Page 103 of No Way Home
I’d never seen him react this way. Normally, he was confident, quick-witted, and had zero problems putting someone in their place. Exhibit A: Topher. What was it about this woman that turned him into a terrified little boy?
The guy filming us was closing in. Was he paparazzi? I didn’t think so. He looked like he was in high school. Either way, we did not need to make a scene.
So I offered Selene my hand. “I’m hisgirlfriend. Magnolia.” I went with my full name just for Bowen’s benefit. “Nice to meet you.”
She sneered and shook my hand limply. Then she snapped her devious smile back in place. “Let me guess, you’re seeing the new Pixar?” she asked Bowen directly, like I’d suddenly ceased to exist. She held up a ticket to show that she was seeing it too. “My girls are already inside, saving me a seat.”
Fight must’ve finally won out because Bowen swore. Loudly. “What are you doing in Charlottesville?” he spat, like how dare she come onto his turf. His hand was tremblingagainst my side—in fear or fury, I wasn’t sure. “Aren’t you from Baltimore?”
“Oh, you know. Can’t get enough of this beautiful state,” she tittered. “So I decided to come back for a master’s in Business at UVA.”
“What the freak.” Those gray eyes looked like fire trapped in ice.
“That’ll be $18.50,” the man behind the counter said, saving us.
“Gotta go.” Bowen swung me around to pick up our food.
He grabbed the popcorn and shoved the Goobers into his back pocket. I carried the water bottles. We speed walked toward the hall of theaters. The kid filming frowned, disappointed, and slipped his phone into his pocket. Thank goodness.
I was about to ask if Bowen wanted to see a different movie when his whole body jerked like he’d touched one of the electric fences on his family’s farm. He stumbled into me, and I looked across him to see Selene shoving a piece of paper into his free hand.
“Later,” she sang like it was a promise, giving him a flirty finger wave. Then she skipped back toward the concessions.
Bowen glared at her retreating figure, crumpling the paper into a ball.
“That was Griffin’s ex?” I asked, hating that she and I had anything in common.
He didn’t answer, only strode toward the exit, I had to half-run to keep up. His chest heaved in and out, panic driving every breath.
“What does it say?” I asked, knowing good and well it was her number.
Again, he said nothing. His fist, which was clenched tight around the paper, twitched like it might detonate if he didn’t get rid of it now. I took it from him. With that done, he broke into a jog and darted through the doors.
I dropped the paper into a wastebasket and followed him outside. The sky shook with an angry crack. We shouldn’t have been out there with lightning that close. But he wasn’t going back inside if Selene was in there. That was obvious.
He set the popcorn and box of Goobers in the grass and paced away, hands shoved into his hair.
I dropped the water bottles and ran to catch up, getting in front of him. “Hey, it’s okay,” I said softly.
His eyes darted to the sidewalk, the cinderblocks on the building, up at the thundercloud sky, anywhere but at me, as he blinked back tears.
“Bowen, can you look at me?”
His face twisted, and he shook his head. “I can’t.” A tear rolled down his left cheek, and I broke.
I opened my arms, and he collapsed against me, crushing me to his chest. Then, he cried unashamedly, chest shaking, nose sniffling.
What had this woman done to him?
My fingers swirled through his hair. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Not really.” His words were soft, strained, like it hurt to say even that. “But I need to. I know I do. I should’ve told you a long time ago.” I felt him exhale slowly. “She’s the reason I left during Sole Mates, and the reason why I was determined to make you stay away from me.” It was said with such surrender that I knew this was it. I was about to hear the whole truth. Finally.
Thunder boomed again, but this time it was farther off. Maybe we wouldn’t end up charbroiled after all. I might’ve believed the storm would miss us altogether if the clouds overhead weren’t swollen and ready to burst.
“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” I asked once the noise died down. “Why didn’t Griff?”
“Because…” He dragged in a shaky breath. “It’s so…ugly…and…humiliating.” He whispered that last word like it was too heavy to carry.
