Note: This contains SPOILERS for those who haven’t read The Golden Couple.
In my last couple posts I let Erik share his thoughts. But I’ve heard from a lot of Colin fans out there, so I figured he should get a chance to speak as well. This scene takes place at Paul’s house after Sam’s just told Colin she thinks he should stay in Minnesota and not continue with her on this journey to stop the timer. This is also when Colin starts to grow suspicious of Sam’s friendship with Erik. Here’s his point of view.
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As soon as I started to get better, I noticed it. The feeling that something had changed. Sam had changed.
She’s more distant now. She tries to act like she’s not, but I can feel that she is. She doesn’t kiss me the same way. That is, when she kisses me at all. Since I found her, she barely even touches me. And when Erik’s around, she hardly even comes near me. It’s like she doesn’t want him to see us together.
I don’t understand how this happened so fast. How she got to be so close to this guy after knowing him just a week. That’s not like Sam at all. She takes forever to get to know people. I had to work my ass off just to get her to date me. And it took almost a year of us dating for her to tell me she loved me. Now I’m not so sure she does anymore. She doesn’t act like it.
Erik seems like a total ass. I don’t know him that well, so maybe I shouldn’t judge but I can already tell that he’s one of those guys who does what he wants and doesn’t give a shit if other people don’t like it. I see the way he looks at Sam. He wants her. And a guy like him won’t stop until he gets her. I haven’t figured out what’s going on with the two of them. Something happened back in Texas. I just don’t know what yet. And I hate it when they talk to each with their minds. Why the hell doesn’t Sam get that? If I was talking secretly to some other girl, she’d be freaking pissed, especially if it was a girl who was totally into me the way Erik is into her.
I still can’t believe Sam told me to stay in Minnesota while she and Erik go figure out this timer thing. And then she was surprised at how pissed off I was? She was basically breaking up with me. But she acted like it was no big deal. Like she was helping me out. It makes me want to tell her what happened to me so she’ll realize what I went through for her. When GlobalLife took me, they nearly killed me. These two huge guys beat the shit out of me. They knocked me unconscious and as soon as I woke up, they beat me again. It went on like that for days. That guy, Worthings, said he wanted me to look like I was almost dead when Sam saw me. I’m still in so much pain I can’t sleep. My ribs must be broken because it feels like the bones are shifting every time I breathe. I haven’t told Sam this because I don’t want her staying with me out of guilt. I want her to stay with me because she wants to. Because she loves me.
As angry as I am right now, I’m not ready to give up on Sam. She’s my closest friend. And I love her more than anything. I always have. I’ve loved her since the first day I met her back in second grade. I’m not going to sit back and let some asshole who’s known her for a week take her away from me. I don’t care what Sam says. There’s no freaking way I’m staying behind in Minnesota and letting Erik have her all to himself.
“Hey, man. What are you doing out here?” Erik comes out on the porch and sits next to me on the step, like we’re good friends. And if he wasn’t after my girlfriend, maybe we would be friends. Not close friends, but we could probably hang out.
“I was just thinking about stuff,” I say, not looking at him.
“Feeling any better?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lie.
“Tell my dad if you’re not. He’s really good at that medical shit. He’s not a doctor, but still. What do doctors know anyway, right? They just want to shove pills down your throat.”
I am grateful to Jack, Erik’s dad. He literally saved my life. I can tell Jack’s really smart. He’s also a really nice guy. I get the feeling that he’s keeping his eye on Erik. He knows his son is after Sam. It’s obvious. We all know. And I know Jack doesn’t approve.
There’s a long silence as we sit there staring into the dark woods behind Paul’s house. If I’m going to say anything to him, now’s the time.
“Erik, what’s going on with you and Sam?”
He turns to me, laughing. Arrogant bastard. Is he seriously going to try to deny it? Act like I’m crazy for even asking?
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” he asks.
“I see the way you look at her. And I know you purposely talk to her with your mind when you could just say what you need to say out loud.”
He keeps quiet.
“So where do you plan on taking this, Erik?”
He finally gets that I’m serious. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sam and I are just friends. I barely know her. But she doesn’t seem like the type of girl who would put up with a jealous boyfriend, so maybe you should lay off accusing me of shit that isn’t true. You’ll only make yourself look bad.”
I want to punch him so bad, but I can’t. For one, my arm is beat to hell and two, it would piss off Sam. Erik’s right about that. Sam hates the jealous boyfriend type.
Erik continues. “Listen, Colin. Sam is like a little sister to me. That’s it. And yeah, maybe I’m a little protective of her, but only because I feel like I have to watch out for her. Keep her safe.”
“That’s my job. Not yours.”
“Fine. Whatever.” He stands up. “If you want to take on GlobalLife, be my guest. We know how that worked out for you last time.”
Okay, now I really want to punch him. I stand up to face him, my hand curled in a fist at my side. “Just back off, Erik. Leave Sam alone.”
As he goes back in the house, I hear him muttering. “Relax, Colin. You’re reading too much into it.”
If that’s how he wants to play it, then fine. Keep pretending to be her friend. But I’m Sam’s boyfriend, which means I can do all the things Erik can’t do. Hold her hand. Kiss her. Hold her in my arms. Whisper in her ear. And I’m going to do them all right in front of that smug face of his. And I’m going to tell Sam exactly what he’s up to.
Game on, Erik. Game on.