Free One Song Away by Molli Moran Page B

whatever he sees in my face widens his grin. The more flustered I get, the funnier he thinks it is. He isn’t used to seeing me shy or hesitant, much less tongue-tied. I always held my own with him, mostly thanks to bravado and the knowledge that I could never let him see how I really felt about him.
    “Bathroom,” I say, tugging my hand free from his. I shove some bills at him. “Get our tickets?”
    I don’t wait for his answer before I rush into the theater and make a beeline for the ladies room. Once inside, I lock myself in a stall and sit there letting the seconds tick past. People rush in and out, but I focus solely on getting my breathing under control. After I’ve counted off two minutes, I emerge and splash water on my face. I want to text or call Sloane, but she’s on a date, too. A real one that might actually lead somewhere.
    It’s up to me to get myself through this night.
    Pushing open the bathroom door, I meet Jake in the concession line. He doesn’t say a word, just makes room for me beside him as we inch forward. When it’s our turn, he orders enough food to feed an army, and I make fun of him the whole way to our theater. Since it’s a late showing, there aren’t many others seeing the movie with us. Jake arranges his feast around him as I dig into my popcorn.
    The previews roll, and I let out an excited squeal when they show a trailer for a film adaptation of a young adult book I read and loved last year. He watches me with a smile as it ends and the beginning credits for our movie show. I don’t think anything of his scrutiny until the movie actually starts. It isn’t an action film.
    “This is The Game Changer .” I half-turn to him.
    “Yep.” He nods.
    “But you hate rom coms.”
    Jake’s eyes are amused in the soft light from the screen. He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I can see the other one with Nolan or someone,” he says, and even though his brothers are probably dying to see Ammo Man 2, I can’t believe he did this for me. I’m still awed as I settle back in my seat, munching on my popcorn. “I knew you wanted to see this one.”
    Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I lay my head on Jake’s shoulder. When I feel him go stiff, I freeze, afraid to do anything, but he relaxes after a few seconds. We always used to watch movies like this, so I guess I can blame muscle memory, because cuddling like this still feels so damn right . As though no time at all has passed since we’ve sat this way, watching a movie the other picked, debating the merits of each film.
    Once I’ve stopped freaking out, I turn my attention to the screen. I’m still hyper-aware of his presence beside me. I know every time he shifts, and I catch little whiffs of his scent a few times. He’s worn the same cologne for as long as I can remember, but he’s mostly always smelled like Jake to me. I would know him with my eyes closed.
    Time turns inside out during the movie. I laugh at all the right places and even tear up once toward the middle, but I’m thinking less about the film, and more about Jake. This was us on a normal night four years ago, and somehow, despite the fact we both left, something pulled us both home…and back to one another. Does that mean anything? Or am I looking for significance in something that’s nothing more than a random chain of events?
    Dragging my focus back to the movie, I try to lose myself entirely in it, and for a while, I do. One of my favorite actresses is playing the lead role. I love her because she’s outspoken and down to earth. She’s plus-sized and very vocal about her love for herself. Even though I’m not overweight, I’ve always been a bit self-conscious, so it’s amazing to have a role model like Jessa Taylor.
    I finish my popcorn and lean down to set the bucket at my feet. When I straighten, I’m suddenly unsure of what I should do. Did Jake like my head on his shoulder? Did it make him feel awkward? Turning, I study his profile.