*colby's pov*
it's been a week since we've been back from japan, and stephanie misses it a lot.
she's been sitting in the gaming room and watching a lot of pokémon and anime without the english subtitles, so i don't really have to do much work to know that she misses it.
she's actually doing it right now.
"babe," i spoke up and she paused the tv.
"what's up?" she turned her head to me.
"i have a request."
"what is this request?"
"will you sing for me?" i tilted my head to the side and gave her my best puppy eyes.
"like, play my ukulele and sing?" she asked, her face becoming flushed.
"yeah!" i smiled brightly.
"uh, sure, i guess. but you can't film it or anything. let me go get my uke," she got up and walked softly up the stairs to her room.
don't film it?
haha, funny.
i'm gonna film it.
i snatched my camera from the kitchen and hid it behind the tv, pointed towards our couch.
i quickly sat down and she returned seconds later, her ukulele in hand.
"i'm kinda nervous." she scratched her head as she sunk into the couch.
i leaned forward and kissed her gently, and when i pulled away, her eyes sparkled and she blushed.
"still nervous?"
"not really," she chuckled, "so...what should i sing?"
"whatever comes to mind," i replied.
she lifted her hand and began to play. her fingers glided across the strings as if this was her first language; it came naturally, like an instinct.
"slow down you crazy child,
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
but then if you're so smart,
then tell me why are you still so afraid?"
her voice intoxicated the air, the notes making every second more beautiful. she always gets so caught up in her head, thinking she can't sing, but she sounded like an angel sent from heaven, and anyone who thinks otherwise can suck it.
"but you know that when the truth is told
that you can get what you want, or you can just get old
you're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
ooh, when will you realize,
vienna waits for you,"
she continued on, singing each lyrics with more confidence.
i didn't even notice how much harder my heart had started beating.
"when will you realize,
vienna waits for you."
she strummed the last note and i let out my breath i was holding in.
"you're so amazing, how the hell did i manage to get you to fall for me? i'm so confused." i joked, pulling her closer and kissing her again, as i do quite often.
"thank you. now, where's the camera?" she asked, pushing me away.
fuck.
well, there's no point in playing dumb.
"it's behind the tv," i sighed, "how'd you know?"
"i heard you bustling around downstairs." she pulled the camera out and ended the recording.
"are you gonna delete it?"
"no, you can do whatever you want with it. i think i did an okay job on the song."
"wow, really? uh, i was not expecting you to be so chill about it," i shook my head in disbelief.
"yeah, well, my singing already has its own channel pretty much, so i don't mind anymore really." she laughed.
i hopped up and kissed her cheek, then i walked away.
"hey, what the hell? that's all i get?" i heard her call in frustration from the room i just left.
"yep!"
•••
*stephanie's pov*
"throw on some warm clothes everybody, we're going exploring!" colby shouted from downstairs. of course, we all did as he said.
anything for content, you know?
i pulled on the new brennen sweatshirt that he gave me the other day, swiped my black neff beanie, and slipped in my vans, and out the door i went.
"where to, mr.?" i asked colby as i met him at the front door.
"it's a surprise!" he pushed me out the front door and i met up with the rest of the roommates by the cars.
"i wanna climb some shit and stuff," corey jumped around giddily.
"i will join you, my friend!" i grabbed his hands and we started spinning in a circle and screaming like little girls.
"why am i dating a psychopath?" devyn and colby both said in unison, then laughed at each other for thinking so similarly.
"okay, let's go! i need some more excitement in my life!" i started clapping at everyone and forcing them to get a move on. we all spread out between corey and colby's car and hit the road, an unknown adventure awaiting our arrival.
•••
"really? wendy's?" i groaned as we pulled into the creepy red-haired logo's parking lot.
"listen, we gotta fill up before we go exploring. and i need me some nugs, so don't complain," sam argued.
"hey, buddy, cool it!" i raised my arms in surrender, chucking softly.
we passed through the glass doors into the empty restaurant, and i saw a dark figure in the shape of a man pass behind us, but i passed it off. people walk around here all the time.
we all hustled into line like excited teenagers and placed our orders. i got a spicy chicken sandwich. have you ever had those ones? oh my god, it's like an orgasm wrapped in hamburger paper.
everyone walked off to find a booth that would fit us all, and i stood by the counter and waited for the trays, because i'm the responsible one. being responsible sucks.
after a few minutes of waiting, a pretty blonde-haired worker came over with the trays and handed them to me with an endearing smile.
