Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MARGO

I march down to the corner store with a clear mission. I find the aisle with everything from gauze to pain meds. Daniel stands awkwardly behind me as I find what I need. I try to be quick, but at the same time I make sure to read the packages to make sure I'm not getting something that's cheap quality.

"Okay, let's go," I say, walking off.

I set everything down at the checkout and pull out cash before he has a chance to even offer to pay. Besides, it's only like ten dollars. I don't mind. A person can never have too many Band-Aids.

"Do you need a bag?" the cashier asks.

"No thanks," I say. I finish the transaction and lead Daniel back outside. We walk down to the bus stop, where there's a bench, making it much easier to clean his hand. "Sit down."

It's fun ordering him around because I didn't think he'd be the type to listen to me. And yet, here he is, sitting down.

I hold my hands out, waiting for him to take the hint.

He takes the jacket off his hand, which he had been using to stop the blood from getting on anything else, and brings it closer to me. But not close enough.

I pull his hand closer, then I take one of the disinfectant wipes and dab his skin.

He sucks in a breath, which I'm assuming is from the sting of the disinfectant. I always hated that feeling growing up, but after living in the hospital for so long, I grew used to it.

I take a couple Band-Aids and place them over the scratches. I turn his hand over to make sure I didn't miss anything. "There. Good as new."

There's the slightest pull on his lips as he looks down at his hand. Like he wants to smile but won't let himself. "Thanks."

I put the wipes and bandages in my bag and lean back against the bench.

The bus appears on the horizon, and I find my pass. "Are you getting on this one too?"

He nods. "But I have to get off at Monroe and get on a connecting bus."

"That makes sense," I say. I'm not going to lie, the bus routes confuse me. I know how to get home from downtown, but I don't use them that often. I did today because I felt like it was easier than convincing someone to drop me off. I didn't feel like coming up with a story to explain myself.

The bus hisses to a stop. I get on with Daniel trailing behind me. I swipe my pass and head down the aisle. The bus starts moving, and I lose my footing. Daniel steadies me with a hand on my back. My heart skips, and I'm quick to move toward the back row. I sit down by the window and watch the buildings go by, pretending I didn't notice his touch.

Considering how he wants nothing to do with me, I expect Daniel to sit down as far away as possible, but he passes rows of empty seats. He passes so many opportunities to sit somewhere else, and instead, he chooses the seat right next to me.

Is it because I helped him just now? Am I starting to grow on him? Or does he just feel obligated to sit next to me because I'm by myself?

I thought I had him completely figured out, but I'm starting to realize I don't know him at all. Daniel Hansen is a complete mystery to me.

I rush through our front door and straight into my bedroom to find Annie.

She's sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

"I know I'm late, but we can still make it."

She doesn't look up. "It starts in ten minutes."

"So we'll miss the ads. That's not so bad." I sit next to her. "Please. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll buy you those candies you like, and we can go get takeout after. I'll let you choose where."

"I was really excited to see this movie," she says. Her eyes are cast down, mirroring the pout on her lips.

Total gut punch. I don't want her to feel like I don't want to spend time with her. I want nothing more than to listen to her tangents on what characters she likes or dislikes in books she's reading or which version of Pride and Prejudice is better.

"Are you sure I can't make it up to you?"

She bites her lip. "Well, how much candy are you willing to buy?"

I stand up and smile, pulling her to her feet. "As much as it takes. "

"Be careful what you ask for."

She hasn't completely relaxed, but she made a joke, which is a good sign. It's a start. I have to be on my best behavior over the next few days. No being late or ditching plans. I need to be present. I need to show her that she's my priority.

I sit in the passenger seat as Annie drives to the mall's theater. She's quiet, and I have to break the silence. "So what's this movie about again?"

Her jaw falls. "Ads for it have been everywhere. It's about a woman who gets amnesia and falls in love with the doctor who helps her get her memories back." She glances at me and waves her finger. "And I don't want to hear about how unrealistic it is. I read and watch fiction for a reason."

"Says the girl that wants an epic love story."

"Everyone deserves an epic love story. Other people might settle for less, but I won't."

The streetlights bounce across her face, illuminating her pretty smile, and now more than ever, I hope she's right. I hope she falls in love so deeply she never falls apart. I hope she finds someone that values her and never lets her feel less than. She deserves the world.

"Don't worry, I won't let you settle," I say.

"I know." She laughs. "I feel bad for anyone who ever hurts me because they'll have to deal with you."

"As they should."

I take my role as her twin sister very seriously, especially since she's so scared to stand up for herself. I've been protecting her ever since I could walk and talk.

As soon as she parks, I jump out. "Race you!"

She takes off after me. "Wait up!"

I skid to a brief stop to look for cars before running into the building. She comes up behind me and links arms with me. "At least there's no line."

No ads and no line. Maybe we should be late to the movies more often.

We pay for our tickets, and I buy Annie two candy boxes in addition to the bucket of popcorn we plan to share. With our hands full we head down the hallway and look for the right number for our movie.

"It's this one," I say, glancing up from the ticket.

Annie smiles and runs up to the door. "Come on."

The large room is already dark and the movie plays on a screen so big it makes me feel like an ant. There are lots of empty seats.

"Where do you want to sit?" I whisper. I prefer to be in the middle. That way your head isn't craned from staring up when you sit too close to the screen, and on the flip side, I'm not distracted by the other people in the theater by sitting at the top.

Her smile grows and the lights from the movie flashes against her skin. "Let's sit at the very top."

"Okay, lead the way," I say.

She rushes up the stairs and finds a seat in the very top row. We're so close to the top that we can see the projector.

Annie can hardly stay still because she's so excited. She tears right into her sour candy and leans back. "Watch the movie," she whispers.

I chuckle and shift my eyes to the screen. The theater is dark, but the light from the screen bounces off the chairs in front of us, lighting them up. We walked in on a scene where the main character is driving, and I'm assuming she's going to crash. It's raining and the background music is eerie. I desperately want to know if I'm right, but my eyes are heavy. I widen them, hoping I can force them open, but my attempts are in vain. I don't know at what point I fell asleep, but I wake up to Annie nudging me. "How could you possibly fall asleep during that masterpiece?"

"I wasn't sleeping."

She raises her brow. "You dropped the popcorn halfway through."

"Oops."

"Fortunately for you, it landed right side up," she says.

The lights are on now.

"Sorry," I say. "Did you like it, though?"

"It was perfect. I'll have to fill you in on the drive home because you missed the best part." She holds out her hand, and I take it as she pulls me to stand.

Pain shoots up my side, but I try my best not to let it show.

"Are you okay? You've been sleeping a lot lately," she asks.

I nod. "School's been wearing me out."

"Well, next time let's get you an energy drink before we come."

"Okay," I say with a laugh.

We take our time leaving the theater and head into the mall's food court. As we wait in line for hamburgers, I pull out my phone and notice a missed call.

Daniel called me.