Outside (13 page)

“Hey Ms. Roberts. Is Alaina here?” Duh. Of course she is.

She smiles. “Come on in. She’ll be down in just a minute.”

I wait on the blue couch in the living room. I’ve only been here a few times. Every time, though, I wished I lived here. It’s comfortable. Inviting. Not like my house, where everything is imported and so expensive, you can’t really use it without Dad or Christine losing their shit. I once set a glass on the coffee table Dad had imported from Africa and it left a ring. I might as well have set the fucking thing on fire for as much shit as they gave me.

Movement in the doorway catches my eye. Alaina hovers just outside the living room.

“Go!” Holly hisses, shoving her forward.

Alaina stumbles into the room and then gives me that tiny, shy smile of hers.

She’s wearing jeans and a green plaid button-up shirt that fits her a lot better than most of the shirts she wears. And her hair is in two thick braids.

“You look pretty,” I say, getting to my feet.

Her cheeks turn the faintest shade of pink. “Thank you,” she says, staring at the floor.

“Ready?” I ask.

She nods and turns, heading into the hallway that leads to the front door.

The whole way to the mall, she tells me how excited she is to see this movie and all about the characters. As soon as we get here, though, her demeanor changes. She’s quiet and stiff, just like when I first met her.

“Relax,” I say as we weave through the shopping crowd.

“I thought we were going to the movie,” she says, dodging a woman pushing a stroller.

“We are. The theater is in the mall.”

Her arm brushes against mine as we squeeze past a group of people taking up most of the walkway. “There are a lot of people here,” she mutters, moving an arm’s length away from me the moment she gets the chance.

“It’s okay. As soon as we’re in the theater, you won’t even see them.”

At the theater, we step up to the next open ticket window.

“Hey! Grayson!” Bryce Pierson says from behind the glass.

I forgot he worked here. Bryce is the world’s biggest tool.

“Hey,” I say, hoping to get through this transaction without having to listen to him call me “Brah” a million times.

“What’s up, Brah? What’re you watchin’?”

I pull my wallet out of my back pocket and take out my card. “Two for that unicorn movie.”

He eyes me, a smart-ass grin on his face. “You f’real, Brah?”

“F’real,” I say, flipping my card into the tray under the glass.

His eyes move to the left and land on Alaina, who’s thankfully not listening at all. She’s staring at a poster for some movie called
Ragnarök
, a Viking disaster movie. Hollywood must really be out of ideas.

“Ohhhh,” he says, nodding. “I get you, Brah.” He swipes my card. “Just make sure you get at least a blowjob for sitting through such a bitch movie.”

I scowl as he shoves my card and our tickets under the glass. “Fuck off,
Brah
.”

Moving past the ticket counter, I hand Alaina her ticket. “Hold on to that. You’ll need it to get in.”

She glances up at me. “Thank you. I didn’t know this was a bitch movie.”

My eyes widen and I choke back a laugh, wondering if she knows what “bitch” means. “It’s not. Don’t listen to Bryce. He’s a dumbass.” I nod at the concession counter. “Candy?”

Her eyes light up. “Yes!”

Standing in line, Alaina rises up on her toes to see around the people in front of us. “They’re serving popcorn,” she says excitedly.

“You like popcorn?” For some reason the thought of a bunch of cult members eating popcorn is hard to wrap my head around.

She nods, her eyes still glued to the concession counter.

Glancing around the lobby, I spot a familiar face emerging from the women’s bathroom. My stomach turns and for a moment, my lungs constrict. The first signs of a panic attack that only Brittany Patterson can bring on.

I force myself to breathe and look away, focusing on Alaina who might as well be in line by herself, considering the space she keeps between us. Stepping closer to her, I lean down. “Hey, can you do me a huge favor?”

She backs up. “Okay.”

“That girl over there. The one in the shorts and boots.” I nod to the bathroom behind Alaina.

She turns and looks before turning back to me, eyebrows pulled together. “What about her?”

“That’s my ex-girlfriend. The guy that pulled us over last weekend is her dad. She’s…” How do I say this without sounding like a total dick? “Can you pretend that you really,
really
like me so she won’t come over here? I don’t want to talk to her.”

Still scowling, Alaina shakes her head in confusion. “Adam, I
do
really, really like you.”

I bite the inside of my lip ring to keep myself from grinning like an idiot. “Well, that works out then. I really, really like you too.”

She smiles and that faint pink blush is back in her cheeks as her eyes drop to the floor. “So what do you want me to do?” she asks, still staring at the floor.

Reaching for her, I lace my fingers between hers. “Nothing. Just stand next to me.”

Even with Alaina’s hand in mine, Brittany walks over when she spots me.

“Adam!” she says, grinning.

I pull Alaina closer to my side. “Yup,” I say, not returning the smile.

“Here to see a movie?” she asks.

“Nah. I just like standing in lines.” I know I’m being an asshole, but this girl interprets the slightest kindness as flirtation.

Brittany giggles. “You’re so funny.”

Seriously?

I squeeze Alaina’s hand and glance down at her. She looks up at me and then does the last thing I expect. She leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if it were anyone else. But it’s Alaina and this is a huge gesture. This is like second base for her.

“Oh,” Brittany says, one thin, reddish-brown eyebrow raised. “You’re
with
someone.”

“This is Alaina,” I say.

Brittany eyes her from head to toe.

Alaina smiles at her but doesn’t say anything.

“Love your blouse,” Brittany says, eyes narrowed.

