Going out with Luke was exactly like I remembered—at least the last two months of our relationship, minus the pawing. On our group date last weekend, I asked him if we could take things slow and he agreed—for the first few dates. I had a feeling tonight was going to be the end of Luke’s hands-off promise. So far, dating him the second time around stunk.
Luke placed his hands on his hips. “It’s a good thing Stephen and Lila got here on time to get tickets. It’s sold out.”
Self-absorbed, egotistical jerk … “This isn’t going to work,” I said.
He balled his fist and then forced himself to relax his hands. “Look, I want this to work. You’re just mad because I’m siding with your dad on this stupid car thing. Lila’s dating Stephen. Grace is with Chad. You and I make perfect sense.” He caressed my cheek. That touch used to melt me into a puddle. All I felt now were calluses, a wart and dry skin. “I know it’s rough trying to figure us out again. I think our problem is that we’re taking it too slow. I deserve an award for keeping my hands off of you.”
Luke took a step toward me, slipped a hand around my back, and pressed me into him. Every muscle I had tensed. This didn’t feel natural at all.
“Let’s go see the movie and afterward we can go back to my place. I think you’ll feel a lot better once I help you remember what we’re so good at doing.” His breath fanned over my face and I swear a few spit particles did, too. Why was I doing this again?
“Echo! There you guys are. The movie theater is already packed.” Lila bounced beside me. Relieved for the interruption, I stepped away from Luke.
Stephen and Luke exchanged some sort of weird male handshake. Stephen pointed at theater three. “Come on. It’s starting. We couldn’t get six seats together, but we saved two for you in the back.” Stephen gave Luke a high five. Boy, Luke would be disappointed when he figured out nothing was going to happen in the back.
The guys walked ahead while Lila and I fell behind. Lila asked, “You okay?”
“I don’t think Luke and I are going to work. He hasn’t changed a bit.” Why, like everything else, did this have to be complicated? Why couldn’t anything be simple, the way it had been freshman year?
Lila took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. “We’ll talk later. Let’s enjoy the movie, okay?”
She caught up with Stephen and Luke grabbed my hand. “You just need to focus on being like you used to be. You know— normal,” he said.
Lila sent me a pleading glance. I sank in the seat next to Luke and let him put his arm around me. All of us prayed for normal. But so far, normal only meant more misery.
IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF the movie we met a teenager who graduated from high school and joined the Marines. Ten minutes in, we watched him graduate from boot camp. Twenty minutes into the movie, I dry heaved.
Nausea swelled my throat, my tongue felt ten sizes too big and I couldn’t breathe. No matter how much air I tried to suck in, none of it went into my lungs. I sprang from my seat and tripped down the dark stairs of the theater to the sounds of men screaming in agony to God and their mothers.
I raced for the women’s bathroom, busted past the door and clung to the cold sink. The mirror revealed a nightmare. Red curls clung to the sweat on my forehead. My entire body shook like an earthquake.
The image of the man’s friend stepping on an IED flashed in my mind. The bile inched up my throat. Oh, God—Aires. Was that what happened to him? Did he scream in agony? Did he know he was dying? The face of the blood-drenched actor merged with Aires’ face. My body wrenched forward, my stomach cramped and I coughed with the dry heave.
He was dead and he’d died in misery, terrified.
A stall door opened. A little old lady stared at me with pitying old eyes. “Boy troubles?”
I snatched a paper towel to wipe my eyes and hide my face. Gasping for air, I reminded myself that I’d come here to be normal, not a spectacle. “Yes.”
The old lady smiled at me in the mirror while washing her hands. “A pretty girl like you will find someone new quickly. By the way, I love your gloves. It’s not very often that you see a young person wearing them.” She left.
My cell phone vibrated in my back pocket. Luke texted me: Whr r u?
In the girl’s bathroom losing my mind. There was no way I could go back: 2 violent 4 me. shpg. Meet u aftr movie.
I waited a few seconds and my phone vibrated again: cool cu then.
Eight-thirty. I had two and a half hours to blow until the end of the movie. Seemed to be a recurring theme in my life.
The food court sat right next to the movie theater. I needed something to drink. But like an idiot, I’d brought no money, not even my purse. Luke insisted that I leave it at home. Blah, blah, blah … our first night to the movies together … blah, blah, blah … he would pay for everything … blah, blah, blah … he took me to see the worst movie ever …
The employees of the food court were cleaning and preparing to close. But some places stayed open to feed the night owls. I headed to one, the burger joint that had stools next to the counter.
I sat on a stool and watched some tall guy flip burgers. Lila would so love that cute butt. “Excuse me?”
The cook turned and I slid off my seat. “Noah?”
He flashed his wicked grin. “‘Sup, Echo. Miss me?”
I sat again. “No.” Kind of.
Noah scooped the burgers off the grill, placed them on some buns and called out a number. A lady came and carried the burgers away. He sauntered to the counter. “What can I do for you?”
The red bandana he wore held back the hair that typically covered his eyes. I loved his eyes. Chocolate-brown, full of mischief and a spark ready to light the world on fire. “Can I have a glass of water, please?” And please let it be free.
“Is that it?”
My stomach growled, loud enough for Noah to hear. “Yep, that’s it.”
He fixed me a glass and handed it to me. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like a burger? A nice thick burger on a toasted bun with salty fries on the side?”