The Next Worst Thing: A Sweet, Small Town Romantic Comedy (Love in Mirror Valley Book 1) by Sara Jane Woodley

Author:Sara Jane Woodley [Woodley, Sara Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing Inc.
Published: 2022-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

20

JAMES

I’m pretty sure the movie theater workers think I’m a creep.

Yup, the one at the cash register keeps looking at me. And the one at the popcorn machine is full-on glaring. I stare right back at them over Ivy’s head.

The technical issues started soon after she ran out of the room. I made a joke that the entire production was hinging on Ivy, and Gemma stared at me blankly like she had no idea what I was talking about.

We waited in the theater lobby for a few minutes, but Gemma was getting impatient and Cam wouldn’t look up from his phone for longer than twenty seconds. Don’t get me wrong, Gemma’s a nice girl, but we don’t have all that much to say to each other.

At a certain point, Cam glanced at the bathroom and had the audacity to roll his eyes, like waiting for Ivy was a massive inconvenience. I mentioned that maybe she wasn’t well, and he sighed impatiently.

Nice.

And that doesn’t even cover the fact that he didn’t check with her about seeing the movie, and didn’t offer to get her snacks even though her stomach was roaring louder than the explosions in the film.

I might be biased, but it’s getting hard for me to believe that he’s a “good guy,” as everyone keeps saying.

Finally, I insisted that Gemma and Cam go on to the restaurant, and that’s when I began pacing in front of the bathroom. I was starting to worry about Ivy, was wondering if she was okay. I was half-tempted to pop my head in and ask, but I don’t particularly want to be known around Mirror Valley as a grade-A lurker and restroom peeper. Unfortunately, no other women were around, so I couldn’t ask them to check on her. I decided to stay close, just in case.

Hence why the theater people think I’m a creep. I saw the relief on their faces when Ivy finally walked out and spoke to me.

Now, as she checks for something in her purse, I take the opportunity to look at her. She doesn’t seem ill or anything, but her lips are slightly puffy and… are her eyes glassy?

She starts to walk towards the doors, but I take her arm. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? Because we don’t have to do this.”

A shadow crosses her face and I get the distinct sense that whatever is bothering her doesn’t have to do with our bizarro double date. In fact, with the way she’s avoiding my eyes, I could believe…

Is she upset because of me?

“Did I do something?” I ask.

“What? No. Well, nothing more than usual.” She barks out a laugh and turns away, yanking her arm of out my grip. “Shall we get to La Vita Dolce? Hopefully Cam and Gemma have a table.”

Ivy strides towards the door and I follow her outside. As we’re passing the restaurant window, she stops, peering inside. I stand next to her, all too aware of her.

When we were sitting together last night at

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