Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Chrissy
T hat son of a bitch was lying to me. Does he really think I can’t tell? Not only did he lie, he did it terribly. His eyes darted around the room, his cheeks flushed, and his voice dropped an octave. Rome doesn’t intend to put any boundaries in place, which means I need to keep working on him. I didn’t expect a miracle in the first session. I hoped he would be more open to the opportunity, but I can work my magic on him.
Finishing combing the knots from my hair, I put on a purple V-neck and button my jeans. Rome should be here any minute, and even though I know this isn’t a date, I can’t push aside my nerves.
“Oh, Wildflower. I’ll protect you, don’t worry.”
Following one of Gwen’s techniques, I sip on some ginger ale to settle my stomach and try to breathe out the violent anxiety that has taken over.
“This isn’t a date. Rome and I are two friends. I’m helping him get out more. That’s all. Stop freaking out,” I lecture myself.
My phone goes off beside me, and I nearly fall off my bed in response to the sudden interruption.
I’m right outside :)
Be right down.
I stand up and start to pace the room. I’m being ridiculous. For all I know, Rome isn’t interested in me like that anymore.
Fuck, I can’t even lie to myself.
Grabbing my phone, I head out of my dorm and take the stairs down to the foyer. I halt when I see him. Rome has his hands in his jeans pockets, staring up at the blue sky painted with white clouds. The sun seems to wrap around him instead of beating down on his body. It’s almost as if the sun knows Rome is light himself, and he deserves the world to know just how glorious he is.
Strolling toward the door, Rome raises his hand and gently waves at me.
Gulping past the lump in my throat, I head outside and jog down the stairs.
“Hey, blondie.”
My knees wobble when he flashes me his flawless smile.
“I’m starting to think I need more nicknames for you,” I say with a grin. “Let’s see. I have: football boy, Sir Eats A Lot, Carter, muscle man. Hmm, what else can I call you?”
“Dashing? Handsome? Irresistible?”
“How about captain?” I wink at him, and he purses his lips.
“Very funny.”
“Too soon? How about?—”
“Football legend?”
“Turtle licker.” I smirk.
“I don’t want to know how you landed on that one. Anyway, ready to go get spooked?”
“Absolutely.”
But I really wanted to say, “With you? I’m ready for anything.”
The car ride to the theater was silent, but it didn’t feel awkward. It was nice. I caught myself smiling, just happy to be in his presence.
When we pull into the parking lot, I hop out of the car and psych myself up. The last time I was spooked, it involved a Horror Fest and a certain siren being punched in the face. I hope this outing doesn’t end similarly.
“Do you have to use the bathroom or something?” Rome asks when he catches me jumping in place.
“What? No. Well, maybe. Wait, what is that for?” I point at the hoodie Rome grabs from the backseat. The same jacket he let me wear during the beach trip.
“It gets cold. Thought I’d bring it for you just in case.”
And there goes my fucking heart. It melts into my bones and leaves me feeling wobbly.
“That’s sweet of you.” I smile, and we start to walk toward the entrance.
When we pass through the front doors, a gust of cold air washes over my body, and I inhale the aroma of freshly popped popcorn, artificial butter, and frozen drinks. The sound of arcade games bounces off the walls as Rome buys our tickets. Looking down at my feet, I grin at the classic nineties pattern. Random geometric shapes in all sorts of crazy colors. I follow Rome as he leads us to the concession stand.
“What, no diet today?” I tease while nudging into his arm.
“No diet today. We’re going to eat as much as we can until we hurl. How does that sound?” Rome winks while clicking his tongue.
“Sounds like my kind of Saturday afternoon.”
Rome orders a large popcorn, two large blue raspberry frozen drinks, and way too many boxes of candy. We walk to our seats with our arms full. Sitting near the middle, we’re both happy to discover only a few other people are seated.
I don’t mind crowds, but something about movie theater crowds hits differently, and they can be irritating. Sipping on my frozen drink, I lean back and open a box of gummies. When the lights dim, Rome’s relaxed expression turns eager, and I realize just how much he wanted to do this today.
A smile spreads across my face, and when he looks at me, he tosses his hoodie at my face. I peel it off and snort when I catch Rome holding back a violent laugh. I chuck a gummy at his face and press my lips together.
“I see how it is, turtle licker.” I cross my arms over my chest and huff.
His chuckle is muted by the movie’s volume.
“I’m sorry,” he tries to whisper, but he’s almost doubled over from laughing so hard.
Rome leans over and wraps his arms around me. I can’t resist nuzzling into the crook of his neck and getting lost in his ocean-scented skin.
“I’m right here if you get scared.” His words send a rush of hot chills over my body, and I nearly faint.
Pulling back, Rome offers me a kind smile before leaning back in his seat and tossing popcorn in his mouth like nothing just happened.