Dixie was stunned by Colby's words and the kiss he gave her. It had been a long time since he kissed her like that and had never grabbed her like that. She would have been lying if she said it didn't turn her on. She was left almost speechless at Colby saying he was going to fight for her. She was sure that he hated her and never would have thought he would want her back after confessing what she had done. After all, when she left he told her 'good riddance' and called her a 'fucking whore.' Colby stood there, waiting for her to say something, anything, but it was as if she was in shock. She finally composed herself but heard her voice squeak as she spoke. "Colby, I don't know…"
Before she could finish her sentence, he pressed his finger to her lips. "I love you, Dixie. And I know you love me too. We can work all of this out, mama. I know you were silently telling me you weren't getting what you needed from me. You dropped clues and tried to show me what you wanted, but I never gave it to you. I know I didn't show you enough that I love you and you are the most important thing in this world to me. And maybe you were right about what you said when you left; I did treat you like an old, comfortable shoe. I am sure you thought I would never ask you to marry me and I took for granted the fact that you would always be here for me. But, no more. I will never again neglect you or make you feel unwanted or unloved. I will never leave you wondering if I am committed to you and making us work. Just give me the chance to show you that. Don't throw us away for whatever you think you feel for Jon. He can't love you like I can, and you know that. He is just good with words and knows the right things to say. He doesn't know you like I do; he doesn't know your heart."
Dixie felt her chest getting tight, Colby's words hitting her hard. She never imagined she would hear him say these things to her. He saw in her eyes that she was really thinking about what he was saying so he continued. "Dixie, you have always stood by me and supported me, every step of the way. I know I have been ungrateful, but I will stand by you now. We will find a way to move past this. Just stay. Stay with me. Don't go back to him. Not him. You don't know what you are getting into with Jon, mama. I didn't know how shady he was until all of this. I know you think you love him, but I don't think you do, not like you love me. He wouldn't support you like I did when times got bad, calm you down when you were mad at your mother, take care of you when you broke your leg, hold you while you cried when they put Mowgli to sleep. That is what people do when they love each other; they look after one another. And…" he sighed, "they forgive each other."
He brushed his thumb across her cheek and she tried to back away from him, but he held on to her tighter. "Dixie, look at me, baby." He lifted her chin and gazed into her pale green eyes with tears sparkling in them. "I know you still love me."
Her throat constricted and she couldn't make herself speak. She nodded and lowered her head in shame, the water flowing freely down her face now. She sobbed, her body shaking. "I'm so sorry, Colby. I am just so, so, so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you." He pulled her closer and she buried her face in his bare chest, her arms coming up to grip his shoulders tightly.
"Shhh, I know you didn't. I won't lie and tell you I will get over this overnight, but I know I am able to forgive you. We will work through this, just stay. Don't leave me again, baby."
Dixie felt like her heart was shattering. She loves Jon too but Colby was saying everything she wanted him to. She regretted having ever started things with Jon, wishing she had just been more frank about how Colby was making her feel, but she realized she couldn't go back now. She thought that Colby had lost the passion he once felt for her but there he was, showing her the man she fell in love with; the man who stood on the roof of her house and threatened to jump if she didn't go on a date with him. "Colby, please stop being this way!" she cried.
He looked at her, confused. "Being what way?"
"Sweet and charming, and loving. You should be mad and hate me and yell at me!"
"Dix, I may be pissed but I could never hate you. Now Jon, I fucking hate."
"It's not his fault."
"The fuck it isn't. He knew exactly what he was doing and what to say to make you think you love him. He is a player, Dixie and you know that. He has never had a girlfriend in his entire pathetic fucking life and now he thinks he can steal mine. No fucking way. I won't let him have you. I won't let him hurt you with his 'love 'em and leave 'em' lifestyle. I won't stand by and watch that happen to you. I love you too much."
"I do love you, Colby but I lov…"
"NO! Don't say it! You love me. End of sentence. You don't love him. Don't tell me you do. I don't want to hear you say you love him, or want him or chose him over me, ever again, mama. We belong together and I told you, I am not going to give you up to my ex best friend or anyone."
She sighed and her chest ached; the conviction in his words and tone sent shivers down her spine. She was certain before she came home that Jon was what she wanted, but Colby was right about him being somewhat shady. She had seen that in how he dealt with Colby since she had left him. Jon purposely was reveling in his triumph over Colby and she had already started to wonder why Jon was so eager to crow over him. She felt like her head was spinning and she needed to think. Colby didn't give her the chance to speak or think before he kissed her, softly at first and then growing needier. She felt her resolve weakening, years of being with her leaving him knowing how to touch her to turn her on. He decided if forceful and dominating was what she wanted from him and what she liked in Jon that he could give it to her too. He backed her up and trapped her between his hard body and the wall. He felt her hands on his chest so he brought them above her head and laced his fingers with hers against the wall. She curled her leg around his waist, letting him even closer to her.
