EVIE WAS RESTLESS TO REACH THE MOVIE theatre. If anything, she was a bird in flight, flapping her wings—by biting her nails in Cora's silver car, hoping not to ask to turn this car around—and back out of the movies. Back out at the movies. Back out of seeing a particular redhead boy who had until recently started composing her thoughts since the day she first met him.
"Cora," Evie starts.
Cora made a left. The sound of the wheels scratching against the dirt track of the road. They had made it to the town, a nearly a hours drive, and the town was quiet, humble, and snack-bang in the middle of it was the movie theatre. Outside, there were a few cues of people buying tickets at the ticket office, out front was the movie of the day—Heart to Heart. Evie recalls the time Cora had shown her the trailer for Heart to Heart. Some romantic film written and directed by a famous doctor in Hollywood deemed in the next Titanic. But for Evie, nothing will ever come close to taking the Titanic to the top spot. It was her favourite movie. One where the vallent Rose falls in love with the wanderlust Jack—and the story was Timeless. Timeless in Evie's eyes.
And up ahead, Cora reversed into a parking space at the front of the Movie theatre, singing. "We gotta get some popcorn—what would you like, Evie? Butter? Sweet sault?"
"Anything, right now to calm my nerves. I think I'm going to throw up."
Cora giggles. It's a soft sound that makes Evie unblocked her seatbelt and climbs out of the vehicle.
In the open air, the knot of nervousness in her stomach increases and she almost begs Copra to take her home—where she can be with Lew, where she can paint in peace, where she can cry, alone, in the safety of her bedroom when her parents are not present at this very moment. Because living right now in the present was not fun for Evie. It was like she was walking through a storm without a umbrella, and didn't know how long she will outlast the rain before she reaches the ending scene—where she falls into a fever from feeling so cold and lonely, and—
"Hello, Evie," A voice breaks her away from her anxiety. Making his way from the ticket booth, she hears his voice—like lavender flowers in summer—before she catches a glimpse of him. And when she finally works up the nerve to look at him, he takes her breath from her lungs.
Tall, pale, and freckles. He's wearing a red baseball cap that covers the strands of her flaming hair, and soft pale blue jeans. For a second Evie waits if she can smell the hay or the horses on him—clinging to him like a second skin—however is surprised when he reaches her he smells different. Fresh, alluring, with men's cologne that had a scent of tranaringe and musk. And when he moves closer to her, she can't help but notice it. The more the boy moved, the more she found the scent of him drawing her senses awake, and the more awake she was here in the present, the less likely she was to find herself wanting to be home alone with her grief or thoughts.
Evie suddenly remembers the conversation they had. Of the time when Jacob said she could call him anything she wants to, and she does. "Hello," she says, folding out the plans of her lavender summer dress. "Cupcake,"
Jacob looks around briefly. At the guys at the back of the cue, waiting to head inside, but cuts his visions back to Evie before whispering. "What? Cupcake?"
"You said I could call you anything last time we met. Cupcake, remember?"
Jacob's eyes light up, like he's recalling the memory. "Oh yeah, I did. Didn't think you take it on though, Ma'am"
Evie feels her heart leap, like it's been drenched in gasoline and set on fire. Stop it with the Ma'am. He doesn't . He continues with his soft voice until there's nothing else Evie can do but stand in her own frustration. But whichever fusion of frustration it was, she hadn't figured it out yet? She just knew the redhead boy Jacob Faith was playing with her, buttering her up, teasing, and whatever it was, she likes it.
Fodly,Evie steps towards him and she can't help but notice his eyes drift to her bare legs and the summer dress floating slightly in the breeze. He looks away, bashful at the ground. For a second, she sees the redhead boy bite the inside of his cheek, clasping a hold of the movie tickets he has in his hand, unable to break the tension between them.
Cora clears her throat. "Well, as much as I'd like to join you guys, I told my Pap, I'd be helping him with the bakery all day today, so you have the movies to yourself,"
Evie's eyes grow wide. Jacob rubs the back of his neck watching as Evie grabs her best friend's arm, and pulls her to the side, saying between gritted teeth. "Cor, what are you—"
Cora's eyes glow. Mischievously, she uncurls Evie's fingers from her arm and heads around to the driver's side of the car. Before she hops in, she grins, her curly hair flying behind her back. "Have fun, and if you really hit it off, be safe kids!"
Evie feels eyes burn into the back of her head. And she was positive Cora will be in that moment, because Evie was doing the same to her as she turns on her car and drove off into the peachy evening leaving Evie with choice on her hands.
To go inside the movies with Jacob Faith alone.
Or–
"It's okay, if you don't want to go without, Cor," Jacob says from beside her. Evie didn't realise he was standing so close to her, a look of complete shock, hope and heartbreak on his face. "I get it. You hardly know me. I mean, I could be a—"
Evie turns to the boy, and he stops mumbling the thoughts out loud, star-stuck when she looks him right in the eyes. Hers are every shade of hazel, and up close, he sees specks of gold flying across her irises. He thinks she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Will ever see, it was hard for him to stay calm when she was around him. Hard for the boy not to want everything to go as planned. Hard not to be broken apart by cute face that was laced with—
"Cupcake?" she says.
He rolls his eyes, fearing the worst.
"Yeah?"
"You already bought the tickets didn't you?" After everything. After all the summers he'd seen Evie in college, or heard her voice in the classes they shared, or seen her talk to Cora at her bakery in town, he'd never got over her voice. Soft like hay, soft like butter, soft like the sun on the back of his neck.