“And those are lovely boots,” Alaina replies.

For a long, awkward moment, no one says anything. Brittany glares at Alaina and Alaina goes back to eyeing the concession counter with her head on my shoulder.

“Adam,” Brittany finally says, still glaring at Alaina. “We should talk later. When you’re not
busy
.”

I shake my head. “Nah. I’m good.”

“Please,” she begs, gazing up at me. “Just for two minutes. Just hear me out.”

“No,” I say, focusing on the menu board behind the counter.

The cashier behind the concession counter calls out, “Next!”

Alaina lifts her head and pulls me forward. “Come on!”

I allow her to pull me away, leaving Brittany to stamp her foot and huff by herself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ALAINA

We settle in seats in the center of the dimly lit theater. In front of us is a wall-sized screen displaying images that change every few seconds.

“Now what?” I whisper to Adam, clutching four boxes of candy in my hands.

“Now,” he says, setting the bucket-sized Coke in the holder between us. “We wait for it to start.”

There aren’t many other people in here with us. Maybe because it’s a “bitch” movie.

“Adam?” I busy myself with opening the box of Milk Duds so I don’t have to look him in the eye when I ask. “What does bitch mean?”

He’s quiet, and when I look up, he’s chewing the ring in his lip to keep from smiling. “It has a few meanings, but mostly it’s, uh, a derogatory term for women.”

Shaking my head, my eyebrows pull together. “I don’t understand. How is this movie a bitch, then?”

He laughs. “It’s not. I told you not to listen to Bryce. He’s an idiot. This movie is marketed toward females. That’s all he meant. He was being crass about it.”

I nod and dig a Milk Dud out of the box. Adam puts his arm across the back of my chair and the air stirs with his scent. That heady, warm scent that I smelled in the car the night of the party. I can’t help leaning into him a little. Resting my head on his shoulder while we waited in line earlier was definitely a bit much, but this, sitting close with an armrest between us, I think this is okay.

The lights fade to black and without warning the screen in front of us comes to life, noise blaring from the walls. I jump, nearly dumping my Milk Duds. My stomach twists with nerves. This is it. There’s no going back.

The screen plays what Adam tells me are “previews” before I get my first glimpse of Avryn. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and she has
wings
! Real wings! I know from reading the book that Avryn’s wings don’t work. She can’t fly like the other faeries. It’s why she rides Windshadow.

I’m riveted in my seat. I’m not even sure I’m blinking at this point. It isn’t until Hayze and Avryn appear on screen together, meeting for the first time, that I remember that they make love later in the story.

My cheeks burn and I glance at Adam. He smiles and I look away quickly.

They won’t actually show it, will they? So far, the story has skipped around, leaving out little parts that were in the book. Maybe they’ll skip the love-making too.

Except the love-making was a
big
deal in the book.

I squeeze the mostly-empty box of Milk Duds in my fist, cringing as I say, “Adam?”

“Hm?”

“They won’t show… They… The love…” I babble like an idiot, unable to say the words. Instead I peek up at him.

He leans close. “This is PG-13. They’ll show kissing. That’s about it.”

I nod, relieved that he understands what I’m asking, and even more relieved that I won’t have to sit through anything more than a kiss or two.

My relief is short-lived, however. The kissing that takes place when I’m half-way through a box of Sour Patch Kids is unlike
anything
I’ve ever seen.

In Shiloh, when people are paired, they kiss during the ceremony by touching their lips together. Avryn and Hayze are practically eating each other’s faces! Hayze lifts her, like in the book and pushes her dress out of the way. I know what comes next. I’ve read the details so many times, I can recite it word-for-word.

I look away, ashamed for them. Ashamed at myself for watching their intimate moment for as long as I did.

It takes me a second to realize I’m looking directly at Adam.

“You alright?” he asks, squeezing my shoulder.

“Fine,” I squeak.

“It’s almost over,” he says, smiling crookedly.

Sucking in a deep breath, I say, “Good,” and shove a handful of Sour Patch Kids in my mouth.

After the movie, we walk out of the theater and Adam slips his hand into mine.

“Is that girl back?” I whisper, glancing around, expecting to see his old girlfriend lurking nearby.

He laughs. “No, I just wanted to hold your hand. Is that okay?”

My stomach swoops nervously.
Is
this okay? I want it to be. It feels okay. Better than okay. This is special.

“Yes, it’s okay,” I say, smiling up at him.

The mall is less crowded now and we take our time, not having to dodge any frantic, bag-wielding people.

“So,” he says, swinging our arms. “What’d you think?”

“Aside from all that kissing, it was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” I say. “It was just like the book. Where did they find so many people with wings?”

He squints at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Those weren’t real. People don’t have wings. It’s all movie magic.”

My cheeks burn. “Oh.” I should have known that.

He smiles and wiggles my arm. “You hungry? Want to get some pizza or something?”

I have no idea what pizza is, but I nod. “Sure.”

He guides me toward the door we came in originally, letting go of my hand to open it for me. We step outside into the stifling summer heat despite the fact that the sun is starting to disappear behind the outline of buildings to the west.

Adam slips his hand back into mine and we cross the parking lot. Fishing his keys from his pocket, he presses a button as we approach his car. The lights flash, illuminating a small, beat up, white car parked in an adjacent spot. Someone is sitting inside while the engine runs.

Adam, oblivious to the stranger, pulls me to his side again. “Not so bad, huh?” he says. “And you’re not addicted, right?”

“Right,” I say, still focused on the shadowy figure in the car.