I looked at the clock. It wasn’t terribly late. My stomach rumbled.
Me: Only if you bring dinner.
Psycho Killer: Deal. See you soon.
I finishedSimon Saysand immediately startedSimon Says 2: Simon Didn’t Say.
My vision blurred, and I began to zone out, remembering the last time we’d had sex. It felt like the dynamic between us had shifted. It wasn’t just bodies colliding with a mutual goal. Instead, it was...
No, it was wrong to start catching feelings now. It was selfish to love him, only to keep putting myself into situations where I could be killed. I couldn’t let him watch me die. Or get hurt trying to save me. That would be cruel. I’d already given him the false hope that I might change my mind. That was bad enough. Shame filled my chest, realizing how I’d been all too willing to let him have this false hope so I could get what I wanted. Pulling my knees up to my chin, I contemplated it all.
But was it false hope? Maybe Sebastian was right. Would it be so bad to stop my quest for revenge and live a peaceful life with him and his dogs?
An hour later, Sebastian was at my door—takeout in one hand, blue and yellow Red Bulls in the other, and a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Up for a marathon?” I asked as he followed me into the house and toward the theater room.
“Sure—oh, really?” He cringed when he saw the screen, his ten-year-old self frozen in terror where I’d paused the movie. “Please, can we not?”
I grabbed the boxes of food and plopped down on the couch. “What? They’re good! This is the one where Simon Says uses an axe as a peg leg for half the movie.”
“I was there. I remember,” he grumbled, sitting down beside me and popping his can open. He set the backpack on the floor, and I pointed to it with my fork as I opened the takeout, revealing Chinese.
“What’s that?” The bag was faded pink and worn to hell.
Sebastian shifted in his seat and looked down, reaching for a different food container and fork.
“Let’s eat first.”
I pushed play, and when we finishedSimon Says 2, I went to findSimon Says 3: Old Games, New Rules—but hesitated to push play. This was the last movie my mom ever filmed.
“We can skip this one,” Sebastian offered, rubbing my back. “The fourth is easily the worst one in the franchise. I could use a good laugh.”
With only a slight twinge of guilt on my part, we skippedSimon Says 3and went intoSimon Says 4: Summer Camp. He was right. It was the worst one. The dialogue was choppy, they’d given Sebastian’s character a dog that was always licking itself, and there was more unnecessary nudity than ever. I commented on all the topless women, and Sebastian shrugged.
“As a freshly eighteen-year-old sneaking onto set to watch them, I wasn’t entirely mad about it.” He smirked and then grew serious. “But really, those women were lovely.”
An odd sensation of jealousy ran through me, and I asked, “You never joined in?”
He gaped and then burst out in laughter. “Balls don’t sell cheap slashers. Tits do. They weren’t interested in my dick until they saw how much moneyStep-Devilbrought in. This film was completely shot with the male gaze in mind.” He nodded to the screen.
I gasped dramatically. “What?” I pressed a hand to my chest. “I’m shocked,” I said.
“I know, right?” He snickered, and just like that, we were back to our silly, goofy, relaxed selves.
My belly now full and my heart happy after how much fun the evening had been watching movies with Sebastian, I sank deeper into the couch and slid my legs over his lap. I nodded to the backpack again. “Okay, what’s up with that?”
His smile soured. “Right... Well, right.” He sighed and leaned forward, reaching for the bag. “This was on my doorstep when I got home.”
I pushed myself up, pulling my legs from his lap. “And you just brought it here? Did you check inside it?” Slight unease slid into my belly as I stared at the bag.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I did go through it,” he said, unzipping it.
“Well, if it’s not something scary, then what’s in it? Some crazy fan’s underwear or something?”
“I almost wish.”
He set it on top of my legs, and I grunted—it was heavier and harder than I’d expected. I sat up, pulling my legs back. Sebastian unzipped the bag and pulled out a large photo album. I was surprised it had fit at all. He offered it to me, and I took it gingerly, running my hands over the cracked pink leather. There was a gold trim around it, and tiny little heart stickers had been placed in the bottom left corner. Something about all of this felt like…