"Yes, I did Ma'am,"
Evie peers down at his enclosed hand and sees the tickets. Three, and then tears one of them up until it only leaves two. "I guess it's only going to be two, now?"
The boy nods trying not to smile.
He fails.
"Yes, Ma'am," He holds out the ticket for Evie but she lets him take the lead, and they head inside the movie. But before she goes in, she finds herself beginning to smile too.
Today wasn't planned but plans can change anytime.
Jacob holds the door open for her, letting her in first. Evie is greeted by the luxurious smell of warm popcorn in the aisle, and the sight of workers giving people instructions on where to go.
"That's right, you're in Room 2."
Then the sound of women, children and couples, looking forward to having time together at the movies, and for the first time today, she found herself not fighting tears, but a smile.
"Thank you," Evie replies, as Jacob follows her close to her. Thye movements are not rushed, and in fact Evie never thought for a single moment in her life where she was rushing. But today, she slowed down. Slowed down and relaxed by the redhead boy by her side, who on occasions brushes her arm against his while they walk to the main till area to buy popcorn, seeing from the corner of her eye, Jacob reaching into his back pocket of his jeans, retrieving his wallet.
Evie bites her lip. "You bought the tickets, are you sure you want to buy the popcorn as well?"
Jacob only shakes his head. "Of course, I'm paying Evie."
They made their way to the till, and a young woman wearing a red and gold uniform gives them a smile. "Welcome, what can I get you?"
Jacob smiles at Evie beside him before he speaks up at the girl. Evie suddenly feels less attractive in her presence. The girl behind the counter was curvy, striking blue eyes and long, black hair. However her date with Jacob Faith didn't see the subtle signs the girl behind the counter was eye flirting with him when he just gives her casual instructions to get Evie popcorn and two cream soda. The girl does as he says and scoops the popcorn into a regular box, and then turns her back on the pair to make the sodas—Jacob gingerly peels back a piece of Evie's brown hair from her face causing her to shudder. He leans into her, whispering. "I never said before but you look gorgeous,"
The complement knocks the air out of Evie's lungs.
She looks up at him, and sees only a soft soft on his face, and for a second, one of his dimples pop. And anyone looking at the pair from the outside could tell there was a small spark between them. And it was up to Evie if she wanted to make it burn bright, or snuff it out with smoke and rain.
The girl behind the counter turns back around with Evie and Jacob's sodas, realising they are on a date and gushes at them. "Oh, you guys are so cute? How long have you been going out?"
Jacob places his hand on the small of Evie's back, and it was soft, warm, and sign. He looks at Evie before saying. "I just saw her one day and..."
"Knew he was the one." Evie finishes, playing along.
For a single moment, Evie's eyes sparkle. Jacob plays for the popcorn and sodas, offering to carry the sodas while Evie grabs the popcorn. And the girl behind the counter eye flirts with Jacob a little bit more before taking the tickets from the redhead boy and clips them, handing him them back. "Your movie is in Room 3. Hope you enjoy it! If there's anything wrong with your order, just come back and I'll be happy to help."
But Jacob was looking at only one person in the movie theatre. Evie Wilson, with love-struck eyes, a heart on fire, and it was like the stages of his life were dropping into place.
It was as if Evie was the only girl that matters in Jacob Faith's world.
And for a single moment, Evie lets her grief subside in her chest. Because when Jacob Faith looks at her, it causes her to crave something else. And it wasn't the popcorn. It was his lips. His American lips talking the way he does makes her heart sing softly. And without thinking of anything else in the world, she follows Jacob Faith into dark, but just before she stumbles into the small set of stairs to take her seat, the redhead boy takes a hold of her hand, entwining his fingers with her own.
"Got you,"
"Thank you," she breathes. From this close up, she can only see the outline of his broad shoulders and hear the sound of his footsteps. Somehow, the sound eases the nerves in her stomach— breaking her fragile thoughts and actions into butterflies. He reaches his destination, and leads her to seat first. Always the gentlemen.
"Sit," he instrutes. She does, and then he hands the sodas to Evie as Jacob sits beside in the seat, moving the arm rest, to get comfortable, and looks around. There were only a few people sitting in, getting ready for the movie to pop up on the large screen. One of Jacob's knees starts to bounce in anticipation.
And Evie notes he is as nervous as she is.
Then the lights went dark, the screen turned into a blindly light, and the movie avert began to play new trailers. Evie feels her heart pounding. It feels like a wild bird trapped in a golden cage, fluttering its beautiful wings to take flight. And it does it countlessly, madly, deeply when the redhead boy reaches over to her and gingerly and takes her hand in his—and her heart is an mess—a fluttering mess heartbeats fluttering again and again as an electric pulses through her palm at the feeling his hand entwining with hers.
Safe. Warm. Comfort. Calm. Soft. Lovely.
There were so many words Evie Wilson could have named the moment—but all she could think of, all her fluttering heart could beat impossible for was for the redhead boy. Because his touch was like touching stardust. Rare, everscent and beautiful. And she realises he was not star-gazing at the movie ahead of him—
but her.
Always her.
Because she was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Always him.
Because she was blessed with him. In all of his entire being. In his entire world, in the sight of him like the universe was giving her the tiniest glimpse of the next stage of her life;
Of what it could be like to fall in love with him.
Jacob Faith.