Chapter 4
His voice had gotten louder toward the end. And Colby had gone utterly still. Motionless as the first second after an impalement. Eyes wide, not quite focused on Jason. Not quite present.
“Colby?”
“You should leave,” Colby whispered.
Thatsentence hit like a blow to the solar plexus. Staggered, airless, Jason gasped, “What?”
“You should leave,” Colby said again, and the words sounded wrong, and not only because Jason couldn’t figure out how they’d hit that point.
He looked at Colby more closely. “Colby? Hey. You…you’re okay, right?”
Colby said nothing this time, and Jason took a step closer, and something was reallywrong, because Colby didn’t react. No flinching away from unexpected touch, no tentative welcome of Jason’stouch. Nothing.
“Colby,” he tried. “Look at me.”
“But you’re leaving,” Colby said.
“I’m not. I’m not. What the f—no, okay, I’m here. I’m right here.” He held out a hand. “I’m here and I’m asking if it’s okay to touch you. Me. Jason.”