She sighed into his mouth, unable to stop the moans escaping her throat as he rubbed his now fully erect cock under her nightgown; only the thin material of their underwear separating them. He wanted nothing more than to reclaim her as his and force Jon out her heart and mind for good. He broke free from their lustful kiss and saw the desire flickering in those now deep green eyes. He licked her earlobe and ran his tongue down her neck, nipping and sucking the tender flesh of her throat, his whiskers chaffing her soft skin. She whimpered, her body on fire, unable to remember the last time Colby made her feel this way. She moaned, "oh Colby…" and he was encouraged to keep going.
He let go of her hands and grabbed her ass, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him and felt him grinding against her. He gripped her thigh, running his hand up her nightgown, and reaching her breast. He heard her whine as his thumb brushed across her nipple and he went back to attacking her neck. She twisted her fingers in his long hair, tugging on it as he kneaded her breast and lightly bit down on her shoulder. He was now so aroused he thought he would explode if he didn't get relief soon. He growled in her ear, "I want you, mama. Can you feel how hard I am for you? All of that, is for you. Every. Long. Thick. Hard inch, is all for you." Dixie was a mess now, the deep rumble of his voice and his ministrations inciting a fire inside her she needed quenched. She closed her eyes, his lips meeting hers again in a searing kiss, his need to possess her evident in the movement of his hips. She felt the tip of his cock nestled against her moist heat. She was gone in that moment and wanted Colby to finish what he had started.
Her eyes shot open as she heard Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song playing. She whispered, "Jon." She pushed Colby away and went to move past him. He caught her around the waist and roughly pulled her back to him, placing kisses down her arm. "Forget him, Dixie. Please."
She wrenched out of his grasp and stared back at him. "I'm sorry, Colby. That shouldn't have happened."
"Bullshit. You want it to happen as much as I do. If that asshole hadn't called, I would have made you mine again, and you would have loved every second of it, screaming my name." He enunciated every word as he walked towards her, that carnal desire flashing in his brown eyes.
He was right and she did want it, more than she should have. But as odd as it sounded, she didn't want to do that to Jon. She pressed her hand to his chest and stopped him, "no Colby. We can't do this." Her less than stern tone amused him. He took her hand and dragged it down his chest, down his tight abdominal muscles and straight to his hard cock, jutting up against his stomach. She bit back a moan as she curled her fingers around the thick flesh. Colby gasped when she squeezed the head, feeling the precome already sticking to his briefs. She slid her hand up and down the shaft, pulling moans from his throat. She realized what she was doing and jerked her hand back, yelling "NO" more forcefully this time, more for herself than for Colby's benefit. "We…I mean…I… I can't."
Her phone started ringing again and she rushed to answer it, going in the bathroom to talk so Colby couldn't say anything in the background that Jon could hear. "Hey baby."
"Hi there." He noticed she sounded flustered. "Everything okay, babe?"
"Um, yeah. Sorry I couldn't get to the phone the first time you called. You make it in okay?"
"Yeah, I am at the hotel right now. It was really late when I got here and figured you were asleep so I didn't want to bother you."
"Oh, you are no bother. I am actually so glad you called."
He smiled, "Really?" Then he thought about it. "Colby is there isn't he?"
Her throat got dry and tight at his question. "Yes, he is. We were just hashing some things out when you called." It was partially true.
Jon felt panic and anger rising in him. He didn't like her being there even though it was her home and he definitely didn't like Colby being there with her. He timidly asked her, "You still want to spend the day with me, Dix? If you need to stay and talk with Colby, I understand…"
"No, sweetheart. I want to spend the day with you. Colby and I can talk about things later. Let me shower and get dressed and I will come over and we can go to breakfast. Which hotel are you at?"
"The Quality Inn on Brady."
"Okay, I will be over soon. Just give me like, an hour or so." They said goodbye and she stripped, getting into the shower. She felt the marks on her neck and shoulder, and knew Jon would see them. She knew she would have to come clean about what happened, and hope he didn't fly off the handle. Colby listened at the door and wondered why Dixie didn't just tell Jon the truth. He made sure to mark her so there would be no doubt that when his ex friend saw them that he would know where they came from. He did find it ironic that she would cheat on him with Jon, but wouldn't cheat on Jon with him. He knew he had gotten into her head though, planting the seeds of doubt about Jon. He remembered what his mother said about him and Dixie being meant for each other and her crawling back to him. At the time, it didn't seem possible, but now the chances seemed much higher.
Dixie finished her shower and when she came out of the bathroom, Colby was thankfully not in their bedroom. She pulled her hair up and got dressed, applying a light layer of makeup before she went downstairs. Colby was sitting on the couch with a ring in his hand when she saw him. He looked up at her with his eyes now steely, "where did you get this?"
She mentally cursed herself for not remembering to put the ring back on and leaving it on the coffee table. "Um, Jon gave it to me for Christmas."
