“I got it,” I offered, pushing Ari’s hand away before she could pay. The guy’s eyes fell to my chest as I handed him cash. He counted out my change and gave it back, along with two tickets.“Thanks, hun. Maybe I’ll see you after the movie?” I savored his expression before leaving the booth.
“Do you even think he’s cute?” Ari asked once we were out of earshot.
“Not really.” I slid the change into my pocket before staring down at my cleavage. It was nearly perfect, but it could be better. I adjusted my chest to find the best placement.
“What’re you doing?” Ari cocked her head as I fiddled with the bustier.
“Trying to fix my cleavage. I feel like there’s not enough. Here, take one.” I held out her ticket as we rounded a corner, then stopped in my tracks. Both tickets fluttered to the ground as I stared at Dennis.
“What’s wrong?” Ari asked, following my gaze. I blinked as she grabbed the fallen tickets. No one was there.
“I saw him… I just…” I stared ahead at the now empty space.
“Who?”
“Dennis.” I frantically pointed at where he’d just been; leaning against a wall and snickering at my attempt to enhance my cleavage.“He was just there. You didn’t see him?”
“No.” She stared at the wall for a few seconds before asking,“Did you take your meds today?”
“Yes.” I ran a hand through my hair and set off for theglass doors.That was one of the most annoying questions a person could ask.“Forget it. I guess I’m seeing things.”
“Have you been seeing things a lot lately?” She shot me a worried glance as we walked.
“I dunno. Maybe? It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
My mind wandered as we entered the theater and took our seats. Despite how hard I tried to focus, every thought found its way back to Dennis. I barely heard a word of the movie. Relentless thoughts of him were making me paranoid. Hallucination or not, it was concerning. I fidgeted while the movie played, doing my best not to distract Ari. By the time it ended, I had no clue what we’d watched.
“Did you like it?” Ari turned to me once the credits began to roll.
“Uh-huh.” I forced a smile as we stood and maneuvered our way between seats. “I’m actually freaked out,” I said, keeping closer to her than usual. “By the movie and the Dennis thing. You’re sleeping in my room tonight. I need company.”
“You wouldn’t trade blow pop flavors with me last night, so I’m not giving you shit.”
“I don’t want your shit, Ari. That’s disgusting. Go use a toilet.”
“You know what I mean.” She shoved me as we left the theater.
“I really thought you’d be potty trained by now. You’re almost twenty-one. You need to get on that.”
She laughed as we headed for the parking lot. “Thanks for getting my ticket, by the way. Are you hungry? I’ll get dinner.”
“What’s around here?” I turned to await her response but gasped and tripped over my feet instead. She caught me, giggling.
“I swear you’re constantly falling down.” Her tone was teasing, but the smile dropped when she saw my face. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw him again,” I said, staring at the parking lot.
“You did? Dennis, right?”
“Yeah.” I took off walking and she ran to catch up. There was no sign of him. The entire lot was empty. There were cars but no people in sight. No one I could’ve mistaken him for in the growing darkness.“I’m officially going crazy. I’m not hungry anymore. Can we go somewhere else?”
“Yeah, of course. Where do you wanna go?”
I glanced around to make sure no one was following us. It felt like we were being watched, but I was almost sure it was my imagination.“Let’s shop.” I laced an arm through hers and did an about face, heading back the way we’d come. A distraction should help.
I spotted a lingerie store right away and practically skipped inside. I pranced through the store, choosing every cute item like a shopping spree from the movies. Ari trailed behind, poking things but not choosing anything for herself. Eventually we went to the dressing room to try on my favorites.
“How do you like this one?” I pulled the stall door open to model for Ari, who was sitting in the middle of the changing area.
