Chapter 20

MILA

I'm right behind Jax.

He's a mile tall and his shoulders are a mile wide.

I can't see a thing around him.

He reaches back when the area gets crowded.

I don't know what to give him to hold… other than my left pointer finger.

His massive hand swallows up my finger in a second, but then he hooks his pointer finger to mine.

Oh, God, look at the size of his finger…

The second we are out in the lobby I pull my hand away.

I can now stand next to Jax.

We exit together, casually.

Just friends…

I hate the sound of that even. I don't want to be friends with Jax. For many reasons, but a big one would be the controversy it would cause in a second.

"I have to tell you, Mila, I'm not really sold on scary movies all that much," Jax says.

"Oh, so you didn't want to see this movie?"

Jax smiles. He doesn't look at me. "Well, I guess you can say the opportunity popped up so I took it."

"In other words, you did this on purpose to be here and be a pain in the ass."

Now he looks at me. "Correction. You're the pain in the ass. You were literally kicking me. Kicking my ass."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy that."

"Are you getting naughty right now?"

"No. I'm just saying…"

"I saved you from that guy, didn't I?"

"He was a total creep."

"I should have hit him."

"See, I don't get you," I say. "You're very confusing to figure out."

Jax turns in front of me and starts to walk backward. "So you're trying to figure me out? You're thinking of me when I'm not around?"

"I never said that. I just go by what I see."

"Okay, so tell me what you see then."

He stops walking and I don't even think about it for a second before I place my hand to his chest and push at him.

I walk around him and he catches right back up to me.

"This is the Willow thing," he says. "Because I took care of her."

"Maybe it is."

"Or is it because I showed up to this movie, knowing how much you wanted to see it?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I didn't want you to feel alone."

"It's not your job to care about that."

"Too late. But the movie was good too. The ending…"

"Scary movies have to have a good ending. And not some cliché crap, you know?"

"That wasn't cliché?"

"No. The shocking twist. I mean, sure, it's been done before. I didn't see it coming. So it's like that curse is just always there? There's no stopping it? It just picks and chooses? Creepy."

"Do you think there's a curse here on campus?" Jax asks.

I laugh. "Yeah. The curse of you."

"I am far from a curse, Mila. Maybe I'm a nightmare, but I'm not a curse. Plus, if we're being fair here, you asked me to walk you home. It's not like I'm just following you around."

"Because you do that anyway, right?"

"That's right," he says. "I'm just one big stalker. Better not let me see your dorm."

"Fine. Stop following me then."

To my surprise, Jax stops. He folds his arms.

Just like that? He's done…?

"Really?" I ask.

"Really," he says.

Now he's being stubborn and cocky.

I start to walk again.

I hug myself.

Out of nowhere I think about someone with a knife jumping out of the trees and coming after me. Someone with the curse from the movie.

I know it's all fake but I have chills racing up and down my back.

I stop and turn.

Jax is still standing behind me.

I quickly run to him.

I grab his shirt. "Don't be an asshole right now, okay?"

I give a tug but he resists.

His hands suddenly grab for my hips.