Paper Heart ✔️

Chapter 16 | afraid to smile

I can hear multiple footsteps following behind me as I storm out of the theater.

"Ella!"

I don't stop my pace, I wanted to be as far away from here as possible. I'm outside and the cold wind outside brushes against my skin which causes me to freeze up.

"Ella."

Someone yanks on my arm, I spin around to face them. Danielle stands in front of me with Justin staring at me from behind her.

"What the hell just happened?"

I shake my head from my thoughts. "I just want to get out of here."

"Damn, I wanted to finish the movie." Justin sighs, Danielle smacks him in his chest and he winces at her force. "I'm kidding."

"Guys!" Beverley pushes through the front entrance doors and her face has gone pale. "Hero's punching Ella's date and I think someone called the police!"

Not long after she stops speaking you can already hear sirens from a distance.

"Sorry guys, I'm out of here." Beverley raises her hands in a defensive position and puts her phone to her ear. "Mommy, can you come pick me up?"

"Great, let's go get Hero before he ends up in jail tonight." Justin huffs out and we walk back inside. People are leaving the theater with terrified looks on their faces and I highly doubt it's from the gruesome movie.

Before we enter Hero walks out, he wipes his bottom lip that has some blood dripping down it. His knuckles are noticeably red and bloody.

I can't imagine the way Dylan looks.

"We have to go." Justin tells Hero. Hero just nods his head and his eyes look straight at me.

"I'll take Ella home." Hero tells them.

"You can ride with us Ella." Danielle adds and before she can let out another word Hero snaps at her.

"I already said I was taking her home!" He growls loudly. Justin grabs Danielle's hand and shakes his head at Hero.

"Alright." Justin sighs. "Goodnight guys."

"I'll be okay Danielle." I tell her before waving goodbye. 

I walk with Hero into the parking lot. I'm unable to keep up with him because his long legs stride fast along the road, he's angry I can feel the tension when we get inside his car.

"Thanks." I tell Hero. He looks surprised. Maybe because he thought I'd object to the way he handles himself, but I didn't. I truly appreciated the gesture for some odd reason.

"I didn't do it for you." He starts up the engine just as the police begin to arrive. Hero backs out of the parking lot and makes his way to my house.

"Why'd you bring Beverley tonight?" I ask him. "To hurt my feelings?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He answers. "Why'd you go on a date with a fucking prick?"

Of course now he's turning this around on me.

"You ripped my essay which I worked really hard on." I cross my arms over my chest and frown at him. "I was angry and-"

I didn't want it to seem like I was intentionally trying to make him jealous although, I was. He clearly brought Beverley to make me angry, he knows how I feel about her. This game we were playing with each other wasn't right.

"You're glad I even came tonight, who knows what could have happened?" His eyes glance up at me and then return back to the road, he grips the steering wheel to try and control the rage running through him. "Fuck."