Page 14 of That's Too Pucking Bad

I pick up the call and hold my breath for a second before answering. “Hey.”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Studying,” I say, flipping a page that I’m not actually reading. “What’s up?”

“There was a showing ofWhen Harry Met Sallyat the drive-in at 10:30 p.m.,” he says. “We can catch the end of the movie. Want to go?”

I glance at my books, then at the clock. I haven’t seen him in… God, it feels like forever. A real date? A proper one? That hasn’t happened in even longer.

“Yeah, sure,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant. “I could use a break.”

“Perfect,” he says, a smile in his voice. “I’ll pick you up.”

I hang up and sit there for a second, staring at my reflection in my laptop screen. What the hell am I doing?

Scrambling out of my chair, I head to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face. I need to look like I’ve got my shit together even if I don’t. I throw on a short pink dress.

I tug at the hem in the mirror, my fingers fidgeting with the fabric. “Good enough,” I mutter before grabbing my phone and bag.

When Colin pulls up, I’m waiting by the door. His car headlights cut through the night, and when he steps out, I notice those dimples that always get me. They’re there, clear as day, even though it’s the middle of the damn night.

“Hey, stranger,” he says, leaning against the car, looking annoyingly perfect in that effortless way he always does.

“Hey,” I say, feeling a little breathless, but I shove it down.

He steps forward, pulls me into a quick kiss, and it’s like my brain short-circuits. His lips brush mine, and for a second, I’m not thinking about school, or Maya, or anything else. Just him.

“Let’s get out of here,” he murmurs, his voice low.

I grin up at him. “Actually… do you just want to go up to my room?” My voice comes out softer than I intend, a little hopeful.

Colin chuckles, shaking his head. “I already bought tickets to the movie.”

My heart sinks a little, but I force a smile. “Oh. Right. Yeah, okay.”

“You look really pretty,” he says, his eyes scanning me, making me feel a little better, even if I’m still disappointed. “Come on.”

I follow him to the car, sliding into the passenger seat. The drive is quiet, but not awkward. It’s… comfortable. We’vedone this a million times before, but it still feels different now. There’s this unspoken thing between us that neither of us is acknowledging, but it’s there.

When we get to the drive-in, there are only a few cars scattered around. The giant screen flickers in the distance, casting a soft glow over everything. Colin parks, and I settle back into my seat, glancing at him as he gets out of the car.

“Come on, let’s sit outside,” he says, grabbing a blanket from the backseat.

We set up in front of the car, the blanket spread out on the ground. Colin sits down first, then pulls me down next to him, his arm immediately wrapping around me. It’s warm and solid, and even though I’m still kind of pissed that we didn’t go back to my room, I can’t deny that it’s nice to just be close to him again.

I am not sure we would have had sex, but I miss touching him. I miss making out with my boyfriend.

Why does the thought make me feel so damn pathetic?

The movie starts, but I’m barely paying attention. All I can focus on is how close we are, how his fingers lightly trace patterns on my arm, sending little sparks through me. It’s distracting in the best way.

“You cold?” he asks, pulling me even closer.

“No,” I lie, my heart doing a little jump when he shifts to look at me.

“You sure?” His voice is teasing, but there’s an edge to it, something deeper.

“I’m okay.”

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