Page 56 of Perfectly Us

Me:lmao

I send another right after.

Me:You shouldn’t have your phone out during the movie :p it’s ruuuuuuude

Shiloh:Movie hasn’t started yet. It’s still previews :p

I grin like a damn fool. He very rarely uses emojis in his texts.

Me:Enjoy the movie. You can cry on my shoulder later ;)

Shiloh:Jerk.

I snicker and pocket my phone before going back downstairs to clean the lobby and check the men’s bathroom. When it’s time to do theater counts, I save theater seven for last. I go inside and quietly walk down the hall, then stand at the side of the stairs to look up at everyone.

Shiloh wiggles his fingers at me like I did to him earlier, and I lift my clipboard to hide my smile.

This feeling… I love it. I’ve had crushes before, but never like this. I’m excited, nervous, and stupidly happy all at once.

When the movie ends, I stand outside the auditorium, waiting for everyone to leave. People walk out wiping at their eyes, and I nod, feeling their pain. War movies always hit me right in the feels.

“How’s your heart?” I ask Shiloh when he approaches me along the wall.

“What heart? It shriveled up and died halfway through the movie.”

“Awe.” I touch his arm. “Poor Shi.”

Landon walks up, his eyes pink around the edges. He takes off his glasses to wipe at them and then smiles at me. “That was a great movie. You have to clean the theater?”

“Yep. I like it though.”

“He finds money sometimes,” Shiloh says. “And diapers.”

“Cleanin’ theaters is like eating a box of chocolates,” I say, doing my best Forrest Gump impersonation. “Wait. No. Diapers have been mentioned. I can’t think about food right now. Not even chocolate.” I cringe. “Especially not chocolate.”

Shiloh laughs, and Landon looks at him, a smile spreading across his face. I get the feeling Landon hasn’t heard Shiloh laugh much. My chest swells with pride that I’m the one who made him do it. I want to keep doing it too.

“Don’t let us keep you from your work,” Landon says. “It was good seeing you again, Alex.”

“Bye.” Shiloh smiles at me.

As much as I want to hug and kiss Shiloh before he leaves, I keep my hands—and lips—to myself. “Bye.”

I get a text from him later after I’m home from work and in bed.

Shiloh:I want to tell my dad about us.

My heart goes crazy in my chest, fluttering up a storm.

Me:What will you tell him?

Shiloh:Idk. Still trying to figure that out.

Me:How do you think he’ll react?

Shiloh:I think he’ll be cool about it. We’ve always been close. I guess part of me is a little nervous though.

Coming out before you’re ready can do a lot of damage. I don’t want that for him.