"thank you so much!" i said gratefully.
"no problem. enjoy!" she smiled again.
i made my way back to my friends, who were all engaged in conversation.
"food's here, don't knock me over," i laughed, siding the trays into the middle of the table. they all rushed to grab their orders, clashing limbs along the way.
"i'm gonna go to the bathroom, alright? be back in a second," i let colby know as i touched his shoulder.
"okay, hurry up! i'll save your food, but i don't know how long i'll be able to." he grinned.
i headed away from the seating area and walked into the little hallway leading to the bathrooms. i heard light footsteps behind me, and i thought it was devyn, so i turned around-
"hey de-"
"shut your mouth and get into the bathroom." his hand clasped over my mouth and he forcefully shoved me through the door and into the bathroom. then he pinned me to the wall.
"thought you could escape me, huh? thought i wouldn't find you again?" he growled, his hot breath suffocating me. i wanted to yell for help, but i knew not to scream. i'd get someone's attention when it was the right time; i can't just flail my arms and flip out, because that won't help me.
i stared into the lethal, grey eyes of my worst nightmare for the last three years: my ex-boyfriend jared.
the one who sexually abused me so horribly to the point where i can't go more than two days without having a flashback to the bloody bed and 911 call.
"where you the one who passed behind my friends and i as we walked in?" i asked as soon as he pulled his hand away from my mouth, my breath shaky.
"smart girl. now you're gonna come with me and do as i say, or may god have mercy on your soul, you bitch," he whispered threateningly.
"no."
"no? haha, you're refusing? how sweet. guess we'll just have to repeat what happened last time." he hit me hard against my face, leaving a dark red mark below my eye. i winced in pain, but he didn't stop. he slid his hands down to the hem of my shirt, leaving his crotch region open for aim.
he'll regret that decision.
within seconds, my sneaker collided full-force with his nutsack and he groaned, stumbling backward and releasing me from his disgusting grip. i took off, my legs carrying me to the table full of friends waiting for me to return from an innocent bathroom trip.
"colby, h-he's here," i breathed, unrecognized tears falling from my eyes.
"who?" he said, his tone of worry increasing. he understood by the look on my face. "who's... jared. it's jared, isn't it?"
"yeah, yes, he cornered me in the bathroom a-and he hit me-"
"please get out of my way." colby said quietly and slowly, delicately moving me to the side and storming off, the vibe of hatred he was giving off radiating through the building.
"stephanie, who's jared?" sam hopped up and rushed to my aid, devyn following behind and checking my eye.
"my ex-boyfriend. he...he raped me," i wheezed, my tears falling.
"raped? what the fuck? steph, why didn't you tell me?" devyn cooed. sam just stared at me, his face paler than normal.
"i was scared."
"WHERE IS SHE?" jared's terrifying voice shook the restaurant as he emerged from the girl's bathroom. my heart rate raced.
"you're not going to go anywhere near her, you hear that asshole?" i heard colby grumble.
"oh, yeah? what are you gonna do about it, faggot?"
"oh, nothing too bad. i am gonna make you scream for mercy, though."
and with that, the crack of jared's jaw was heard within a mile radius of the cursed wendy's.
colby had jared pinned to the ground and smacked his head onto the floor hard enough to make him cry out. then colby kept him down, his knee to jared's back, as jared went limp and laid there underneath him, powerless.
"please call 911 and get the authorities sent here," colby asked the pretty blonde worker from before. she was the first person he saw.
"no problem, sir." she hurried over to the phone and dialed quickly, speaking the location and situation into the phone clearly.
"steph, are you okay?" sam held my cheek and my hand and devyn was patting my eye with a napkin wet with water. corey, elton, and aaron were now over by colby, keeping jared from moving. nodobt knew what was going on. i hadn't realized how hard i was crying and how fast i was breathing.
all i could think about was colby and how hard he hit jared- since when did he get so strong?
"yeah, i'm totally fine after my rapist ex-boyfriend came back to find me and abuse me in a fucking wendy's, sam." i stared at him with awe.
