiped away a fake tear for emphasis.
"oh, i'm so sorry, i didn't even see you texted me, i'm so sorry, i feel so terrible, oh god, i'm the worst girlfriend," steph's face morphed form happy to sad as she worked herself up, searching through her phone to see my fake text messages.
did she actually believe my terrible acting?
"steph, calm down, i'm joking." i grabbed her shaking hands and held them in place.
she's being very emotional today, why is she so on edge?
"oh, um, sorry," she looked down and her hands, sounding guilty.
"hey, are you okay? you're acting a little funny," i lifted her chin with my finger, trying to get her nervous eyes to meet mine.
"i'm- i'm fine." she shook her head quickly, avoiding me.
"i know you're lying. what's going on?"
she let out a deep breath, her hands shaking again.
"steph?"
"colby, i'm so sorry that i yelled at you at that party."
is that really what this is about?
"i told you i forgave you. i messed up, i should be apologizing,"
"no, colby, i was wrong. i was mean. i didn't let you explain, i told you that i thought you didn't love me anymore, i almost ruined everything," she started to tear up.
my heart ached when i saw her like this- she doesn't have to hold all this pressure over her head.
"stephanie, listen to me. you didn't do anything wrong. i forgive you for all you said, and i could never stop loving you. you are the best thing to ever happen to me, and i'm never going to let myself or you get dragged into anything like that again, because you mean too much for me to lose you." i blurted out everything that was running through my brain. i had to be honest, right?
i wiped the few tears that trickled down her cheeks away with my thumb, and i kissed her softly.
the kind of kiss you give to someone to ease their nerves.
i always loved those.
she pulled away, her cute blush spreading through her face, warming up her freckles and making her eyes shine like tiny little suns and making my heart burst.
"you're good at this boyfriend thing." she giggled quietly.
"you're even better at the girlfriend part, you cutie."
•••
*stephanie's pov*
"i'm so nervous," my stomach was churning like crazy as i sat in the passenger seat of colby's car.
"why? david is going to love you, he'll finally get to really meet you. vidcon was kinda a rough place to meet people." he held onto my hand tightly.
"i'm gonna say something weird, he won't want to be friends, this isn't going to work,"
"you've gotta stop hammering that crap into your head. you are smart and beautiful and david is going to love you, i promise." he smiled warmly, making my heart beat extra fast.
how come he still manages to do that every time?
i sat there squeezing his hand as we pulled onto a street, and i saw david's house come into view.
fuck.
"it's gonna be okay. just keep a hold of my hand, i'll keep you safe," he kissed my cheek after he pulled the car over knot the driveway.
i stepped out and took a deep breath.
you can do it, colby said you can, i encouraged myself inside my head.
i walked up to the front door, colby by my side, and i rang the doorbell. i felt a familiar hand intertwine with mine and my worries melted a little.
the door swung open, and david stood in the doorway.
"finally, you're here! hey, it's so good to see you," he pulled me into a hug, and i slowly returned it.
"come inside, i've got some friends over,"
colby stepped in behind me and i looked around.
jesus, this place might be bigger than our house.
i saw a little tan head poke around the corner, and liza emerged with a big smile.
"oh my god, hi, steph! what's good?" she ran over and hugged me really tight.
huh.
i can see why david and liza date.
"i'm doing good, how are you?" i smiled.
"oh, great! everything's been going good lately on my end. i'm just glad i got to see you again!" she laughed.
colby walked up and waved, taking my hand again.
"hey, colby," liza smiled, waving back.
"hi."
"hey, david, who the hell is he- oh."
i saw a particular head of bleach blonde hair that made my blood churn walk into the room and look in my direction.
"didn't know she was gonna be here. oh, hi colby!" she changed her voice from low to squeaky and fake.
"hi, corinna." colby said, his voice deep.
liza looked at me and noticed my uncomfortable vibe. she pulled me aside into the closest room, which happened to be the kitchen.
"what was that back there?"
"oh, i didn't tell you, did i," i mentally face-palmed.
"no, you didn't."
"okay, um, well, the blanket statement is corinna kissed colby when he was drunk and almost ruined our relationship." i spilled out quickly.
"oh my god, i didn't know she would do something like that! i'm so sorry,"
"it's alright. um, can we go back? i don't want colby to be alone,"
"yeah, yeah, of course!"
i hurried back into the living room and found corinna walking towards colby, and david looked very uncomfortable.
"hey, take a step back, please." i swiped colby's hand and squeezed it.
