Chapter Seventeen
Alyssa
The drive to the small movie theatre wasn’t too bad. The
closer we got to the narrow roads of Seaside, the easier it was for
me to remain calm about the fact that for the first time in years I
had traveled outside my tiny little hole of a town.
My chest still hurt, but I swear it was like Demetri could tell
when I would start to panic. He’d squeeze my hand, and then it
was like by squeezing my hand, he somehow pushed the fear
away.
I sighed in relief the minute we rolled back into familiar
territory.
The movie theatre wasn’t crowded, which was a double
bonus. I didn’t do crowds, and I knew Demetri and Alec would be
irritated if there were lots of teen girls running around screaming
their names and sobbing their eyes out.
They were normal guys, right? I mean, it wasn’t as if
anything about them was any different from any other guy in this
world.
I stole a glance at Demetri as he got out of the car and
stretched his arms out in front of him. Seriously, how did that
sweatshirt even fit him? It hugged every muscle in his arms. I had
no idea guys even had that many muscles in their arms, and I used
to hang out with football players all the time.
He looked my way. I felt myself blush. Caught. Crap I was
totally caught ogling the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. My mouth was
even open. Perfect. He sauntered, yes, sauntered, as in slowly
walked toward me with his hips swaying slightly back and forth. I
looked down at the ground. My eyes were screaming at me to look
at him, but I swear, in that moment I felt like if I did I would melt
into a puddle, efficiently ruining one of the best days I’ve ever had.
“Lyss? You okay?” He chuckled, tilting my chin toward him.
His smile was my addiction; it was too bright, too beautiful not to
respond to. His deep set dimples made his face light up into what I
think every woman in my position would refer to as perfection.
“Yup,” I croaked. “Just awesome.” I felt my eyebrows lift as
if to prove how totally fine I was, when really on the inside my
heart was racing like crazy.
“Mmm…” His mouth descended.
Forget what I said earlier about him being like any other
guy.
Other guys don’t kiss like that.
What do they do in Hollywood? Give kissing lessons? Teach
the art of seduction?
His tongue tasted like the Jack Daniels taffy I had given him,
sweet with a bit of salt. I opened my mouth to him as his warm
hands braced my lower back, reaching lower than what was
probably appropriate in public. He pushed me against the car and
moaned into my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and
tried to press harder against him. It was as if I couldn’t get enough
of him.
“Dude,” Alec ground out. “We’re going to miss the movie.
You can make out later. You’re going to kill her if you keep
sweeping in like that with no warning whatsoever. She can barely
stand straight!”
Demetri pulled back chuckling. I was that girl. The girl that I
swore I’d never be. The one that would literally stalk the object of
her affection and never look back. His kiss did so many things to
me. Things that, the minute Brady died, I thought too painful to
experience again. I waited for the all too familiar stab in my chest.
But it didn’t happen. Demetri held out his hand and smiled at me.
Being with Demetri wasn’t the absence of pain. It was the
added presence of peace, making it easier and easier for that little
part of my heart to heal again.
“Your call.” Demetri smirked, kissing me softly across the
neck. “Movie or make out?”
“No. No skipping out.” Alec approached us. “Don’t listen to
him, Alyssa. He’s using his Jedi mind tricks on you. Look away!
Look away!”
I bit my lip and closed my eyes.
“Or that,” Alec said.
“Movie,” I squeaked. I hadn’t been to see in one in over a
year. I just rented everything and sat alone at my house.
No wonder I’d lost all my friends.
Demetri grabbed my hand and led me into the theatre.
It suddenly dawned on me how disappointed Brady would
be in my behavior. He’d always said I would change the world one
day with my constant cheerfulness and positive attitude.
How did I go from that person — a person I don’t even
remember being — to someone my parents put on suicide watch?
The smell of buttered popcorn bombarded my senses as we
made our way past the ticket counter. The boys wouldn’t let Nat or
me pay. Which was weird for me. The only person I’d ever dated
before was Brady. We were such good friends that I never wanted
to take advantage of him. We always went Dutch. Until now, I’d
never understood how good it felt to have someone treat me.
My smile was huge. I couldn’t help it. Demetri walked up to
the candy counter and scanned the glass. “One box of Swedish
Fish, a bag of Gummi Worms, two bags of plain M&M’s and three
sodas.”
“Are we feeding an army?” I nudged him as he paid for the
candy and pop.
He grinned and nudged me back. “Nope, just a recovering
drug addict with a very serious candy addiction.”
