“Stay,” Gavin said before he could think it through. “Just for a little while.”
His mom took out a bag of popcorn and tossed it into the microwave. They both knew Lila wouldn’t be able to pass up her favorite snack. And sure enough, as the buttery smell filled the air, she agreed to stick around a little longer.
She texted her parents as they moved to the living room. Gavin sat beside her on the couch, leaving enough room for the bowl to sit between them. When his mom told them goodnight, claiming the need to shower, he turned on the TV to fill the silence.
Lila ended up staying to watch several episodes of Parks and Recreation. By the time she left, he could see the exhaustion as he walked her home. But he also saw the smile lingering on her lips when they said their goodbyes and he told her he’d see her in the morning.
Lila’s Summer Bucket List
Sleep under the stars
Attend a party
Get a tattoo
Use fake ID to sing karaoke in a bar
Stand under the lights on the football field
Go on a date
Sneak out of the house
Visit the baby goat farm
Go to Chicago
Midnight swim
Spend a day in bed watching movies
Stay up to watch the sunrise
Be kissed in the rain
Run through the halls of the high school
Conquer a fear
Paintball
Try something new
Dye hair pink
Sneak into movie theater
Climb water tower
6
Wednesday
Gavin grabbed Lila’s hand and pulled her out of the ticket line. Her plan was to buy tickets before sneaking into the movie, just in case they were caught. He, apparently, had other ideas and led her into the small arcade off the side of the main lobby. Games dinged and buzzed behind them as they stood near the wall of the open doorway. A couple kids fought over who got to play next at a game while another ran past them to show her parents the stuffed animal she’d won.
Lila smiled at the excitement in the young girl. Looking up at Gavin, she raised a brow.
“What?” he asked.
“You should win me a bear.”
“We need to be ready to go in when they open the doors for the next showing.” He looked at the claw game despite his words.
Lila stayed quiet. She crossed her arms, knowing he couldn’t back down from the challenge. As he bounced on the balls of his feet, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. The kids in the corner stopped arguing and ran out to the lobby with their prizes in tow.
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes then moved to the machine, fishing a dollar out of his wallet with his pink hand. “One bear, Weston. Then we’re going in. No more stalling.”
The one bear, as it turned out, was a lot more difficult to get than either anticipated. Gavin blew through the cash he had on him, and then he went to the small ATM in the corner to get more. She laughed while he twisted and turned his body, as if that would help.
When he cursed a little too loudly, she smacked his arm. “Shh! There are children around…”
The last word trailed off as they looked around the empty room and out to the quiet lobby. She started laughing again, holding her sides. It had been too long since she felt that happy, which surprised her. She’d agreed to his truce and insistence in helping with her list, but she hadn’t expected things to fall back in place so easily.
“We missed our opening,” she managed to get out between breaths.
Gavin shook his head with a smile and an unfamiliar look in his eyes. “Nah, I have another idea. Come on.”
“Wait,” she called as he started walking away. She opened her purse and pulled out her own dollar. Feeding it into the machine, she tilted her head from side to side, rotated her shoulders, and pretended to crack her knuckles.
The claw moved to its center starting position, and she readied herself. With one hand on the joystick and the other hovering over the release button, she eased the metal contraption to the far-left corner. She stopped over a small blue bunny with ears longer than its body.
“No, that’s cheating!” Gavin moved to stand behind her. “You said a bear.”
Lila shrugged one shoulder then hit the button. She held her breath as the claw hooked around one of the bunny’s legs, lifted it in the air swinging, and dropped it into the prize chute only a couple inches away.
“Yes!” She reached down and pulled out the bunny. Jumping around, she turned to face Gavin, who, despite his complaining, still smiled down at her.
“You’re ridiculous,” he said, echoing her words from the night before.
“You’re just jealous I actually know how to win this game.”
“No one wins this game,” he muttered while looking back to the lobby.
“I do.” She lifted the stuffed animal in front of his face. “For you.”
Gavin took the bunny. Tilting his head, he said, “Follow me.”
They walked through the lobby without anyone paying them any attention, but Lila’s breathing became labored. She stared at the checkered floor, refusing to make eye contact.
“Act natural,” Gavin whispered as he laced his fingers with hers. He leaned in close enough for her to smell his soap. His breath stirred her hair. “We’re just a couple watching a movie. Pretend we already have tickets and were in there before.”
She gripped his hand tighter but raised her head. The few visible workers stood behind the snack counter. No one stopped them as they slipped into the hallway and down to a theater.
“Where are we going?” Lila asked for the third time as they walked farther and farther from the small movie theater.
Gavin laughed, swinging the blue bunny between them. He didn’t know what he was going to do with a stuffed animal—he hadn’t kept one since he was a kid—but he sure wasn’t going to leave it behind. Regardless of what happened at the
