Page 24 of How We Loved

My body flushes at the idea of curling up with him to watch a movie. “Yeah, I can see that.” I pause as I let so many emotions run through me, then ask, “What’s your favorite movie?”

He inhales a deep breath as he thinks. “Don’t get me wrong; I love a good action thriller, but I think my favorite movie is 8 Seconds.”

I tilt my head to the side in question. “I don’t know that one.”

“It’s a story about a famous bull rider who died during a ride.”

My heart sinks. I knew bull riding was dangerous, but I didn’t realize it was that dangerous. I place my hand on my chest. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. It’s sad, but still a good movie. It has Luke Perry in it, so when he died, my mom remembered the movie and had me watch it.”

“I can’t imagine having a son who rides bulls, then having him watch a movie like that. Feels like it would hit too close to home.”

“Yeah, she’s not a huge fan of me riding.” He shrugs. “It is what it is, I guess. What about you? What’s your favorite movie?”

I answer without even having to think twice, “10 Things I Hate About You.”

“Wow. No hesitation or having to think about it, huh?”

I shake my head as I look up at the sky for a second, then back to him. “My mom and I used to watch it together. It was one of her favorites. She’d always dance around and sing at the top of her lungs to the punk version of ‘I Want You to Want Me’ at the end of the movie.”

He pulls out his phone and starts typing away. I lean forward to see what he’s doing.

“The one by Letters to Cleo?”

Flipping it in my direction, I see the 10 Things I Hate About You movie poster, and I do a little happy dance in my seat. “Yeah, that’s it.”

He presses play, and we wait for the five-second ad to play before we can hit Skip. When the song plays, I stand up and start to dance around the way my mom and I used to do. Trevor turns it up and places his phone on the bench so he can dance with me.

Grabbing my hands, he twirls me around, then brings me close to him, wrapping his arm around my waist. We stare at each other for a second, heat radiating around us, before he pushes me back out, and we go back to dancing like fools.

When the song ends, I jump into his arms and kiss him as my thank-you for allowing me to relive such a fun memory.

This really is turning into another perfect date, and it’s one I never thought I’d actually be on.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ben

I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth since I left Maya’s house. I didn’t like the guy. Something about him didn’t feel real. He wasn’t genuine when meeting me. How dare he say I won’t be needed anymore! Who says shit like that to someone you just met?

I could tell just by the way he looked at me that he doesn’t like that I’m friends with Maya.

Well, too bad, motherfucker. I’m not going anywhere.

I hate to think that she’s with him right now, but I knew there was nothing I could—or rather, should—do about it. I know she needs to have her own life. Liking that she does is another story, but I guess it is what it is.

Since football is over, my time after school has opened up, which sucks at this moment. I wish I had somewhere I had to be so I wouldn’t think about what Maya could be doing right now with him.

I don’t know what bothers me more—the fact that she’s with him or the fact that I care so much.

Yes, Maya has dated before, and no, it didn’t bother me. She thinks I’ve stopped other guys from dating her, but I’ve never truly stopped anyone. I just made it very clear that if they hurt her, they had to answer to me. I look at it as just those guys showing their true colors and what their intentions really were. Otherwise, they would have been just fine with having to answer to me because they would have truly believed they would never have to. So, honestly, I saved her from those dickweeds.

If only she saw that too.

It’s okay though. I’m just fine, letting her think otherwise. Being a guy myself, I know exactly what’s going through their minds. Which is what freaks me out about this guy Trevor. The only thing I do know about him is, he is a guy with nothing but sex on this mind, and she’s my sweet, innocent Maya.

My blood is boiling at the thought.

---