Page 32 of Third Time Lucky

LUCY

The drive-in theater is a vintage gem. Its marquee is adorned with playful neon lights that flicker to life as the sun sets.

Large trees surround the perimeter and provide a natural barrier against the outside world, leaving the theater in an idyllic bubble.

In the back is a cute turquoise snack shop that stands out with its bright and cheerful color.

The air is heavy with the scent of pine and fresh-cut grass, mingled with the familiar aroma of buttered popcorn.

Aaron and Madi pull into the spot in front of us, giving us prime seats for whatever entertainment is about to unfold from their vehicle.

BYOC did, in fact, mean bring your own car – apparently, they didn’t want us interrupting whatever they’d planned by being in the same vehicle.

Considering I know Madi – and now Aaron – too well, I’m not excited about what awaits us from their car.

As the sun sets below the horizon, the sky turns a warm orange hue, and the giant screen in front of us lights up with rules and reminders before teasing us with sneak peeks of upcoming movies.

Couples settle into their cars as evening falls, children bouncing excitedly in the back seats. The sound of laughter and chatter fills the air as friends share popcorn and soda while waiting for the feature film to start.

‘I haven’t been here in ages,’ I confess. ‘But it’s still just as charming as I remember.’

‘Would you believe it when I say this is my first time at a drive-in theater, ever,’ Ash admits, easily tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

‘You’re a drive-in virgin?’ I tease.

He nods. ‘Teach me the ways, oh experienced one?’

‘Well,’ I say, suddenly shy. ‘Usually, you come to these with someone you want to be alone with.’

He looks at me with a hint of surprise, a tempting smile on his lips.

‘Looks like we’ve got that part down,’ he says in a low voice.

I try to come up with a witty response, but before I can, the screen flickers to life with the movie’s opening credits. The chatter around us dies down as everyone settles in, their attention captured by the film unfolding before them.

As the main feature starts playing, I steal a glance at Ash. The soft glow of the screen illuminates his profile, casting shadows across his features and making him look as handsome as I’ve ever seen him.

‘I’m assuming fogged windows within seconds of the movie starting is considered pro-level theater going?’

I look ahead and instinctively cover my eyes. ‘Oh my. Yes, that’s a professional – very ballsy level of romance – with amateur moves, if I had to guess,’ I say with disdain.

Freaking, Madi. I get that she’s overly horny, but man, it’s hard to ignore what they’re doing right in front of us.

We stare at the screen for fifteen minutes, but I am in my head. He wants to spend alone time with me? Is he the man he mentioned who wants to give me the stars, moon and world?

Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, I turn to face him fully.

‘Ash,’ I begin, my voice barely a whisper over the movie’s soundtrack.

‘Yeah?’ he replies, equally quiet.

‘Do you think he’d be mad?’

‘About what?’

I like how when one of us refers to ‘him’ or ‘he,’ the other just knows who we’re talking about. He (Kris) is the common denominator that connects us and the person who changed both our worlds. He taught me what love was, and I’ve been searching for it ever since he left.

‘Mitzi said something recently that made me realize I haven’t said this out loud yet…

’ I inhale sharply. ‘I – like you. As in, I can’t quit thinking about you.

I’m excited to see you every day. When your name pops up on my phone, I get giddy.

And, secretly, I’m so glad we’re not sharing a car with those two right now. ’

I look at the car ahead of us, its windows still fogged, a single handprint now visible. Ew.

‘Really?’ he says as if this surprises him.

I nod. ‘I feel safe with you. And you are incredibly hot, that wasn’t a lie. But to be completely honest, I also feel Kris, right here,’ I motion over my shoulder between us. ‘And because of that, I wonder if he’d be mad over what’s possibly happening between us.’

Ash’s slight worry turns to a crooked grin. He looks back to where I’m motioning as if he sees him, too.

‘I know exactly what you mean.’

‘Yeah?’

He nods. ‘I got his name tattooed on the back of my arm.’ He leans awkwardly, pointing out one of the many tattoos on the back of his arm. ‘Because I too feel like he’s always looking over my shoulder.’

I touch his name with the tips of my fingers. My God, that is sweet. Sometimes, I forget that he truly loved Kris as much as I did, possibly even more, because they had been partners in crime from a young age. It must feel like he lost a brother.

‘I’m forgetting him. I know how he made me feel. But I don’t even remember his voice any more.’

‘That part hurts, doesn’t it?’ he says with a frown.

I sigh heavily. ‘More than I expected.’

He shifts in his seat, turning my way. ‘Do you feel like you two would still be together all these years later?’