"sorry," corinna said sarcastically as she threw her hands in the air.
"what's going on here?" david finally asked, his voice a little high-pitched.
i looked over at liza, then colby, and they both gave me the "just tell him" look.
"um, well, corinna made a move on colby at tana's party the other night and almost broke us up, to shorten it." i blurted out.
god, i really hate retelling that story.
"colby kissed me, for the record," corinna came closer to me.
"no, you took advantage of me while i was drunk and used it to cause trouble, corinna. stop lying, there's no point." colby growled.
"corinna, what the fuck? why would you do that to someone?" david walked over and stood next to me, kind of like the way brennen does when him and colby are protecting me from something.
"guys, please don't start a fight, i don't want to make things worse than they already are," i tried to say loudly, but corinna was now having a screaming match with david. colby wrapped his arms around me and liza creeped over and rubbed my back as the screaming got louder.
then, of course, my body decided it was perfect time to escalate things.
my head started to hurt and my body started shaking, and my chest felt like a brick was being pushed down on it. my lungs were straining themselves to help me breathe, and my legs started to go weak.
"steph? steph, can you hear me?" colby said, sounding panicked.
"i can hear you, i can," i said. the room was clear this time, i could see faces and things. i just was having a hard time focusing.
"god, you're always taking people's attention, you're such a bitch!" corinna hollered, barreling towards me with be fist in the air.
everything felt like it was happening in slow motion.
i knew i was going to get hit, but i deserved it.
i always draw away people's attention, she's right.
i'm a drama queen.
i constantly crave people's attention because i never got any when i was younger.
i try so hard to be kind and loving, but all i do is ruin peoples' days.
it's my fault all of this happened.
just as corinna's fist was about to come in contact with my stomach, colby violently pulled me out of her reach. corinna stumbled forward and smacked her face into the wall, collapsing on the floor.
"FUCK!" she screeched, gripping her nose. blood was streaming down from her nostrils- she must have broken it.
i jumped a little at the bang she made.
"steph, steph, look at me," colby grabbed my face.
i focused on his blue eyes and my heart started to feel warmer. my breathing slowed a bit, and i regained some strength.
"are you okay?" he asked.
"yeah, yeah, i'm fine, i'm good. i'm sorry," i nodded, hugging him.
"sorry for what? you didn't do anything wrong," he held my head to his chest.
"i ruin everything, it's all my fault this all happened." i choked up a bit.
he pushed my head away and he slid his hands down to my waist.
then he leaned down and whispered into my ear, and what he said sent chills down my back.
"you didn't ruin anything. i love you with every inch of me, and i promise i'll show you just how much."
i detached myself from him, a slight smile on my lips, and i rushed over to corinna's aid.
yes, i don't like her.
but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be cared for.
"david, go get some tissues please, liza, start up a car so we can get her to the ER. her nose is broken," i ordered them around, and i helped corinna stand.
"why are you helping me? i don't need help from you." she said, almost falling over, but i caught her.
"because even though you may hate me, i'm at least decent enough to know that everyone needs a little help sometimes."
•••
colby and i sat in the hospital cafeteria, eating some mcdonald's.
we've been here for hours. it's 10:30 pm.
i was starving so colby ran and grabbed some quick dinner.
corinna did break her nose, but it turns out that as she fell, her ankle twisted so far that the bone snapped. so, she has to stay overnight so they can heal her as best they can and give her a cast and stuff. david and liza are helping the doctors get her out of the ER and into an overnight room.
"earth to steph," colby waved a hand in front of my face, chucking a little.
"i'm awake!" i giggled, taking a bite of my chicken nugget.
"so, how are you?"
"good."
"no, i'm really asking. how are you?" he slipped his fingers between mine and shot me that bright smile that never seems to fail at making me fall in love all over again.
"i'm still a bit shaken up after my panic attack and corinna trying to sock me in the stomach, but i'm doing alright. i'm just glad i have you with me, i guess." i replied.
"you know i love you, right?" his eyes glinted with hope.
"yeah, at least i think i do," i blushed a bit.
"i really, really, really love you." he sighed, and my heart flipped.
i'll never know how i got a guy like him.
never.
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[AN: FINALLY SHE UPDATED LMAO
hey guys!!
colby said he'd show steph how much he loves her, what does that mean?? oooooo scandalous!! keep reading to find out😏😏
anyway, thank you guys for sticking with me and i'll see you in the next chapter!!
💓