Page 28 of Unbreak My Heart

“And what exactly are you going to make me watch?” he asked, feeling strangely playful.

She winked at him, and his gut free-fell. “I should find out what you hate most and make you sit through that, but no, notevenI’mthat mean.” She walked up to the counter and quietly requested two tickets, then pointed up at the illuminated board above her head. “The horror one.”

Both his eyebrows flew skyward as she tapped her phone to the machine. “Horror?”

She nodded excitedly. “I haven’t been able to see one at the cinema foryears. This one looks fabulous!”

Simon shook his head and chuckled.

A horror.

Certainly not what he’d expected.

“Okay.” He gestured to the tickets in her hand. “Since you got those, what would you like from the candy bar?”

Now it was Eva’s turn to look surprised. “You don’t have—”

“And you didn’t have to get the tickets,” he interrupted. “What’ll it be?”

Happiness lit her eyes. “Popcorn. Youhaveto have popcorn at the movies. And a coke. Happy to share if you want?”

Simon inclined his head and ordered the items, going for the jumbo-sized options. At Eva’s questioning look, he shrugged. “I’m hungry. I don’t wanna eat it all on you.” He pointed to a hanging bag of chocolates as well when the attendant placed the popcorn and drink on the bench. “Those too, thanks.”

They entered the cinema numbered on their tickets and sat, Simon placing the drink and popcorn on the flat area atop the movable armrest between them. He noted her strange silence after her particularly excited beginning out in the foyer.

“Everything okay, Eva?”

She nodded and chewed a nail, then grimaced at it. “Sorry. Shocking habit.”

Simon shrugged, waiting for her to continue talking.

Eva glanced at the food. “I just…” She sighed, the sound seeming to contain years of frustration. “I’m not used to people—guys—sharing costs. I mean, my ex, he…” She frowned, bitingher lip. “He is one of those people who refuses to spend a single cent unless he’s forced to. But, boy, could he spend the moneyIbrought home. He never held a job the entire time I knew him. There was always some reason why—he couldn’t find a job in the area he wanted; the boss wouldn’t give him a fair go. That sort of thing. Constantly. He’d apply for jobs he had no hope of getting, just so he had an excuse not to work. Then he’d get angry if things were tight. It got far worse when I fell pregnant. He didn’t like sharing the attention.”

She glanced at him; her face tight. Anger flooded his whole body.

The prick.

“Sorry, Simon. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this.”

Without thinking, Simon reached out and lifted her chin with his finger. “Sometimes you just need to talk about it. He sounds like a right ass.”

Eva sent him a wobbly smile.

“Ass isn’t the word I would use. But, yeah.”

“So, he never took you on a date, or out to the flicks”—he motioned around them—“like this?”

She let out a muffled huff of laughter. “No! Don’t be silly. I’d buy the ticketsandthe food. Plus whatever meal we had before or after.”

He still hadn’t released her chin, preferring to be able to look in her eyes while they spoke. He knew if he let go, she’d hide her face from him. “Well, then. We’ll just have to fix that, won’t we? Next one is on me.”

Emotional, dark eyes rounded with surprise.

“He used you, Eva. And that’s just not right. You’re an educated woman. How in hell did you end up with a loser like him?”

Humiliation and what looked like fear chased through her eyes. She pulled back from his hand, and he was surprised at the feeling of loss that followed.

She motioned to herself. “How do you think? It’s not like they were lining up to date me. And now? I have a child. A three-year-old son. No one wants to take that on, particularly when I look like this.”

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