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After a delicious dinner, Silvan has one last surprise for us.
Expecting Hugh to take us home, I tell him I’ll just stay the night at Mom’s so he only has to make one stop, but rather than going to Mom’s house, he takes us to a movie theater where Silvan has rented out one of the screens.
Mom and I get drinks and a small popcorn to share, and then we go to our own private screening of the first episode of the season ofThe Last Kingdomthat we haven’t watched yet.
I can’t help but grin when Uhtred comes on the screen, memories of my own crazy Viking stirring to mind. I fight the urge to grab my phone and text him even though we’re the only ones in the theater, so it’s not like I’d be disturbing anyone’s viewing experience.
As soon as we’re back in the car, I dig out my phone and text Silvan.
“You rented out a theater for me.”
His response comes promptly. “I thought it might be more your speed. You’ve given the impression you’re not fond of crowds.”
He’s right, I’m not.
I can’t believe he’s figured that out about me already, though. In more than a year, my mom hasn’t figured that out. My roommates don’t get it at all.
I just met him, and he already gets it.
I’ve never met anyone who paid such close attention to me.
“Thank you,” I type.
“You’re welcome. Did you and your mom enjoy the show?”
“Very much. I don’t remember telling you where we were on our watch, though. How’d the guy know which season to play?”
“At my party, you said you’d seen many seasons of my show, not every season,” he returns. “So it stood to reason you hadn’t started the last one yet.”
“You pay attention to everything, don’t you?”
“Everything involving you, absolutely.”
His words should probably alarm me. It’s not normal to be so preoccupied with me. Nothing about him seems particularly normal.
But rather than alarm me, it feels oddly comforting. It’s like when I felt safe in his arms, even though, practically speaking, I wasn’t.
The ground feels too slippery to respond to his last text, and we’re almost home anyway, so I tuck my phone away and enjoy the rest of the ride.
Despite the craziness of this whole day, I feel somewhat relaxed.
Last year, even last week, I couldn’t have envisioned a day when I ran into Dylan Prescott when I wasn’t prepared to face him and managed to feel relaxed later that same evening.
What was once unfathomable now feels almost… natural.
My impulsive words to Dylan on the sidewalk were fueled by fury and a sense of helplessness I’ve lived with for far too long. Wielding Silvan like a round shield made me feel impenetrable if only for a moment.
It wasn’t real, though.
I was just Wendy, lost in a daydream with a familiar but made-up friend.
A protector.
Even knowing it’s fiction, the idea makes me smile.
When we pull up to Mom’s house, Hugh lets us out of our prison chariot, and Mom thanks him with enthusiasm before we head into the house.