"i'm sorry, i know you're not. this is all happening so fast, i just wanna help," he pulled me in for a little hug to try and calm me down, and i apologized.
after a few minutes of jared squirming and wincing, the police appeared outside of the restaurant and they barged in, guns at the ready.
"officer, he's over here." colby waved over the first officer- a tall, dark man. i could hear the anger in colby's voice; it was a little scary, to be honest.
"what the hell happened?" the second officer walked over, this time a younger man with light, tan skin.
"well, long story short, my girlfriend's rapist ex-boyfriend named jared, who was never caught, came back to find her and he abused her in the bathroom. i pinned him to the ground and waited for you guys to come, and that's where we are now."
"oh, wow. okay. well, we'll handcuff him and take him to the station and lock him up for the night, then we will see about his permanent placing from then on. thank you for keeping everyone safe. what's your name again?" the second officer asked.
"colby brock. my girlfriend is over there with the blonde guy and the other brown-haired girl."
the officer approached us and kneeled down next to me.
"hi, i'm officer johnson. your boyfriend over there told me you've gone through a lot tonight," he said softly. his voice was soothing.
"yeah. jared followed me in and punched me in the bathroom," i said quietly, my voice still shaking. i watched as jared was being lifted off the ground, and then noticed his face. his forehead was bleeding all the way down the side of it, and his jaw was swollen and purple.
"well, i apologize we weren't here sooner. we're gonna take that man down to the station and then decide his punishment from there. if you give us your number, we can call you tomorrow. would that be alright?" officer johnson said calmly.
i nodded and gave him my information, and within a few moments, the situation cleared up and jared and the police were gone.
colby scurried back to me as i stood up, enveloping me in a big, safe hug.
"i'm so sorry, i never knew he'd find you, especially not here. i'm so sorry." he whispered as he pressed his chin on top of my head.
"maybe we should go home... i don't think exploring is a good idea for tonight." aaron spoke up, his voice high.
"yeah, let's grab the last of our food and go. we can all chill together at home." elton said, and everyone slowly shuffled out of the restaurant.
"colby," i piped up from behind as he grabbed my things.
"yeah?" he rushed over quickly, concern dancing in his eyes.
"you're my hero." i kissed him softly, pulling his head down a bit with my hand.
i felt small and protected in his arms, something i never felt when i was with jared. i could feel that colby loved me as much as i loved him; he gave off that warm, fuzzy feeling whenever he hugged me, and i just knew.
"and you're my princess," he pulled away and rested his forehead on mine, our noses just barely touching. "come on, let's go home. try to take your mind off it for a while. i cant imagine how scared you still are." he kissed my cheek lightly and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers, mine still shaking a bit. he led me out of the wendy's and we made our way to the cars, my- now cold- spicy chicken sandwich in hand.
•••
the next few hours consisted of everyone sitting together in the gaming room and watching my favorite movies with me. we ordered chinese late at night and feasted in front of the tv, and they invited brennen over, too. i think they told him what happened.
tonight was bound to happen, but that's alright. he's gonna get locked up for a long time after all he's done to me and god knows who else. i just hope those other people he's hurt get justice like i did.
i have colby now, and i love him and he loves me. i know that now more than ever.
all my friends know about it now, and that's okay too. they were going to find out sometime anyway.
i'm glad to have these people around me; they turned my nightmare into a better memory. and i'm so thankful for that.
i won't be seeing jared for a while now, but i'm happy about that. he deserves what's coming to him.
in the meantime, i'll spend every moment i can with my best friends and the love of my life and try to keep moving on, because that's all i can do. move on.
as they say, after hitting rock bottom, the only way to go is up.
________________________________
AN: AYYYEE SHES BACK WHATS UP HELL YEAH
wow rough chapter, i know iM SO SORRY
thanks for cravingcolbyy for nearly spoiling it in the comments lol
(I STILL LOVE YOU DONT WORRY TWITTER BUDDY)
i hope you guys liked this chapter !! it was really important she interacted with jared and that he got what he deserved. now he can be pushed to the past.
also,, can we talk about vienna by billy joel bc yES.
aND ITS FUCKIN CHRISTMAS LETS GOOOOOOOO🎄🎁🎅🎄🎁🎅🎄🎁🎅
i'm pumped yoooooo
so, please vote if you liked this chapter and leave a comment if you'd like!! thank you all for reading :))
i appreciate you all so much and i hope to see you in the next chapter.
💙