GENESIS
"Right here, Mr. Blackwood," a lanky man said, his easy smile flicking toward me for a brief second. I ducked my face against Kier's chest instinctively.
"Look away," Kier said, calm but firm. The man cleared his throat, nodded, and led us to a large, red door.
I froze when he pushed it open. Rows of empty seats stretched across a massive hall. No one else. Just us… and the two men who had guided us here.
Kier's voice cut through my thoughts. "Where would you like to sit?"
I swallowed hard, scanning the rows. Nervous, unsure. I pointed to a random seat.
"Okay. Go ahead." He released my hand.
I sank into the third row from the end. Kier murmured something to the man, who nodded and walked away. I glanced back—Kier's eyes were on me again.
I looked away quickly. He didn't move, didn't speak. Then he sat beside me.
"Do you like it?" His voice was soft, deep, all attention.
My pulse jumped. I nodded, barely.
He didn't smile. He didn't say anything. Instead, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my skin—warm, gentle. A shiver crawled up my spine. I stiffened, heart hammering.
What was happening? Why here?
A deep, rumbling sound vibrated through the floor. I flinched. The front wall came alive. Light exploded across it, massive, glowing, stretching the entire hall. Figures moved larger than life, colors vibrant, sounds wrapping around me.
A movie.
"You seemed to love watching movies," he said, voice low, amused. "So I decided to take you to a cinema."
I blinked, awed. Cinema. Never been to one before.
"But judging by that look… you've never been here, have you?"
I shook my head, then turned back to the screen.
I reached for the book I hadn't even realized I brought. Pencil in hand, I started writing the new word I'd just learned:
C… E… N… E… M… A.
A small smile tugged at my lips. I lifted my head—he was staring. Heart thumped. I shut the book. He didn't comment. Just turned back to the screen.
I followed his gaze, and the movie swallowed me whole. A young doctor. A cowboy. A small town. An accident. Magic. Every detail pulled me in.
I barely registered Kier speaking until he tapped my shoulder. Popcorn.
I accepted it, dipping my head. Thanks whispered silently in my mind. But I didn't eat. I couldn't.
And then—popcorn pressed against my lips.
Startled, I looked down. Kier. Feeding me.
"Open up. Don't waste it," he muttered.
Heat coiled in my stomach. Slowly, I parted my lips. His thumb lingered, brushing my bottom lip in a slow, deliberate caress.
Shivers. Tension. My chest tightened.
The movie played on, but all I could focus on… was him.