I nodded. “Promise. We'll talk more about it when we get home or something," I replied with a polite smile, and then I gave her a one-shoulder shrug. "I mean, maybe Nathan isn't going to be so bad after all."
She gives me a grateful smile, seeing right through my flimsy façade. “Thanks, girl. I love you for doing this. I’ll make it up to you somehow. I swear.” And the truth was, I knew she would do her best to try. Kenz deserved to be happy. I would feel even worse if I interfered with her and Tanner's budding relationship.
McKenzie smiled sympathetically and looked up at the movie schedule. "Okay, let's see. Hall A, theater room three," she said, reading the sign aloud. "I think that's this way." She gestured with the drink in her hand toward a hallway that branched off to the right of the concessions stand.
A man stood at the entrance to the hall, taking tickets and directing people to several different rooms. We got in line behind a gaggle of obnoxious teenagers, and I thanked my lucky stars I’d outgrown those years. I tried my best to ignore them as I turned my attention back to McKenzie. "What movie is this, again?" I asked her. I hadn't even really thought about the movie itself, just the gorgeous guys acting in it that would hopefully entertain me for the next one hundred and twenty minutes.
"I think it's that new superhero movie with that one lady," she said vaguely. "I don't know, honestly. I don't know much about comics or superheroes. I just figured maybe the guys would enjoy it. And hey, it's something a little different from what we usually watch, so maybe we'll like it!"
McKenzie was always up for trying new things. It was something I admired a lot about her and a quality that I wished I possessed. Everything was an adventure to her and her constant lust for new experiences was refreshing, if not a little intimidating. I think we made such great friends because our personalities complemented each other surprisingly well.
"Interesting," I said with a chuckle. Part of me wished that tonight could have just been a girls' night, but at the same time, I knew that McKenzie was really excited for another date with Tanner. The two of them really seemed to hit it off on their third date. I hadn't seen her quite this happy in a long time. I decided to pretend like it was a girls’ night, just the same. There wouldn’t really be any talking during the movie anyhow, and the guys could sit on opposite ends, leaving Kenz and me together in the middle. That way, I could point out the swoon-worthy scenes and take note of the drool-inducing moments with my best friend, get my fill of sweets, and still enjoy a night out while Kenz got time with Tanner. I’d just pretend like Nathan was with someone else.
Thankfully, the annoying teens ahead of us in line were seeing a different movie. I felt bad for whoever had to sit next to them. One of them, a tall, muscular boy with a shock of tousled blond hair, reminded me a bit of Nathan back in high school. He was probably the loudest out of all of them, the obvious center of attention. But, as he spoke, instead of being mean, he just laughed boisterously and told a genuinely funny story that seemed to garner all eyes and ears. The two girls behind him swooned and giggled at his every word. And I wondered if that was how the girl in my high school had all gone gaga over Nathan. I hated to admit that at one point, I had been one of those giddy followers. Briefly, anyway.
The man at the front of the line took our tickets and pointed toward a room with a light-up sign hanging above it that read ROOM 3. The name of the movie flashed intermittently on it along with the time it would start. We still had about fifteen minutes before the movie began. We made our way inside and found some pretty good seats in the center of the theater. McKenzie sat down to the left of me as we got comfortable and waited for the guys. She pulled out her phone, presumably to text Tanner, but shoved it back into her pocket quickly as the lights dimmed in the theater.
"I told them where we're sitting. They should be here any minute," she whispered.
I nodded and took a deep breath. Instead of bracing myself for another undoubtedly awkward experience with Nathan, I decided to inhale the sweet smell of chocolate and stuff a handful of popcorn into my mouth.
I heard the door creaking open, and I turned my head to figure out the source of the sound. Just within earshot came footsteps and a familiar voice saying something that I couldn't quite make out. I noticed Tanner walking down the steps leading to our seats, Nathan following close behind. The theater was pretty dark and loud, as the movie hadn’t started. People were still chatting, and I couldn’t quite hear what Nate and Tanner were saying. McKenzie waved the guys over toward us. Tanner nodded at her affirmitively as the two of them headed over.
Tanner plopped down to the left of McKenzie, and Nathan took the seat on my right. Right next to me. I sighed, but offered him a polite smile. I was an adult. Just because Nathan had been a jerk in high school didn’t mean I had to be one right now. If nothing else, our friends were clearly going to be spending time together. We needed to have an amicable relationship. I figured if Nathan were willing to mend things between us, I might as well give him a chance, as much as it pained me to do so.
