guilty as sin.

[colton abernathy]

"I'm not blushing," Colton says quickly, too quickly, the dusting of pink deepening at the accusation. It was something he had been worried about, the girls going off to college in the city and a chasm of maturity widening between them. It had always been Colt the oldest, the bravest, the wisest; he'd helped to teach them how to ride bikes, helped with homework, showed them illicit links to seedy websites. But they were so grown now. He nods at her suggestion. "I'll trade him something, leave it with me." The next question makes him groan, looking up at the sky as he shrugs, wanting to shrug the whole topic off. Still, his pinky links with hers, shaking firmly. "I think he's really boring. And he makes her boring, sat there mooning over him. I just... I don't want to be around it."

[ruby anderson]

Ruby doesn't push any further on the blushing matter. It was evident on Colt's face and the reaction he gave once she mentioned the tinted cheeks, left her with great satisfaction.  As they're sitting out here alone on the patio surrounding the pool, she gets flashbacks to how often this happened the summer before. Colt and Ruby sitting in the very same loungers while Mirren was out becoming serious with Matt. Was this a vision into the future? Of what was to occur, two summers in row. Despite his obnoxious groan, Colt links their pinky's together. She nods her head, knowing exactly what he met. Mirren was still herself, but like most in relationships she shifted with the other half, adopting some of their characteristics. "I think it'll be better," she murmurs, followed by a shrug of her shoulders, aware that they'd already brought up the issue with the brunette. "What, are you scared to be stuck with me again?" One of her eyebrows rises in curiosity, dropping his pinky.

[colton abernathy]

The question of Mirren and Matt had made them both think about the future, something Colton did not handle well. When he made his surprise decision to bail on NYU his father had accused him of trying to "defer reality", and that was true. This was his happy place and he had loved becoming a local, getting to join in with the rumblings about the influx of city slickers like he hadn't just been one himself, like he wasn't secretly counting down the minutes until he got to see his favourite people in the world, who just so happened to be out of towners too. "I hope you're right." He's skeptical. "Mhmm. Being stuck with you blows," he says, giving her a grin to stop her from taking it too seriously. "Do you like him?"