Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
“I could do a movie.” Hannah looks over at me. “What do you think?”
I can’t form words. I’m still partially waiting for him to rip the rug out from beneath my feet as soon as I express interest.
Finally, I muster a few. “You mean, go to a movie, or…?”
“I figured we could watch something in the media room, but we can go out if you want.”
Oh my god, what?
I’m so confused.
“Personally, I would rather stay in,” Hannah says. “I know Anae is going out, and I doubt it’s to the movies, but I’d prefer not to run into her—especially looking like a third wheel. She doesn’t need more ammunition for her ‘jokes.’”
Landon cocks an eyebrow. “Anae tells jokes?”
“Not really. She’s just mean, and she thinks that makes her funny.”
Still not entirely trusting this, I say, “What would we watch?”
Maybe this is when he’ll say something mean and stupid or crude and taunting.
Instead, he shrugs. “We’ll find something.”
It doesn’t make sense in my brain, but… I think he’s serious.
“I should probably put on some clothes so Parker can pay attention to the movie,” he states, smirking. “Meet me in the media room. Bring popcorn.”
Flames erupt beneath my skin and heat my face, but Landon just turns and heads inside the house without another word.
Hannah’s eyebrows rise and she looks over at me. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“It sure was.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Parker
When we enter the media room with popcorn and drinks, I’m half-expecting it to be dark and empty.
It isn’t.
Landon isn’t standing outside his bedroom on the other side of the hall smirking at us for being stupid enough to think he really wanted to hang out with us.
He is spread out on one of the couches, having apparently made himself comfortable while he waited for us. His hair is still damp from swimming, but he’s wearing gray sweats and a white T-shirt.
The TV in this room is massive and takes up a whole wall—literally like a movie theater screen. This time it’s Hannah’s turn not to be impressed—her house has one of these rooms, too—but I can’t believe I live in a house that has its own movie theater.
Hannah and I sit on the couch next to Landon’s, but I make her sit closest to him since I know he won’t mess with her. Prior to him finger-fucking me at the dinner table with our parents just on the other side of a window, I may have thought her presence in the same room was enough, but I’ve since reevaluated.
Landon doesn’t call me out on using Hannah as a buffer. I grab the faux fur snow leopard blanket that’s big enough to cover us both and curl up under it with Hannah while Landon scrolls through the movie app looking for something to watch.
“Ooh, what about Hunger Games?” Hannah suggests when he gets to it. “I haven’t watched that in a long time.” She looks over at me. “Remember in middle school when we were obsessed?”
I smile. “Yes. Team Gale forever.”
Hannah shakes her head. “I can see the appeal, but you know I’m a Peeta girly.”
“Ugh. Enjoy your bread boy,” I tease, grabbing some popcorn.
“I will. Enjoy your hard-headed hunter.”
“Well, since I don’t know what either of you are talking about, I guess we’ll watch that,” Landon states, selecting the movie and pressing play.
___
It’s nice escaping into a movie for a little while.
It’s even nicer having Hannah around to play chaperone so I don’t have to do any mental gymnastics in anticipation of my next moves to avoid Landon.
When the first movie ends, we decide to keep going and watch Catching Fire. We stop after that, not only because it’s almost time for the parents to come home, but because I only love the first two movies, not the second two.
“And that’s how the story ends,” I state, reaching my arms over my head and stretching.
“On a cliffhanger?” Landon asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“Technically, there are two more movies,” Hannah begins to explain.
“But we don’t speak of those,” I finish for her. “And we certainly don’t watch them.”
“Parker hates them,” she tells Landon.
“Why?”
“Too many reasons to name. We should probably head downstairs, anyway,” I say, lighting up my phone on the armrest. “My mom and your dad will be home soon.”
Hannah is still filling Landon in on the abrupt end to our trilogy experience. “I don’t know if you’ve ever listened to Parker reading before, but she was constantly huffing and muttering over Mockingjay. Then we watched the movies and realized they broke the last book into two parts. We watched them.”
“Once.”
“But a good time was had by no one.”
“Bleak bullshit. Ruining Gale,” I mutter, throwing off the blanket and standing. “Let’s go eat happy food. I’m getting hangry.”
“Do you have dinner plans?” Hannah asks, standing and grabbing the throw so she can fold it back up.