Page 65 of Estranged Heart
“Oh yeah? That’s awesome. You excited?”
His eyes light up and he sets his towel on mine. “Yeah.” His clothes are resting on the counter and he steps around me to get to them. “I think it’ll be good for me overall, and I miss being around the flowers.”
“You look really happy whenever you’re talking about them.”
“They’re one of the few things that kept me going during rough days. It was pretty shattering when I had to take leave and didn’t have the energy to go into our garden outside.” Hurt flashes in his eyes like a passing storm.
“What else kept you going, aside from flowers and books?”
“Books were an obvious one, huh?” He slips on his shirt and steps into his shorts, looking pensive. “Music and slasher films.”
My eyes widen as I pause mid-dress. “Slasher films, huh? Didn’t see that one coming.”
His head waves back and forth. “I mean, I snuck some comedies in there a few times but yeah, slashers were whatcalled to me the most. The cheesy corny ones from the early nineties are the best too.”
“I did really enjoyScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summerwhen I saw them in the theater. I didn’t really watch too many movies after meeting Landon, though.”
“Why not?” His brows rise and his hip rests against the sink.
“I don’t know actually. We just didn’t. Not at the theater or at home. Landon liked rock climbing, going on cruises, snuggling in front of the fire while talking, and cooking for friends.”
“We should go see one then.”
“Today?” My voice rises a little.
“Only if you want. Unless you’re tired of me already.” He leans in closer, tugging on his bottom lip with his teeth.
“Not even a little.” I capture his mouth with mine, kissing him softly before stepping back to put away my toiletries. “What do you want to see?”
“We can decide when we get there. Whatever draws our attention first. Doesn’t have to be anything scary. It’s been a while since I’ve snuck in a rom com.” He slides his hand closer to mine.
“I’ll see anything with you. Can be scary, sad, or funny. Doesn’t matter to me. I doubt I’ll be paying much attention anyway, with you sitting so close by.” I twitch my lips and he barks out a laugh.
I’m right too, at least for the first twenty minutes or so. After we get popcorn, candy, and Slurpees, we find our seats, and I’ve already forgotten what we chose to see when he rests his head on my shoulder. Our hands come in contact several times when we reach into the popcorn bag, and Silas lifts the arm rest to snuggle into me closer.
Laughing and smiling at the screen, he tangles his fingers with mine. I look around the theater before laying a kiss on him, my tongue brushing over his as I invade more of his mouth. Whenwe break a part, I swing an arm around him, dragging him closer, and he goes back to watching the movie.
I do too for a while, and then my attention is pulled back to him. To how he responds to devastating, passionate, and happy moments. He’s so expressive with his emotions, letting me see more of who he is. When he feels, he feels hard. It’s right in his eyes. How they harden one moment and soften the next. Sometimes there are tears and others there’s a blank stare while he holds his breath.
He squeezes my hand, scooting closer to the edge of his seat, and I follow his gaze so I can experience all this with him. I forgot how much I liked going to the movies. Landon had to be moving all the time, and I was always happy to catch up with him, but sometimes it’s nice to sit still. Especially when you’re doing it with good company.
When the credits roll Silas’s grip loosens around my fingers and his smile lights up the dark theater. Standing from our seats, we dispose of our trash as we exit.
“That was really good. The perfect mixture of funny and moving. I haven’t cried during a movie in a long time.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever cried during one,” I say back, steering us toward a door that leads right out to the parking lot.
“Not once?” He loops his arm in mine, following me through a line of cars.
I shake my head. “Not that I can recall. I’m not much of a crier, though. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve shed a single tear or more.”
“I probably cry more than I should,” he says between chuckles. “I’m a very emotional person, and sometimes it’s over the most random things, like Nationwide commercials.”
I smile, stopping when we reach the car. “I had a nice time. That movie wasn’t so bad either. You have alright taste.”
“You suggested the movie first,” he reminds me, separating his arm from mine.
“I guess I did. But if you liked it so much, that must mean in your eyes I have impeccable taste.”
