Page 71 of Before I Loved You

“Oh no. I don’t want to take it from you.” She swats the blanket away.

“I promise it’s fine.” I push the blanket toward her.

She purses her lips and then stands. “I have a better idea.” Taking a step, she sits beside me, our thighs touching. “We can share.” Her fingers reach for the blanket, pulling it toward her and spreading it over our legs.

“Cool.” I clear my throat.

Cool?

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I reach over the side of the chair and grab the hidden bag. “I ah…got you something.”

Placing the bag on her lap, she scrunches her face, unsure what she’s about to find.

“Why?” she asks.

“Just open it.”

She sighs and quickly pulls out the contents, holding the black fabric between her fingers.

“I felt bad about your dress getting ruined the other night, so I went to the store to get you a new one,” I tell her.

She rolls in her bottom lip. “That was really sweet of you. Thank you.” She folds the dress, placing it neatly back in the bag. “About the other night. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your text after; it’s just…”

“I know, Sarah.”

She tucks in her chin, glancing down. “I don’t think you do,” she whispers.

My fingers tilt her chin up to face me. “Then why don’t you tell me?”

She shakes her head. “Can we just keep watching the movie?”

I hesitate, knowing I should push her when something is holding her back from me. But reluctantly, I release her chin. “Okay.”

She leans back, brushing her arm against mine. “But you don’t like this movie, do you?”

“I mean.” I shrug. “I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorite movies.”

“What’s your favorite movie?”

“Pshh. That’s a tough question. There’re so many.”

She puts her index finger to her cheek, tilting her head. “On the count of three, name the first movie that comes to mind. One. Two. Three.”

“Star Wars: Episode Four,” I rush out. Shit. Why did I say that? She probably thinks I sound like a weird nerd.

You are a nerd.

“I’ve never seen any of the Star Wars movies. Let’s watch it.”

My brows crease. “Are you sure? You seemed pretty into this one.” Just as I look at the screen, the man has a knife the size of a baseball bat going into some person’s stomach—instant regret.

Sarah notices my reaction and giggles. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

She steals the remote and types in some words, and soon after, Stars Wars: A New Hope is playing on the TV.

“Okay, but if you don’t like it, we can shut it off and put the other movie back on,” I suggest.

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