But it wasn’t Chay who held my coat. It was Xavier. I could almost hear Chay growl in annoyance.
“Here you go, Milayna.” Xavier helped me slip into my coat before he wrapped my scarf around my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I said slowly.
Is he trying to tick Chay off intentionally or is he really that stupid that he can’t see we’re on a date?
“So, out for a night on the town, huh?” Xavier looked between us.
Ah, he’s trying to tick Chay off intentionally, then. What for?
“Yup,” Chay said. He was barely civil.
And it’s working.
“Not the best movie to take a girl to, Chay,” Xavier said with a laugh.
“I picked the movie last time,” I said.
Why am I explaining it to him? It’s none of his business.
“Ah.”
We stood quietly for a few seconds, looking at each other uncomfortably. Chay broke the silence first.
“Well, Milayna and I have to go. We’ll see ya around.”
“Yeah. Goodbye, Milayna.” Xavier’s gaze followed me. A lock of black hair fell over his forehead, and I had the weirdest urge to smooth it back in place.
“Bye.” I let Chay guide me out of the theater, his hand on the small of my back sending electrical currents up and down my spine. I loved it when he did that.
Chay unlocked and opened the car door for me, holding it while I slid in. He ran around the other side and climbed in, starting the car and turning up the heater.
Rubbing his hands together to warm them, he looked at me. “What was that?”
“What?”
“Between Xavier and you?”
“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I can’t believe you, Chay. You honestly think something was going on between us back there? I didn’t know he was going to be there any more than you did. And if I had known, I would have suggested another movie, maybe even another theater altogether. Geez.”
“Sorry, but he’s flirting with you.”
“But I’m with you. Right here and now, I’m with you, and you’re wasting a perfectly good opportunity to kiss me because you’re grumbling about Xavier.”
“Why is this a perfect time?”
“Ugh, you’re dense. You’re not supposed to need a reason to want to kiss your girlfriend. But if I have to give you one, it’s because Xavier is going to walk by the car in about ten seconds. Wouldn’t you rather him see us kissing instead of fighting about him?”
That was all the incentive Chay needed. I refused to think about which particular reason he chose to kiss me. I decided it was just because he wanted to and not because Xavier was walking by, but I suspected it was a little of both.
Pulling me over to him, as close as the center console would allow, he wrapped his hand behind my neck. He smiled down at me before leaning in for a kiss.
Breaking the kiss, he raised his head and smiled at me. He was gorgeous, a great kisser, and the best…
Then he opened his mouth and ignited my bitch switch.
“I wonder what Xavier thought of that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You just kissed me like that on the off-chance he was watching? What an idiot. Let’s go.” I flopped back in my seat and stared out the side window.
“Milayna—”
“Take me home, Chay. You’re on my bitchy nerve right now. Your mouth just ruined a perfectly good day. Not to mention what I thought was a mind-numbing kiss, but whatever.”
“It was a great kiss—”
“It was a staged kiss for Xavier’s benefit,” I accused. “Next time, you can just kiss Xavier.”
“I don’t know why you’re mad at me. You’re the one who told me to kiss you because he was walking past the car.”
“No, no, what I said was you shouldn’t need a reason to kiss me, but if I had to give you one—”
“Whatever, Milayna.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
“You interrupt me all the time!” he yelled.
And then the worst thing happened. I started to cry. I was so mad that I cried. Every nerve in my body was connected to my tear ducts. If I was mad, I cried. If I was sad, I cried. If I was happy, lonely, scared or whatever, I cried.
Chay mistook my tears as a reason to reach out to me. I batted his hand away. “I’m mad at you,” I blubbered.
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because I cry when I’m pissed. Take me home.”
“You’re being… whatever. Fine. I’ll take you home.”
“Good.”
“Good,” he snapped back.
What a stupid argument.
We didn’t talk on the drive back to my house. I didn’t wait for him to get out and open the car door for me. I was out of the car before he could shift it into park. I stomped across the driveway and up the front steps of the porch. Walking through the door, I slammed it behind me. I heard the crunching of his car’s tires on the snow-covered road and cried some more.
“Hey, honey, how was your date?” my mom called.
“Don’t ask.”
“Uh-oh, want to talk about it?”
“Not really, but thanks anyway, Mom. I just want to go upstairs and take a long, hot bath to warm up. It’s freezing outside.”
***