When Amanda walked back into the theater, the lights were down, and the trailers had started. She made no attempt to look to her right as she made her way down the aisle and across the seats, sitting now on Calvin’s left instead of his right. Sitting here, she was less likely to try to look behind her at the person seated in the last row of the theater. Hudson.
She let out a sigh once she sat down.
Calvin leaned over and asked, “Are you okay? You were gone a while.”
Amanda nodded and whispered, “Yeah, I ran into a friend outside.”
Calvin smiled and sat back.
Amanda sat there watching the trailer but didn’t feel comfortable, although she didn’t know why. Sitting next to Calvin, she got no shivers or even a flutter–there was just nothing. Sure, he was attractive, and she thought she felt something for him when they talked at the party. It was almost like she didn’t know if she could feel safe with him.
She then asked herself if this could have anything to do with Hudson.
She always felt a shiver and now a flutter whenever Hudson was close to her. She always assumed it was her instinct to let her know someone was close by. But she didn’t feel anything when Calvin had come up to her earlier, and she was getting nothing from sitting next to him now.
Calvin leaned in again. “If you get scared, let me know.”
Amanda nodded but didn’t feel any reassurance.
Last night, when Hudson walked her back to the dorms, she felt safe. She knew he would protect her from anything. And then she thought more about that.
Since when did she feel safe around Hudson?
For years, she was terrified of him, so when did her feelings on this change? Could it be from just last night? He was so gentle and apologetic. She still didn’t know if it was all just an act. She started to feel her heart race. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down without drawing Calvin’s attention to her freak-out.
What was she doing?
Here she was on a real first date, and she was spending all her time thinking about Hudson when she should be giving Calvin a chance. At that moment, she saw Calvin start to yawn and then put his arm around her back of her.
She rolled her eyes.
So cliche.
But she needed to give him a chance, so she leaned into him and continued to watch the movie. There were some parts in the movie where she got a little scared and would hide her face in his chest until the scene was over. But there was still one thing missing–she wanted to feel the flutters.
Hudson’s fist tightened and released as he stared at the back of Amanda’s head. She should be hiding in his chest when she got scared. Not this guy. Hudson had no idea what was going on with the movie because all he could watch was his mate on a date with another guy.
We should tear his arm away from her and make her ours, his wolf whined in his head.
As much as he liked the idea, he knew that wasn’t the way to win Amanda over. He still had to keep a level head about all this, or she’d get scared and be afraid to trust him. And that’s what he needed more than anything–for her to trust him. Also, to forgive him of the past. The mate bond was growing more and more. He needed to feel her touch, to calm his nerves. He started to bounce his knee as he noticed that the movie was close to the end.
He needed to come up with a plan.
But what?
The movie ended, and the credits were rolling. Everyone started to get up from their seats and make their way toward the exit. He watched as Amanda got up from her seat and stretched. Her top rose up, and he could see her stomach show just a bit. He imagined his fingers brushing up against her stomach as she wrapped her arms around his neck, so he bury his head into her neck to take in her scent. He and his wolf enjoyed that imagery and hoped that would be happening soon.
But how?
He noticed the guys started to stand up as Amanda was making her way up the aisle following the guys she was with.
He could hear them talking about her.
“Tab, what should we do?”
But Tab didn’t answer. He looked down to see that she was covering herself up and making sure that she wasn’t noticed. Hudson looked at her confused for a moment, and then realized… Amanda doesn’t know that Tab was friends with him. Hudson moved in front of her, just in time to hear his friend say something.
“Well, well, if it isn’t little Mandi Stevens,” Foster sang.
Amanda whipped her head up when she heard them call her “Little Mandi Stevens,” even though she had tried her best to keep her head down as she followed Calvin up the aisle, hoping that the guys wouldn’t recognize her.
But she was wrong.
She stilled when she heard that wretched nickname that she no longer wanted any association with, but it was habit. Whenever she heard it, she turned. She looked at the guys standing in the last row, and her eyes landed on the last guy. She narrowed her eyes before turning her glare to the rest of them and said, “It’s Amanda. I don’t go by that other name anymore.” she continued to follow Calvin out of the theater.
Tab smiled when she heard her friend correct the guys. She knew it was hard for Amanda to speak up to the guys that used to taunt her. But she did it with no hesitation in her voice. When she
knew the coast was clear, she jumped up out of her seat and said, Well this was fun, but I promised to meet up with someone after the movie.”
She turned to leave making her way out of the row from the other side of the theater.
As she walked away, her mind linked to Hudson:
Tab: I met with Amanda at the diner for dessert after the movie. I’ll let you know what I find out.
Hudson smirked.
He felt a little relieved knowing that the date that Amanda was on wasn’t going to go any further.
“Hey, just got a text that there’s a party over at one of the frat houses that’s going off. Who wants to go?” Noah asked.
“Dude, I’m always up for a party,” Foster chimed.
“I’m good,” Hudson said as he shook his head.
“Marco, what about you?” Noah asked as they made their way out of the theater and into the lobby.
Once outside of the theater, Marco looked at Hudson and also in the direction he saw Tab runoff in and then answered, “Um, no, not tonight.”
“Alright, we’ll catch up with you guys later tomorrow,” Foster said with a wave and Noah right behind him.
Marco and Hudson watched their two buddies run up to some girls that looked like they were heading in the same direction.
There was a quiet moment between the two of them before Marco asked “So, are you going to tell me what’s really going on with you and Amanda?”