Page 58 of Due Process
He nodded before his head dipped to give me a sweet kiss on the lips—the first of many. “Our past.”
We parked outside the old movie theatre that used to be the hangout spot when we were young. It had since closed down and was an empty shell.
Except, Curtis led me through the entrance without a care. There was not a soul in sight, my heels clicking over the deserted tiles when he opened the doors to cinema number five.
My breath hitched, taking in the transformed room. Old chairs had been replaced, and a new screen was spread wide up front.
I followed Curtis down rows of seating before he chose a loveseat directly in the middle. Fresh popcorn, drinks and snacks awaited our arrival. As soon as we sat down, the lights flicked off, and the movie started to play.
Reminiscence took hold as the title flashed on screen. It was a low-budget horror film I had dared him to watch with me at the age of nine. Not one to back down, Curtis agreed. We lied to our parents and said we were going to the park. Instead, we went there and snuck inside, much to my regret.
“Do you remember this?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
“Yes,” I barely managed to croak. My emotions were running haywire, touched that he had gone to so much effort.
“This is one of my favourite memories of us,” he said.
I hiccupped, half laughing and trying not to sob. “Why? I was freaking terrified.”
“Exactly. You held onto me so tightly that I never wanted you to let go.”
My eyes snapped to his, and what I found left me stunned. He stared at me with blatant affection, so fucking potent that I was going to burst from the aftereffects.
I swallowed, continuing the story. “Then, you walked me home, holding my hand the whole way, promising you’d always protect me.”
“A promise I’ve never broken.”
“Never,” I whispered, my mind reeling. “That’s… That’s the first time my mum called you Curtie-pie.”
His features transformed into pride as he pressed a hand over his heart. “A title I’ll always cherish.”
I literally had nothing to say, entirely speechless as I just stared at him. A continuous chant grew louder in my head the longer I remained wrapped up in him.
I love you.
Chapter 33
STELLA
The third and final stop on our tour was the local baseball field where Curtis used to play.
We remained in his truck and looked out over the deserted stadium, which had seen better days.
As the night wore on, I became more awkward. I was wary, growing fearful due to the severity of my feelings. My overthinking brain was flipping from straight adoration to worry in a matter of seconds.
I knew my divorce had recently gone through, but I had mentally checked out of my marriage a long time before our separation was ever finalised.
Curtis wasn’t just anybody. He was my best friend, and arguably the person who knew me the most. In a way, he was my soulmate, and now, I wanted to claim him in every sense of the word.
But I didn’t want to scare him away.
What if I come on too strong? What if he doesn’t love me as much as I love him? What if he thinks I’m rushing into this too fast? Act normal, Stella. Get it together!
Curtis shifted, turning the radio on a low buzz. “We spent a lot of time here.”
I nodded, trying to stop my spiralling thoughts.
“You’d sit in the stands and do your homework while your dad coached us for hours.”