"Oh, I see. So why is it lying here?" he asked, wondering if his hunch was right.
"I just took it off there, okay?" She held her hand open, "can I have it back please?"
"You know, mine would look better on your hand, mama, but then, you already know that don't you?"
"Wh...what are you talking about?"
"You just happened to take it off right here beside where the engagement ring I bought you is setting? I know I am not the smartest man in the world, but I know you tried it on, didn't you?" He placed Jon's ring in her hand. "It's okay, you can tell me." She nodded and slipped the promise ring back on her finger. "Why?"
"I don't know, Colby. I saw it there and it is so beautiful, I had to see what it looked like. I waited so long for you to get me a ring and I wanted to feel it on my hand."
He groaned, closing his eyes at the surprising sting of her words. It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that she loved it and it felt right there on her hand and she wanted it back. "Dixie…"
"No, I don't want to talk about this right now. I am leaving to go meet Jon." She fought back the tears that were creeping up again, tired of crying all the time. "I will be home later."
"Dix, wait. Why did he give you that? He knew I bought a ring for you and I was going to propose. Hell, he went with me to the jewelry store. What the hell is he trying to prove?"
She turned around to answer him and spoke softly. "He gave it to me as a promise ring. He promised he wouldn't make me wait four years to know he wanted to make me his wife." She quickly walked out, hurrying to get to her car. She felt like she was suffocating being there and she just needed to breathe and think for a little while.
Colby was furious with himself now, more than he was. He had wanted to propose long before he bought the ring, but he was scared. He felt in his heart that she was the one for him but was worried what she would say. He thought after her parents' failed marriage and her mother's subsequent four marriages that she wasn't sold on the idea and he wanted to make sure she was ready for that commitment before asking her. He didn't realize how much she apparently wanted that from him. It wasn't only about the sex. He read that most relationships break up after a declined proposal and he was terrified if she said no, where they would go from there. He didn't think he could handle the rejection, much like he was trying to handle now, her rejecting him to go be in the arms of another man.
"Fuck! This is killing me, Dixie. Why am I not enough for you? He can't love you like I do. Damn it!" He didn't care that it was eight in the morning; he went to the kitchen to make himself a drink. He knew he shouldn't but it worked to numb the pain for a little while.
Dixie drove to the hotel where Jon was staying, trying to muster up her courage to tell him what happened. There should be no secrets between them after all the sneaking around they had done, they both saw the worst in the other, but she still felt guilty. She figured he would see the hickeys and she was better off telling him before he asked.
She called him when she pulled up to find out what room he was in. He said he would meet her downstairs but she told him she wanted to talk to him before they left so she was coming up. He couldn't stop the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, wondering what she wanted to talk about that couldn't wait until they went to breakfast. She made her way up to his room, nervously knocking and waiting for him to answer. He opened the door and motioned for her to come in. She sat on the bed and he noticed her fidgeting with her purse strap. "Okay babe, you wanted to talk. Tell me what's on your mind."
"Okay, first though, please promise you won't blow up at me."
His heart started to pound in his ears and a sense of dread filled him. He felt like all the air was sucked out of his lungs, fearing the next words out of her mouth. 'She is going to tell me she fucked Colby. Mother fucker!' He slowly nodded, "alright. I won't blow up. Tell me."
She let out a heavy breath before she told him. "Colby came in last night and when I woke up, he was in bed with me."
'Oh, thank God, that's all' he thought before she continued. "We kinda had an argument, then he said some things, and then he kissed me."
He couldn't stop the next sentence that came from his lips. "Is that it?" His heart stopped when she shook her head. "No."
He knew he had no right to say what he was about to, and knew it would kill him if she said yes. "Did you screw him?"
"No, I didn't. We got a little heated, but no, we didn't have sex. I couldn't because of you." She didn't tell him they probably would have if he hadn't called.
He breathed easier, "okay, babe. I am not happy obviously, but I am relieved you stopped, for me. For us."
"I love you and I am sorry. It went further than it should have."
"I understand, babe. I must say I am surprised though at Colby putting the moves on you, after him acting like such a dick the other day."
"Jon, you need to know that he has declared war on you. He isn't letting me go without a fight. He said you are just a player and you don't love me," she said with sadness in her voice.
"Damn him. Why can't he let you be happy and admit he lost you due to his own douche-baggery? I won't let him take you away from me, not again, Dixie."
"I don't know. Let's just go have fun today and not worry about it, okay? I am going to go to the bathroom, then we can go." She went into the restroom and Jon picked up his phone to call Colby.
When he answered, Jon spared the niceties. "Listen here, asshole. I love her, and I am not just using her. She is mine now and you won't ever EVER get her back. Keep your fucking hands to yourself from now on when you are around her or I will fucking break them. You want a war, Lopez? Well you got one. One you won't fucking win either."