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Her thumb swiped decisively over to the horror section and my brows shot up.
“Fair warning, I’m a total scaredy-cat,” she said with a self-deprecating little laugh.
“How does that even go together?” I teased.
She nibbled on the corner of her bottom lip and my brain froze for a second, body arching closer of its own accord.
“Well… I watch them through my fingers, then regret it, that’s how.” She laughed, the stifled sound barely audible, but its warmth curled between my ribs, making it hard to breathe all over again. “And I usually need escorting to the bathroom…”
“Is that gonna be my role?”
“God, no!” she squealed.
“Should I keep watch by your bed, then? Fight off the ghosts?”
She chewed on something and scrunched up her nose at me, and I fought the urge to smooth it with my thumb.
“If you’re just gonna mock me, fuck off—”
“Fine, fine. I’ll be good, I promise.”
I lifted my hands in put-on innocence, so at odds with the mischievous glimmer in my eyes.
“I’ll be all… what did you call me?” I rubbed my chin as if in deep thought. “Ah, yes, sweet and easygoing.”
She let out a huff that was supposed to be scolding, but it only made me want to pull her close and bite her flaming cheeks. I settled for grabbing my phone back, fingers brushing against hers for a second too long, until I found two of the movies I’d saved last night.
“Tell me: are you feeling a little brave… or really brave?”
A slow smirk tugged at my mouth, dark and challenging.
Instead of asking this time, she leaned in so she could see my screen, and I fought to keep my breathing even as I watched her sidelong, itching to touch her, to wrap my arm around her, like I’d seen Liam do so casually a million times.
“The Korean one… What’s it about?” Her voice grew thin.
“The ghost of a little girl haunting a playground.”
“Oh, crap…” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, eyes a bit wide, like she was only now understanding how deep in shit she was.
My lips pulled into a dark grin.
You picked it, baby.
Shit. What did I just—
My breath stuttered out of me. I thumbed through my phone, under the pretext of checking the screening times, trying to ignore the way my heart was bruising me from under my ribs.
Thump, thump.
I fought the urge to scramble up and bolt—or to lean in and whisper it in her ear, just to see how she’d react—
“There you are!”
Pri materialised out of nowhere near our table, and we jumped as if we’d just been caught doing something illicit.
Her arms crossed over her fluffy, colourful sweater, but her naturally sweet expression vanished as her eyes narrowed and ping-ponged between us, too knowing for my comfort.
I shifted, building a bit more distance between my seat and Mia’s.
