Chapter 8
COLTON
“Colt, you ready?” Avery called.
“Yeah. Give me a sec.”
I slipped on my jacket and ran a hand through my dark, curly hair, giving myself a quick once-over in the mirror.
My exterior hadn’t changed much, but I could see the difference. Staring back at me was a man drastically changed; one striving to survive, to do better, be better.
When I had arrived at college over a year before, I thought I’d be able to reset and refocus my efforts on a new purpose.
Oh, how I was sorely mistaken.
When I first transitioned to college, I was astray. The everyday was hard. Merely breathing was difficult. Until I moved into my dorm and found a reluctant friend in my roommate, Avery.
He was annoying, at first—chipper, positive and charismatic. Avery reminded me of everything I used to be.
However, despite my misgivings and lacklustre reception, my roommate never abandoned his golden retriever, do-good attitude, always providing subtle support and advice.
One night, after copious amounts of alcohol and an emotional breakdown, something changed inside me. I didn’t want to stay in that depressive cycle of mourning and hating the world. What I needed was to become someone my mother would be proud of, the person she had always envisioned me to be.
And with that internal shift came a renewed motivation to work hard and embrace life as it came, rather than coast through it like a ghost. In time, the all-consuming pain of loss soon transitioned into a constant ache, present but manageable.
Knock, knock.
“You better move your ass, pretty boy. Otherwise, I’m leaving without you,” Avery yelled through the door before retreating.
“Alright, alright.” I chuckled, following behind. Things were finally looking up.
We walked into the local diner, slipping into a corner booth as I scoped the room—just in time to catch Darcy’s reaction as she caught our entrance.
She was a fellow student who worked as a waitress on the side. Cute, hardworking and intelligent. I had been building up the courage to ask her out, except I had a feeling she was interested in someone else.
Darcy fluffed her hair, licked her lips, then flounced over with a notepad in hand.
“Hi, Colt… Hi, Avery,” she said, cheeks turning red as she stared at my friend, while I stared at her.
I fucking knew it.
Avery had been giving me shit, encouraging me to ask her out. Now, I knew there was no point.
After Darcy took our orders, Avery smirked at me. “Now’s your chance, bro. Give a nice tip, leave your number on the receipt and bam—you’ve got yourself a date.”
I looked at him deadpan, over his oblivious, endearing nature. “For such a smart man, you’re such an idiot.”
His brow furrowed, which pissed me off even more. The guy was a lovesick fool, delirious over his high school sweetheart I had never met.
She apparently had anxiety or some crap, always conjuring the lamest excuse as to why she couldn’t leave their small hometown and visit him at college.
I didn’t want to break his bubble and say that I thought she was complete bullshit. But what the hell did I know about relationships?
“Darcy is into you,” Avery insisted. “She always goes out of her way to be near you. Her face lights up when she sees you. Come on, bro. I know a thing or two about girls.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ve been with one girl. Hardly groundbreaking. And it’s not me who causes her to react like that,” I said, my eyes bulging wide in emphasis.
When my idiot best friend still didn’t pick up on my not-so-subtle hints, I gave in to the poor soul. “For fuck’s sake. Are you blind? I don’t stand a chance because Darcy doesn’t like me. She likes you.”
It was almost comical how understanding sank in. Slowly but surely, I could see his thoughts flitting through all our previous interactions.
“B-but I have a g-girlfriend,” he stuttered, his face blanching at the news.
I cackled. “So? It doesn’t mean you have to do anything. Unless Darcy has overstepped and pronounced her undying love for you?”
“Shut up.” He pouted.
Right then, she returned with our drinks, lingering as she slipped Avery his. My boy was innocent, his eyes averting hers while he barely managed to mumble a thank you.
She soon left, her posture deflated.
I gave a low whistle. “Damn, Ave. Breaking hearts already.”
“I-I didn’t mean to. Should I talk to her?”
“Fuck no. Don’t embarrass the girl. Leave her be.”
We continued on as normal, talking and laughing over frivolous gossip while we enjoyed our lunch. As we finished up and paid, I was hit with a stark realisation: I had gone longer than five minutes without thinking of my mum and had actually enjoyed myself.
A certain warmth spread through me, a specific knowing that allowed me to finally believe everything was going to be alright.
Then, I was abruptly stopped at the door, a thin, frail hand pulling on my shoulder. I perused the older lady with a polite smile. “Can I help you?”
Tears lined her tired eyes as her fingers caressed my hair. Okay, weird... Maybe she has dementia? Except something about her felt familiar, my instincts prodding me to look closer.
“You have beautiful curls, just like your mother’s… Just like mine,” she said, running a palm down her full head of coiled grey hair.
I gulped. And just like that, my hard-fought peace was shattered with the mention of Mum. “How do you know my mother?”
She sniffled. “Bethany was my daughter.”
Time stood still as my surroundings ceased to exist. I had always been told my mother had no family. Just another lie to add to the rest.
“What’s your name?” I managed to croak through my closing throat.
“My name is Eloise Tems. And I’ve been waiting so long to meet you, Colton. My grandson.”