“Thanks, bro.” Alec swiped the Swedish Fish away from
Demetri and opened the bag, dangling a fish in front of Nat. She
blushed and kissed him before tossing it into her mouth.
“Never mind them. Swedish Fish are kinda their thing.”
Demetri smirked and wrapped his arm around me.
“And worms are yours?” I asked.
“Worms, taffy, soda, Alyssa…” His voice trailed off.
“Too bad I don’t fit in your pocket and give you a cavity.” I
sighed.
“You’re short enough to, let’s be honest. And while you
couldn’t give me a cavity, you make me want to taste you every
second I’m with you.” He licked his lips and grinned.
“Oh.” I felt my cheeks heat as I looked away. Thankfully the
movie theatre was somewhat dim, thanks to the crappy lights they
used. Otherwise, I would have been embarrassed over the fact that
I was blushing like a fool.
We found the right theatre and went to the back. The
previews started just as we sat down.
I should have known my perfect day would end horribly.
The screen went green, and then the first preview started.
My chest tightened as I watched the preview unfold. The
story so similar to my own. Girl and boy fall in love. Boy dies, but
not before getting girl pregnant, and then she’s shunned by her
friends until the new boy in school takes her under his wing.
The new boy is a football player.
I smiled at the relationship between the two.
And then that guy gets in a horrible accident, leaving her
wondering if she would be left alone again without her love. My
breathing was erratic, that much I knew. I tried to close my eyes,
but the screeching of metal hitting metal was suddenly too much
for me.
I ran out of the theatre, tears streaming down my face. Crap.
Why did I have to cry now, when everything finally felt normal? As
if it was going to be fine.
I ran right into Sam, who was standing with Aaron. “Hey,
you okay, Alyssa?”
“Fine,” I mumbled then pushed past them. My vision
blurred as I tried to get to the women’s restroom in time. I felt like I
was going to pass out. The sound of the crash played over and over
again in my head.
The way I held his broken body, the way my hands looked
so tiny trying to do compressions against his chest.
But it wasn’t enough.
It hadn’t been enough.
I tried to get him to breathe, to get him to do something.
“Brady! Stay with me, Brady! It’s going to be okay! Help is on the
way. Can you hear me, Brady?” I tried to speak softly even though I
wanted to scream.
“Brady?”
I tried to feel for a pulse, but there was too much blood, and my
fingers kept slipping. I pulled his shirt open and continued doing
compressions, even though he was lying back in his seat. It was a blessing
that at least something was holding his spine in place.
I tried so hard to breathe into his mouth, but it was as if I didn’t
have enough breath.
“Brady? Brady!” That time I yelled, hitting his chest harder.
His eyes flickered open.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
“I love you, Brady. Stay with me, okay? Can you keep your eyes
open?”
He mumbled something else, and blood trickled out of his mouth.
Oh God, there was so much blood. His hand reached for mine. I didn’t
know if I should stop and hold it or keep going.
I kept going.
He had to live.
I needed him to live. My heart was breaking in two. I would have
taken his spot in a second.
“Brady? You still with me?” I tried to keep my voice light as I
heard sirens in the distance. Thank God.
“Will always…” He coughed up more blood.
“Will always what?” The ambulance had just arrived.
“Love you.” He exhaled one last time as the door was torn open.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” The paramedics kept talking and talking,
but all I heard were Brady’s last words. All I saw was blood, and all I felt
was empty.
I fell to the ground, forgetting I was at the movie theatre
right in front of the girl’s bathroom.
Voices were muffled behind me, but it was as if I couldn’t
hear what they were saying. I clawed at the door. Why wouldn’t it
open? I couldn’t have a meltdown in front of the whole town!
Strong arms picked me up to my feet embracing me from
behind. “Shhh,” Demetri whispered in my ear.
Was I crying?
I touched my face. It was wet.
“How’d you find me?” I whispered hoarsely, refusing to
turn around and look at him.
“Sam and Aaron said you ran by them toward the women’s
restroom.”
I nodded. My heart beat slowly, reminding me that I had
life, when all I wanted to do was crumble into a tiny ball and die.
Why was this still so hard? Was it because I refused to forget him?
But by forgetting him, I lost him. I didn’t know what to do.
I turned in Demetri’s arms and wept against his chest. He
brought out the vulnerability in me. I both hated and loved it.
“Do you want to talk?” he asked after a few minutes.
I wiped some tears from underneath my eyes and shrugged.
“Let me text Alec and let him know what’s going on. We can
walk back. It’s only a few miles, and it will give us time to talk,
okay?”
I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I nodded.