I’ve considered this before and came to the conclusion that, no, we probably wouldn’t still be together.

Teenage love rarely lasts because we change so much throughout the years.

I’m not the same girl I was at eighteen or even twenty-eight.

Thirty-year-old me wants to find what teenage me thought she had, but I’m not sure I believe I ever will. Or at least I didn’t, until Ash.

‘No,’ I say, honestly. ‘Like all my other high-school friends, I’m sure he’d have faded into the background eventually. Why would he be any different than my relationships since him?’

‘Do you ever wonder if your life would be different had he lived?’

‘Yes,’ I admit. ‘I’m terrified that anyone that means anything to me will leave without saying goodbye; that started the moment he died.’

‘He’d have said goodbye, given the chance. I promise he would have.’

Would that have made the whole thing worse? Knowing he didn’t want to go, he had to and got one chance to say goodbye to the people he loved. Probably.

‘And to answer your earlier question,’ he continues.

‘No, I don’t think he’d be mad at whatever this is turning into.

We were his best friends. He loved us; he’d want us to be happy.

I think that’s why he’s always around. Maybe he’s to us what we’re hoping to be for Aaron and Madi? Just from beyond.’

Never have I hoped someone was right so hard. When we reach that happy , will Kris finally move on? I guess there’s only one way to find out.

‘Another question… where do we go from here? Judging on the car ahead of us, we’re doing a terrible job directing those two toward love.’ The words tumble out in a rush, my heart pounding.

He takes a moment to answer, his expression unreadable.

Then, with a gentle smile that reaches his eyes, he reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

‘Luce, I’ve never been more interested in a woman than I am – you.

I’m waking up early. And at this point, I’d probably show up at Mitzi’s place daily even if she fired me, just to see you. ’

He would?! Hope blossoms in my chest like a fragile flower. ‘Truthfully, I’m falling in like with you, Lucy Gray. A little more every day. But I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for.’

He’s falling in like with me? Sweet mother of Moses that is adorable.

His words hang in the air, swirling around us like fireflies on a summer night. The weight of our confessions settle between us.

‘I may be falling right along with you,’ I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘And it’s scary – like a trust fall exercise. The last guy who said he’d catch me let me slip through his fingers, intentionally, so he could catch someone else.’

Ash’s eyes widen ever so slightly, and a soft smile tugs at the corners of his lips. He leans in closer, his breath warm against my cheek as he cups my face gently in his hands. ‘I promise, I’ve got you,’ he murmurs. ‘With me, there will never be someone else.’

And then, with a tenderness that takes my breath away, he closes the distance between us and kisses me.

It’s sweet and soft and unexpected. As his tongue mingles with mine, a rush of emotions swirls between us like a tempestuous sea.

I place my hand on his – now on the side of my neck – his thumb grazing my jawline.

When we break, he rests his forehead against mine, a sweet, disbelieving chuckle leaving his lips.

‘I hope that was OK. The moment felt right, and I just went with it.’

‘OK?’ I ask in disbelief. ‘It was totally wow. Wow-wow-wow-wow-WOW! There aren’t enough wows.’

He laughs, lifting my hand and kissing my knuckles.

‘Again, wow.’

The man knows how to kiss a girl and leave her longing for more.

My lips are tingling. My knuckles are tingling.

Hell, my toes are tingling. The air around us is buzzing as we settle back into our seats, our fingers laced together resting on his thigh.

Has anyone else done this to me with a single kiss?

The movie continues to play on the screen in front of us, but I spend the rest of the evening with my head in the clouds, stealing glances at him. Each time finding his gaze already fixed on me with an affectionate intensity that sends my heart aflutter.

When the movie ends and the credits roll, signaling the conclusion of our night at the drive-in theater, we breathe.

‘So, was that what you expected for your first drive-in experience?’ I ask, my tone light.

‘Definitely not what I expected, but in all the best ways,’ he replies. ‘How about you?’

I smile wide. ‘Best movie I’ve ever seen, and I don’t even remember what it was about.’

He laughs out loud.

A sense of contentment settles over me like a warm blanket as we drive away, leaving behind Madi and Aaron who likely have to wait until their windows are unfogged enough to see the road.

The radio plays a soothing melody, blending with the tires rolling over the pavement.

Sultry summer night air swirls through the cracked windows, and the stars twinkle overhead like scattered diamonds against the velvet sky. The night seems perfect.

Starlight, Starbright, please don’t let the end of us be in sight.

Wishing on a star might be ridiculous and maybe a little bit childish, but it worked when I was seven and asked for a puppy, so why not try again?