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“Janey!” Lina said.
“Hey, girl.” She grinned and pushed the door wider. “Come on in.”
I led Lina in, and we followed Janey down a dark hall. I hated how the dark might affect Lina, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride. “You okay?”
She nodded and tightened her hold on my hand. That alone told me she was probably reciting P!nk songs in her mind right now.
“Just a little farther,” I said. “I got you.”
Janey stopped at a door, shoved her key in then pushed it open. “It’s all yours.”
I peeked in then led Lina through the threshold and into a world of stars. The room was pitch black, but the ceiling was a rendition of the Milky Way.
“Hunter, this is fantastic,” Lina said as she turned a circle, focused on the ceiling. “How’d you do this?”
The door clicked shut, and I realized Janey had gone. I’d told her a little about the situation, and since she’d had some struggles with violence, she totally understood the baby steps needed to get Lina out of the house.
“Come here,” I said, reaching for her hand. “There’s a spot up front for us.”
I guided her down the aisle, the thick carpet muting our steps. As we made it over the last batch of stairs, the front row of the theatre seats came into view. A small table, covered in white linen with a bottle of sparkling cider and two glasses on top, came into view.
I heard Lina take in a sharp breath, and her fingers went to her mouth. Soft music piped into the room, and the screen up front blinked on with a picture of the desert landscape.
Taking her hand, I led her to the seat in front of the table then reached for her jacket. “Here, let me take this.” I peeled the thick coat off and tugged at the long-sleeved sweater. “This, too.”
“Okay.” She stood before me in a long-sleeved red thermal that went well into her hands, and her thumb poked through the fabric. She always wore those types of shirts, never exposing much of her skin.
I slung off my jacket, then sat beside her as a deep voice came over the speakers.
“The desert. A beautiful and harsh environment…”More pictures bled into the massive screen.
“Hunter, this is so great,” Lina said again and smiled. “It feels warmer in here, too. Hot almost.”
“It’s an experiential tour of Arizona.” I leaned forward and grabbed the cider as the voice took over again describing the heat of the desert in the heart of July.
I poured two glasses and handed her one as I sat back. I lifted the armrest between us and draped my arm around her more. She snuggled close. I loved it when she did that. It was like I could protect her from anything and everything.
Even me.
We sat in silence watching the desert climate unfold before us. And when the room got chilly, I held her so close we kept each other warm. When the show came to an end, neither of us moved. The stars came back over the ceiling, and we sat there in silence admiring the sparkling beauty. It was almost as if we were outside.
“I definitely want to go to Arizona with you some time.”
It didn’t escape my attention she’d said she wanted to go with me. I couldn’t go back there, not until Dad was caught, but yeah, I’d go there in a heartbeat with her any time after that.
“I think I’d miss the snow, though, if I lived there. The four seasons.”
“The leaves changing colors was pretty cool,” I whispered as I rubbed my hand up and down her arm. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” She looked up at me.
“You always wear these types of shirts.” I toyed with the hand portion where her thumb protruded through the fabric. “Is it to cover another scar like the one on your shoulder?”
Her body stiffened within my grasp, and I knew I’d scared her a little.
“I covered my scars with tattoos,” I said. “The biggest one is along my neck.” I leaned to the side to expose the side of my neck. “You can’t see it, but you can feel it.” I grabbed her hand and brushed her forefinger along the three-inch scar.
“What’s it from?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
