Page 56 of Blurred Lines

True to his word, not two hours later, I find myself sinking into the plush embrace of a red velvet seat, the rich, buttery aroma of freshly popped popcorn enveloping us like a warm hug. The lights start their graceful descent into darkness.

To my left, Finn offers me a grin as wide as the screen before us, while Caeleb, ever the stoic sentinel, takes up the right, his presence a steady pulse in the ebb and flow of my scattered thoughts.

And then, there's the popcorn—oh, the popcorn! Each kernel is a burst of joy, a tiny explosion of comfort that seems to say, "Everything's going to be alright." We pass the bucket back and forth, a group of kids rather than the grown-ups we're supposed to be.

As the movie barrels forward, its logic-defying gravity and common sense in equal measure, our row of seats becomes an island of light-hearted camaraderie in the dark sea of the theater.

I lean in. "Do you think physics just called in sick today?"

Caeleb, without missing a beat, adds, "Physics? More like all of science took a sabbatical for this one."

Finn, chuckling, shakes his head, popcorn in hand. "Wait, you mean you can't actually jump a car over a skyscraper?"

Silas, the quietest among us, deadpans, "Only on Tuesdays."

Our laughter, a mix of snickers and guffaws, fills the space around us. As the hero on screen makes another impossible escape, I throw my hands up. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he starts flying."

Caeleb nods sagely. "Only after he swims through lava, Emily."

Finn gestures dramatically at the screen. "Guys, it's clearly all in the cape. I'm getting one tomorrow."

Silas chimes in without missing a beat, "I wonder if it comes in different colors. I'd like mine in a tasteful beige."

I sigh. As ridiculously impossible as all his moves may be, the hero has worked wonders to quiet the chaos that's been threatening to upend my life. It's been a whirlwind of a week. Thankfully, no one has come out with open blackmail following that night in the vines with Caeleb, so maybe we were mistaken. The vortex within me begins to still, if only for a while.

There, in the dark, cocooned by the scent of popcorn and the soft glow of the screen, we carve out a sanctuary from the world's chaos. I smile as the credits begin to roll. "It's an odd, endearing comfort, a reminder that sometimes, the best way to face reality is to escape it, just for a little while."

"Speaking of escapes," Finn's voice comes through in a low rumble. "I have an idea."

I give him a side gaze and notice the mischief rife in his eyes. It makes me grin. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

He reaches his hand out and touches my knee gently. I know this is him asking for my permission, and I give it by planting my palm on his.

Emboldened, he takes my hand. "How about we show you? That's always more effective, I think."

I smile slightly, eyes wide, mind running with possibilities. "In a movie theater?"

"No," he corrects me. "In an empty movie theater that I've booked out for just the four of us."

23

FINN

My name, although most people know me as Finn, is Finnigan Seamus Landry. It is so theatrical that the first thing I did when I had the means was change it to something more … nondescript. Finn makes me sound boyish on occasion, but I like the crispness of it.

From Emily's lips though, hearing her whisper my name as I pull her in to plant a kiss on her lips, it is the sexiest thing I have ever heard. I could hear her repeat Finn again and again.

"You smell incredible," I say, dropping kisses wherever I can. The veined expanse of her collarbones deserves special attention, and I lower my mouth.

"Oh yes, there." She wriggles in delight, a smile on her full mouth.

I move to the south, enjoying the delicately rising slopes of her pale breasts, the tops just visible. I lower the zipper situated at the back of her dress and pull the soft material down, letting it bunch at her waist.

"Of all the places I pictured myself doing this," she admits, releasing a slow sigh as I trail my lips on the half-moons of her breasts, taking great pleasure in the fact that she's not wearing a bra underneath, "this wasn't one of them."

"It is baffling," I agree, grazing the tender underside of her breasts with my short beard. "But you make it impossible to stay away, Em."

Emily giggles, then proceeds to take me out. Her small hands extract my pulsating length from my trousers. She releases a pleased gasp as she notes how hard I already am, how ready for her.

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