There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Seventeen - Night at the Movies

Heath

I watched her as she laughed at my father's corny joke - so far she'd been the perfect guest as she answered the questions that my mother threw at her and happily chattered with my brother.

I was still reeling from the results of the investigation which my uncle had conducted but I was mostly pleased and relieved.

I had felt like a bastard when I'd frightened her off but after everything that my family, my brother, had been through I wasn't willing to see him devastated again. He had seen the lengths that I was willing to go to, to protect him and I knew that he was still fighting demons because of them.

Dedicating everything that I had to achieve it, I had been thrilled when I had gotten noticed by Thorn Macey and picked up by the WFC under his tutelage but it seemed that all good things had their price.

Except I hadn't been the one to pay - my choices had forced River down a path that I was certain he never would have considered and I hated myself for that. I would never forget the look in his eyes when his whole reality had come crashing down because I had been sure I knew best.

Because a two-faced whore had decided that River was fair game.

"Heath?"

The sound of my name jolted me away from the nightmare of my brother's fifteenth year. I cleared my throat and looked around at the expectant faces, "Yes?"

My family rolled their eyes in exasperation while Alira's warm brown eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Alira and River are debating going to the cinema, son and your mother was just asking if you wanted to join them?" My father saved me as he cleared what was left of desert off his plate.

I looked at my brother and asked silently for his preference, smiling when he nodded slightly. It had been a long road for the both of us and I could honestly say that I had once thought that we would never be able to function like brothers again.

"I'd like that," I answered, "I haven't been to see a movie in ages. What time do we have to leave?"

River glanced at Alira, "8:30?"

She nodded and picked up her glass, "That's fine. I'll call my mother on the way and let her know that I won't be back until late."

Alira

I grimaced as both Heath and River continued to laugh at me, "Would you two hyenas shut up and help me down?"

"Can't you jump?" River asked, pushing his glasses up as he tried to breathe through his unmanly giggles.

I crossed my arms and glared, "No. I'd likely break my ankle."

"It's not that high up, Alira." Heath added, shaking his head as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and peered around at the cinema parking garage.

"It's been made for giants - please just help me down." I pleaded, exasperated that they were more concerned with my inability to exit Heath's ridiculous truck rather than the fact that we were likely going to be late.

Every so often a group of teenagers would trudge past, giggling and yelling with excitement as I grew frustrated with the two idiots in front of me.

"Help me down now or I will do something horrible," I pointed, trying to sound threatening.

"Fine," River answered, smiling widely as Heath stepped forward to grab me around the waist and quickly lower me to the ground. His hands remained, tightening for a moment as he made sure that I wasn't going to stumble.

I glanced shyly up into his eyes before I whispered a "Thank you," and stepped back so that I could smooth down my dress and wait for Heath to lock up the car.

Both he and River had been disappointed that we couldn't bring my own since it only sported two seats but I had reluctantly promised that they could take it for a drive at the air strip one day as long as I didn't have to passenger with River.

The pavement rang hollow from the sound of our footsteps but we otherwise remained silent as we got closer to the cinema's entrance.

I was buzzing with excitement after the evening with the Daimon family and the prospect of going into an actual movie theatre for the first time in years.

My parents had always offered to take me when I'd wanted to go before but the thought of having to hang out with either of them in such a way depressed me even though I loved them. What teenage girl wanted to have her status as 'pathetic' thrown in her face even more - I had been satisfied with locking myself in my room with a bed full of snacks and the latest films beamed to me from a number of production companies.

A perk I had thoroughly enjoyed, I had to admit.

"This is going to be interesting," I heard River murmur over my head as he turned his eyes to Heath.

I took a moment to wonder what they were talking about before I realised that Saturday nights were the normal time for teenagers throughout the city to sneak into a movie and either drink smuggled alcohol or hook up.

I chewed my lip as I glanced between the two of them, "We can go back or do something else if you'd prefer."

Heath's eyes held surprise for a moment before they warmed and he lifted a hand to swipe it along the length of my hair, "Its fine, Kitten."

I still wavered as I watched them slouch slightly and keep to the back of the crowd as we tried to find an available register.

Some people looked us over but they seemed content to let us be until I heard a familiar voice speak up from behind me, her purring voice raising goose bumps along my neck, "Tonight is definitely my lucky night."

I hunched my shoulders as female giggles surrounded us and I slowly rotated to find Miranda, her eyes running greedily over Heath as she smiled confidently.

Well, I thought as both River and Heath turned as well, there goes my fun night at the movies.