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Chase eyes me, giving me the yeah, right, give me the real reason look.
“What? I’m telling you the truth. My parents were gone a lot on church missions. I know how it is to feel abandoned in a sense. It takes a toll on a young kid.” I can tell I just won the sympathy award by his sullen expression, which was not my intention, but at least he’s going to drop it.
“Whatever. I don’t believe you, but I’m going to let it slide. If he ever—”
“I know, macho man. If he ever lays a finger on me, you’re going to demolish him.”
Chase nods like the big bad wolf when he’s a cuddly bear who loves talking and chick flicks. “Enough about my day. How was yours?”
“Uncomfortable,” he groans, adjusting his crotch.
I burst out in a fit of giggles. “I guess I should say sorry about that. Maybe I can make it up to you.” Wiggling my eyebrows, I smirk at him.
“Oh, you’re going to make it up to me, but I have something planned first.” As if mentioning his plans makes him anxious, he taps his fingertips against the steering wheel. “I mean, it’s nothing big.” He turns on the heat. Two seconds pass, and he turns it off. “Just something I thought you would like.”
“Okay…” I raise my brow, my curiosity piqued, but I don’t dig any further for details. We enjoy the rest of the ride back to his place, listening to country music, which isn’t as painful as I imagined.
“You hungry? Want me to order us some food?”
“I ate, but thanks.” I drop my bag on his couch as he disappears into the kitchen and returns with a bowl of popcorn, boxes of candy, and a variety of drinks.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s movie night?” His friends weren’t lying. He does have a weird obsession with vampires.
“Shhh…you’re going to ruin it. Grab the blanket.” He nods over to the throw blanket hanging on the side of his couch. I do as I’m told and sit down, leaving space for him. He drops the snacks and snuggles under the blanket, making sure to leave zero space between us. Leaning forward, he grabs the remote and the bowl of popcorn. “Now, before we get started, I want you to know, this wasn’t my first pick.”
“Let me guess, Twilight was?”
He cocks his head and winks at me. “It should always be the first choice.” He points the remote at the TV and it turns on. “If you don’t like it, we can change it, but I hear you like this kind of stuff.”
“This kind of stuff?”
“Shh… It’s about to start.”
I lean back and get comfortable, tossing a handful of popcorn into my mouth. I wait for the starting credits. A smile builds as realization sinks in. I turn to Chase. “The Notebook?”
He fights to make eye contact, keeping his gaze on the television. “Heard it’s a fan favorite amongst chicks.” He shoves a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
“I love this movie,” I say.
Victory beams across his face. “Glad you do. I can’t imagine it’s better than Twilight, but I’m willing to give it a chance if it makes you happy.”
The end credits roll as I sigh against Chase. “That movie never gets old.” I turn to Chase and blink. “Are you…crying?”
“What? No.” He swipes at his face. “That ending was dumb. I mean, how could she not remember him? They loved each other their whole life.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Well, yeah, that’s the point. They were so in love, when she loses her memory, he spends the remainder of his days making her remember.”
“Why would they even write that in? It’s cruel.” He shuts the movie off, tossing the remote on the coffee table. “I knew we should have watched Twilight.”
My handsome, lovesick man. “You’re right. Shitty plotline. Would have been better with a shootout and drugs. Maybe throw some vampire action in there. Sparkling isn’t just for one genre.”
Chase’s eyebrows flash up and he looks at me like I just confessed my undying love for him. Leaning forward, he presses his lips to mine. He tastes like buttered popcorn and Sour Patch Kids. Pulling away, he brushes his thumb along my bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting for someone to say that my entire life.” His growing smile is infectious, causing mine to follow.
“You're ridiculous.”
“And you’re perfect.” I adore the way he looks at me. It makes me feel loved. Whole. And the way his eyes shine with happiness, I can tell he sees the same when I look back at him. I laugh to myself at how corny it sounds, but my heart is happy. I’m happy. Finding him in that bar has truly changed my life. And I’m so darn grateful for him.
