Chapter 49

The air was thick with anticipation of tonight's scary movie. Gabi and I were on the fence about it, and honestly, I'm still not sure if I'll keep my eyes open through all the jump scares. Macklin and Will, on the other hand, are practically thriving off the energy.

"This is the perfect vibe for movie night," Will says, pushing the red cart in front of him. "I'm telling you, this is going to be the best one yet."

Macklin chuckles beside him. "You said that last time and you screamed when the guy popped out of the fridge."

"I didn't scream," Will defends, glancing over his shoulder. "It was more of a battle cry."

"Sure," Gabi says with a playful eye roll. "Battle cry with a falsetto."

Will gasps, dramatically clutching his chest. "You wound me, woman."

I laugh, shifting slightly on my crutches as we step into the snack aisle. "Okay, strong warriors," I say, steadying myself, "can we just get the candy before the battle begins?"

Gabi has her eye on some sour gummies and chocolate-covered almonds. Macklin and Will start discussing whether peanut M&M's or Reese's Pieces are the more "cinematic" choice. I slowly trail behind them, letting the sound of their conversation drift as I scan the shelves.

That's when I spot it; a little white bag of Kinder Bueno mini chocolates right at the top of the shelf. I've had a craving for them all week and there they are. Problem is... they're high up. I glance down at my crutches and then up again. It's not like Macklin or Will are far. They're maybe ten feet down the aisle but still... I don't want to call for help over chocolate.

Alright, Lex. Be innovative.

I shift my weight carefully onto my good leg, the one that's not strapped into a hard white cast. Then I grip my crutch, angle it up carefully and tap the bottom corner of the bag... Miss.

I bite my lip and try again, eyes flicking between the bag and my target. Tap. Tap. Swoosh—the bag falls forward and lands with a soft thunk right into the bottom of the shopping cart beside me.

I grin to myself.

"You proud of that little heist?"

I jump slightly at the sound of Macklin's voice behind me and turn just enough to see him leaning casually against the cart, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

"You saw that?" I ask, cheeks warming.

He nods. "Every second. Impressive form. Good aim."

I glance at the candy in the cart. "I didn't want to bother anyone. You guys were locked into that M&M versus Reese's debate."

"You would never be a bother," he says, voice softer now. He nudges my arm lightly with his elbow. "I mean that."

I look up at him, the corner of my mouth curling. "Still. Felt like a fun challenge."

He laughs. "Well, mission accomplished, chocolate queen."

Gabi approaches then, holding a bag of sour strips and a bottle of water. "Okay, I vote we keep it simple. Gummy, chocolate, salty, something fizzy. Boom. Balanced diet."

Will follows, holding up a box of Milk Duds like it's a sacred relic. "The true movie candy."

"I don't think anyone likes those," Gabi says, stealing it from him and tossing it into the cart anyway.

"I like them," Will protests.

Macklin grabs a share-size pack of Skittles and raises a brow. "You said the same thing about your snickers bar last time and then fell asleep ten minutes in."

"That was the recliner chair's fault, not the candy."

I shake my head with a grin, watching them banter. "What about chips?" I ask.

"Got you covered." Gabi waves a small bag of sour cream and onion like a trophy. "Gotta keep it low-key. We only have so many hoodie pockets and purses."

"I still say we should've brought a duffel bag," Will mutters.

"Yeah, yeah," Gabi says, laughing. "Let's do a quick check. Chocolate? Check. Gummies? Check. Chips? Check. Drinks?"

Macklin points to a nearby refrigerated section. "I'll grab a one bottle each of Sprite and Coke. That should do it."

I watch him walk off, and Gabi leans over to me as Will gets distracted by the candy rack near checkout.

"He's so sweet with you," she says quietly, her voice warm.

I blink, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. "Huh?"

"Macklin," she says, nodding toward where he's crouched near the drinks. "He watches you like he wants to catch you before you even trip. It's genuinely so sweet and cute."

I feel my throat tighten just slightly. "Yeah... he's been really patient with me."

"You've been through hell, Lex," she says, gently. "You deserve the world and I'm glad you have someone who's ready to give you the world if he could."

I swallow, smile small. "Thanks, Gabi."

She bumps her shoulder against mine. "Also, I'm just glad we're doing normal stuff again. Shopping, complaining about overpriced popcorn, sneak-snacking during trailers."

"Same," I whisper.

Macklin returns with the drinks and we all head to the self-checkout. Macklin helps me manage the cart while Gabi scans, and Will loads the bagged loot into his hoodie's oversized pockets.

I lean to walk closer to Macklin as we walk back to the car and he automatically adjusts his pace to match mine.

"You okay?" he asks, looking down at me.

I nod. "Yeah. Tired, but happy."

"Good." He reaches over and taps the bag of Kinder Buenos peeking out from the shopping bag. "And for the record, next time, I'll be your candy-shelf spotter."

I laugh softly. "Deal."

———

"Alright, milady," he said with a grin, nudging the door to open wider so I could hobble in the theater behind him.

"I feel like I'm doing something illegal and not just smuggling candy," I whispered as we entered the lobby.

Gabi, walking just ahead of us with Will, giggled while saying, "It's a beautiful, delicious crime."

Will's hoodie looked like he was hiding a soccer ball in the front pouch. Every movement made the fabric stretch and shift over whatever mound of snacks he was hoarding like a raccoon. I don't know how he wasn't caught already.

