The making out was good, too.
The second movie captured our attention far more effectively than the first. The murder mystery might have been quirky and funny, but the psychological thriller strung me tense. I couldn’t look away from the screen. Even when Jake unpeeled my hand from his arm and covered it with both of his hands.
At the end, I was so wound up that when Jake tugged me in for another kiss, I didn’t hesitate. Panting by the time we broke apart, I said, “That was insane.”
“Yeah. Thrillers go off the list with horrors.”
“Awww… I meant insane in a good way.”
He grinned. “You were taking out my throwing arm.”
Dipping my head, I kissed the nail indentions I’d left on his skin. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay… c’mon, let’s clean out the trash and hit the bathrooms before we head back.” It was late, the first film started at eight-thirty, and it was well after midnight. We wouldn’t be home until two, maybe a little earlier.
A few more cars had come in while we watched, but we still had plenty of space. Jake was waiting for me when I came out though and walked me back to the car, despite the fact most of the others had left and the staff was closing up.
“You good to drive?” I checked. I’d been exhausted earlier in the day, but after the movie and the making out—and maybe all the sugar I consumed when I killed the Twizzlers—I was wide-awake.
“I’m good,” he promised.
Getting back took longer than we planned though. There was some big accident on the highway, and they’d shut it down. The GPS alternate routes were going to take us hell and gone. Jake scowled as he drummed his hands on the steering wheel. “We can try this, but—it’s gonna add another hour, or we can try to wait this out, once we get past, we’re still an hour away, but I can make up time.”
“Give it fifteen minutes? If this isn’t moving, we try to get off?” We weren’t the only ones stuck here, the traffic behind us had begun to back up, and it didn’t matter that it was late.
“Sorry, Frankie.” He checked his phone. “Oh, yeah—let me tell the guys. I told them we were going to the movies, but I didn’t say where.” He grinned.
Oh, crap. My phone was in my backpack, so I wiggled to reach into the backseat and snagged my phone out of the side pocket. It was deader than a doornail.
Pfft.
“I’m no help.”
He chuckled. “You’re all the help in the world. Soon as mine’s charged back up, you can plug in.” His was at ten percent.
We got lucky, at thirteen minutes, the traffic started to trickle past the cop cars and fire trucks with their flashing lights. It gave me a good view of the accident. Truck versus car versus—oh, it had been a motorcycle. There were ambulances pulling away earlier, someone had been hurt. The car was totaled, and the truck looked like it had hit the side rails as well as the car, but the bike… it was a disaster. There was some big wet stain the flashing lights kept catching, and it took a second for the fact that it was blood to register.
My heart hurt for those people.
“I hope nobody died,” I whispered.
“Yeah,” Jake said as he took hold of my hand again. Tired began to ease into my bones, and I was half-asleep when we pulled into my apartments. Jake pulled up behind my mom’s car, and we both stared at it a minute. Twisting, I leaned over and kissed him.
“Thank you for tonight, Jake.”
“Even if it took forever to get back?”
“Even if.” Another kiss as I cupped his cheek. “You okay to drive home?”
“If I’m exhausted, can I come sleep with you?” It was a tease, but I was pretty sure if I said yes, he’d park in a heartbeat.
“Mom’s here.”
“Yeah.” He gave me another kiss. “Okay, get your stuff and go in, I’m staying until I see you inside. Don’t forget to charge your phone.”
“I won’t.” Another kiss stolen before I stripped off my seatbelt. As I slid out of the car, he pulled my backpack up and held it out to me.
“Night, Frankie.”