Page 50 of Not Over You

“Cheese,” I tell her, feeling a little bit like I’ve stepped into a surreal world.

“What would you like to drink?” the woman asks as she adds an insane amount of white cheddar powder to my popcorn. My mouth waters.

“Diet coke, please.”

She turns and gets my drink from the fountain before handing it to me with the ticket. It’s a handmade ticket that reads, Nina and Travis, it’s never too late. The name of the movie is written on the bottom with little hearts. It’s so sweet and kind, and my heart speeds up a little. I’ve been planning to tell him off, not get swept away by his romantic gesture.

“Man, he’s pulling out all the stops,” I whisper to the stranger.

She hands me a box of Snow Caps, “He said these used to be your favorite.” She smiles again

I smile and take the treat from her. “Head that way,” she tells me, pointing toward a little hallway that leads to one of the screens. There is another lady outside the room, holding her hand out for my ticket. I hand it to her, and she gives me a blanket in return.

“It can get a little chilly in there,” she tells me. “He didn’t want you to get cold.”

Nodding, I walk into the room. At first, I don’t see anyone, and then I hear his voice.

“I wanted to come to you yesterday and tell you how I felt, but our history being what it is, I figured I would go through a little more trouble,” he says.

“I saw you with her.” My voice barely comes out. I have to let him know I’m not happy. I will not just be a pushover because he opened an abandoned movie theater, gave me Snow Caps, and a blanket.

“Yes, I didn’t know Sydney was still in town.” He walks directly in front of the screen, “But in true Sydney fashion, she needed to be rescued from herself, and a couple trying to take her home. Nothing happened between us.”

“Likely story,” I tell him, rolling my eyes.

“Really,” he says, walking up the aisle toward me. He’s wearing a gray sweater with dark blue denim jeans, and he looks delicious, like a snack. I can’t back down. I must be strong against his lies. “It’s funny, Sydney helped me realize something about myself. She said I never gave myself to her and she was right. I didn’t.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, moving back a bit as he gets closer to me. My resolve is breaking, and I want him to take me into his arms, but I still want to guard my heart and push him away at the same time.

“Because the reason I didn’t give myself to her or anyone is that I was in love with someone else. Even though I thought she used me and didn’t care anymore once we slept together. I still loved her.”

He smiles at me, and I realize I don’t know what he’s talking about, “Used you?” This is not the first time he’s said that phrase, and I want to know where it’s coming from.

Travis’s smile slips a little. “I heard you tell Tati you didn’t care who you lost your virginity to, that you didn’t care for me,” he says. “Grady told me that Tati manipulated you somehow, but back then, I thought you were ready to move on, and I left.”

Like a brick house tumbling down on me, the newly revealed information has me reaching for a nearby seat, and I shove down into the chair hard. That dumb conversation with Tati was the reason he left. The reason my heart broke into a million pieces, and I thought he used me. How could that be possible?

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, unable to grasp the whole story.

“I’m sorry too,” he says. “I let that night stay with me all this time, and after we slept together this time, it crept back in.”

“You said you love the girl you thought used you,” I say with a small smile.

“I do.” He pulls me up and into his arms. His mouth covers mine, and I breathe him in. His pine soap smell mixed with his normal musk is intoxicating. I want to smell this forever. He deepens the kiss, and I moan, leaning into him.

“I love you too,” I tell him, and I mean it. I can finally admit to myself that I do love him. The lights in the theater go down and the screen comes on with the beginning of Top Gun. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“I’d do anything for you,” he says and takes my hand. We sit down and watch the movie on the big screen. I’ve never seen it on the big screen, and I love it. When the movie is over, I get ready to stand up, but he grabs my hand. Leaning forward, he kisses me sweetly.

Then he pulls something from his jacket and hands it to me. It’s a picture of Travis when he was younger, dressed up like Maverick from Top Gun.

“What is this?” I ask, laughing.

“That night, I’d spent a lot of time dressing like your favorite movie character. I knew you loved Top Gun. When Grady told you, I was working on a couple’s costume. That was it. I was hoping we’d become a couple that night.”

“Wow,” I say, completely shocked. “I can’t believe that happened, we could have been together this whole time.”

“We just have a lot of time to make up for,” he says, and brings his hand to my hair, pulling me closer to him. He nips at my lips, and I kiss him back until we are both worked up.

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