"Do you think they'll check?" I whispered to Macklin, low enough that only he could hear me as we got in line for the ticket scan.

He leaned close to my ear. "Nah. I've been here before. They never check bags. And Will looks like that half the time when we go here anyways."

"Im not always sneaking stuff," Will called over his shoulder, somehow hearing us despite the commotion in the lobby. "This is peak stealth mode. No one's gonna notice."

To my surprise, he was right. The teenager at the ticket stand barely looked up from his scanner. He waved the four of us through after scanning our tickets with all the energy of someone who was emotionally and physically done with their shift. His eyes didn't even flicker at Will's snack baby.

We walked past without a hitch. Well—they walked, I half-limped while gripping Macklin's arm with my free hand and wobbled toward the entrance of Theater 4.

"Do you want me to carry you bridal-style?" Macklin teased once we were away from the crowd.

I gave him a deadpan look. "Very sweet, but risk you accidentally knocking my cast against the doorframe? I choose life."

He laughed, so full and bright, I couldn't help but smile and laugh with him.

We finally shuffled into our row near the middle of the theater, perfect view, not too close, not too far. Macklin helped me into the reclining seat. I sighed out of relief the second I sank into it.

"Lift the console," I told him, reaching awkwardly for the middle armrest between us.

He didn't hesitate, flipping it up so it turned our seats into a sort of snuggly little couch we can lay on. The faux leather creaked under our shifting weight as he settled beside me, his arm automatically going around my shoulders like it belonged there.

"You comfy?" he asked, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

"Very," I mumbled, resting my head against his chest.

On the other side of us, Gabi flopped into her seat with a dramatic groan and immediately lifted the console between her and Will.

"I need sour patch kids asap please" she announced.

"Got it," Will said, fishing into his hoodie pouch and pulling out a plastic bag so full of snacks which made me truly question how did it fit in there.

The lights dimmed and the previews began. I leaned into Macklin's chest and felt him stroke my arm absentmindedly, his fingers tracing little shapes over my skin. The movie started with a jump scare before the title card even appeared. Gabi yelped and spilled half the bag of Takis on her lap. Will bursted out laughing.

"I already hate this," Gabi hissed, clutching Will's arm.

I laughed, partly at the chaos, partly because I already knew this was going to be fun.

The movie was one of those psychological horror flicks, where nothing made sense for the first half hour. It opened on a family moving into a creaky Victorian house in the middle of nowhere. I groaned internally.

"Red flag number one," I whispered to Macklin. "You know nothing good ever happens in a Victorian house."

He smiled. "Shh, they haven't even unpacked their cursed mirror yet."

Sure enough, ten minutes later, the mom found an antique mirror hidden behind a boarded-up wall, and things went downhill fast.

At the first real scare, a shadowy figure appearing behind the daughter in the reflection. Will jumped so hard he accidentally elbowed Gabi in the side. She shrieked and slapped his arm, and he muttered something about "testing to make sure she's paying attention."

I was gripping Macklin's hoodie by that point, half-hiding my face every time the music got quiet. That was always the worst part; the quiet before the scare.

"They're going into the basement," I said, shaking my head. "Why? Why are they doing that? Don't go into the basement. You're not gonna find Christmas decorations, you're gonna find death."

Macklin chuckled, tucking me tighter under his arm. "You want me to cover your eyes?"

"Only if you want me to die of suspense."

Still, when the lights in the movie flickered and the demon finally appeared in full, grotesque form, I buried my face into his shoulder.

"I hate this!" I whispered.

"You're squeezing the oxygen out of me," he replied, voice muffled with laughter. "But like... I'm not complaining."

"I hope you know I'm not watching the last twenty minutes."

"You said that thirty minutes ago."

The scariest scene hit around the climax, when the demon crawled out of the ceiling. The main character screamed. Gabi screamed. Will also screamed, which made Gabi laugh mid-panic.

Macklin flinched hard when the demon screeched, his hand tightening around my arm.

"You jumped!" I whispered, triumphant.He laughed under his breath. "yeah—that one got me."

"You're too calm," I hissed anyway. "Do you even feel fear?"

"I do," he said, kissing the top of my head again. "But watching you freak out is still way more entertaining."

"I swear..."

Despite myself, I laughed. I couldn't help it. Every time the camera panned slowly toward a door or window, every time the music hit that terrifying high-pitched tone, I'd clutch Macklin a little harder.

When the credits finally rolled, the theater was silent for a beat. Then Gabi let out the longest, most dramatic sigh I've ever heard.

"I feel like I need therapy."

"I told you we should've picked the rom-com," Will said, nudging her.

"I need a rom-com and a blanket and a priest."

"I feel like I just fought for my life," I muttered.

Macklin laughed and helped me sit up slowly, making sure I didn't put too much weight on my leg. "You did great. 10 out of 10."

"Oh yeah?" I tilted my head at him. "How many jump scares did you count me flinching at?"

He grinned. "All of them. But hey, I flinched at like... five. That's a record."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "I hate you."

He kissed my cheek. "No, you don't."

I didn't. Not even close.

As we all filed out of the theater, Macklin supported me while I maneuvered my crutches through the aisle. Will was still recapping the scariest parts like we hadn't all just lived through it. Gabi, meanwhile, declared that she would be sleeping with the lights on for the next year.

-=+=-

So sorry I was crashing out over my breakup lolLets finish this thangggg