I glanced over at him and couldn’t help but notice the years had been good to him. I mean, was good-looking in high school, but he had somehow become even more attractive as an adult. Since graduation, he had grown at least four inches and put on some muscle thanks to his continued football career. His fashion sense had matured significantly and he clearly took better care of his hair nowadays.
Even in the dark movie theater, his sharp cheekbones and jawline gave him an intense, handsome appearance, and I couldn't help but blush a little every time I glanced over at him. He had grown into that sharp bone structure, and it did him a lot of favors. I felt terribly average in comparison with my glasses, unremarkable features, and plain brown hair. He tapped me on the wrist and offered a kind smile. I sighed and turned my attention back to the screen.
"Hey," he whispered nervously. "Uh, hey, thanks for not like, leaving or anything. Tanner really likes McKenzie. I’d hate to ruin their night."
"Yeah, I get it. I don’t want her to feel bad, either. I needed to get out of the house anyway, and how could I turn down a movie and junk food?" I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth for emphasis.
"I almost bailed too.” He ran a hand through his hair, and I forced myself not to watch because it was really sexy for a nervous habit. “I really just want to prove to you that things have really changed since then. I'm a lot different now," Nathan said.
Instead of responding, I took a giant swig of my soda and a bite of my candy bar, settling in to my seat, and waited for the movie to start. I needed bad guys and superheroes in tight costumes to distract me from the handsome devil to my right.
Advertisements and previews for upcoming flicks played on the screen. I could hear McKenzie giggle softly every so often as she and Tanner whispered back and forth. His arm was wrapped around her, and she was cozied up to him. A satisfied smile was plastered across her face. He looked truly happy to be around her, as any guy should. McKenzie was a beautiful, sweet, and fiercely loyal girl, and any man would be lucky to be with her.
I had to admit that they made a cute couple. Tanner obviously made McKenzie happy. It was a pleasant sight, a silver lining in a night full of some truly awkward and frustrating interactions. I was kind of glad that I hadn’t ruined her evening, as much as I wanted to go home, curl up in bed, and put Nathan behind me forever.
The final preview played on the screen and the lights dimmed even more. Nathan held out a box of sugary candies towards me, like a sort of peace offering. Even in the dark, I could see the hint of a hopeful smile grace his full lips. I smirked and reached into the box and tossed a few of the candies into my mouth. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was trying his best to start over and put our past behind us. If I were honest, it was working. It was kind and admirable. And just a little bit sexy. There was something incredibly attractive about a man putting forth effort, even if I wasn’t interested in it going anywhere. I blushed at the thought, thankful that the room was too dark for him to see.
"McKenzie told me you liked these, so I got you some," he whispered.
I nodded and reached into the box for another handful. Part of me wanted to smack my best friend for talking about me to Nathan behind my back, but another part of me wanted to thank her for making this little gesture.
"That's nice of you. Thanks, Nathan," I whispered back.
Sure, for new he was acting like a new, more mature man. But, still, I had my doubts, and I wasn't going to be some pushover. I kept my walls up to protect my damaged heart. But I wasn’t averse to getting a ladder to peek over the edge and see what Nathan was doing on the other side. I had changed a lot since high school too. I wasn't a shy little doormat anymore. Well, I was working on it, anyway. I was definitely still pretty reserved, and I still had a tendency to bend over backward for people, even though I know they wouldn’t do the same for me. Nevertheless, I had come a long way since graduation. I’d built up a lot of self-confidence and come out of my shell over the past few years. I was extremely proud of that.
I swallowed my pride and offered an olive branch. "Look, I'm...sorry for being so cold to you earlier. It's just hard to accept that you've changed so much."
"You don't have anything to apologize for, Elizabeth. Nothing that happened was your fault. I want another change and I’m going to prove to you that I deserve one despite what an ass I was," he said, his voice low and serious. "Even if you don't want to date me or whatever...I don't care. I still want to make this right."
I had to admit, he was making a pretty decent case for himself. It took guts to man up and apologize for something. He very easily could have just bailed and avoided the consequences of his actions forever. But Nathan actually was putting in the work to better himself, and it really showed.
"Shh!" An elderly woman behind us hissed.
