Sun Catch Her (Book 1: Three Rivers Deep series) COMPLETE

Chapter Fifteen

This night was going to suck. There was no way of getting around it. But it's my own fault, really. Because I didn't have the nerve to disappoint Reese. Upon bringing up our first planned girls' night out and not understanding my unexplained reluctance, she had begged me to go to the midnight movie premiere—and I panicked. Fearing our newly established friendship was much too fragile, I agreed I would accompany her despite my promise to Micah. Now, it was Thursday evening, almost a week later, and I was sick to my stomach because, by leaving the valley, I was breaking my word.

I didn't have to plan anything elaborate to evade Indy. Taking her newfound lack of concern for me to greater heights, Indy had left earlier today for New York City to meet with a potential vendor. She wouldn't be back until sometime tomorrow. Easy peasy. I puffed out my cheeks and then deflated, jittery in my school uniform. Going straight from the academy to Reese's house, I'd never gone home to change.

The mall was about a half hour drive south of Petroleum Valley. The lack of close hills providing me with an unobstructed view of the sky to track cloud movement was doing little to put me at ease. Tonight it made me feel exposed. A light wind buffeted us as I waited for Reese to stash the dress she bought for the autumn formal, the thump of the car door loud in the quiet parking lot. Lacking an inside mall entrance, the walk to the theater at eleven o'clock at night was a fog filled one, the nightscape blanketed in a dull gray lit in milky puddles by streetlights. We started up the concrete stairs toward the tinted glass entrance of the movie complex, its front highlighted by mist-hazy pink and green neon. Taking the steps carefully, the steep ascent was slow yet steady. Wary, I stayed behind Reese with my hands hovering at her back, ready for anything, because while my new friend wasn't fragile—she'd proven time and time again she could take a licking and keep on ticking—I didn't want to see her rolling down the stairs.

"Is this supposed to be a theater or a pool hall?" I asked, ignoring the ache the steep climb stirred in my bruised side as I marveled at several pool tables coming into view when we reached the landing. Lined in purple fabric and pendant lit, they took up the front foyer inside before a dark wood floor gave way to mile-long ticket lines. So many people! I hesitated as we approached the doors.

"A little bit of both, I guess," Reese replied. "Wow, a lot showed up for the premiere. It's a super good thing I preordered our tickets online."

"Yeah, good thing," I repeated hollowly, staring while the enormity of the situation sank in—that was going to be too many people for me to handle. A sold-out premiere.

"Come on, Aurora, let's get our tickets," Reese coaxed, taking my elbow to persuade me along. "Jeez, they really need to update their purchasing process. Other places in Pittsburgh scan your phone app." Silly rural movie theater, stuck in the 90s.

"Yeah, that would be—ah—helpful," I managed, my voice going breathless as soon as we stepped inside.

This crowd is huge. Coming to an abrupt halt, my eyes widened. A strong, buttery wave of popcorn hit my standard sense of smell and I gulped, cringing as my heart missed a beat, which then gave way to a large weight pressing on my chest. All of the people, all of their emotions—laughter, joy, anticipation, annoyance for how packed the place was—so many of them standing around talking, a hundred tiny conversations, bodies jostling each other, mouths crunching popcorn, armpits sweating, it all came together like a thick, choking force that slammed into me. If Reese hadn't been holding my elbow, I might have stumbled.

Crap, I don't know if I can do this! I retreated a step, bumping my backside against the push bar of the exit. "Um, if it's okay with you, I'm going to hang back here while you get our tickets." Way in the back. Like, maybe somewhere in the parking lot, ten-rows-deep.