We met outside the theater just before sunset, and everything felt effortless from the start. He smiled when he saw me, handed me my ticket, and offered to grab popcorn while I picked up some candy. It felt simple, natural—like the beginning of something that could actually go somewhere.
But at the concession stand, things shifted.
I ordered gummy bears, yet the girl behind the counter handed me popcorn instead. When I tried to correct her, she didn’t explain—she just leaned in, her expression tense, and whispered one word: “Careful.” Before I could ask what she meant, the moment vanished, leaving me unsettled as I walked back.
Inside the theater, the normalcy returned, at least on the surface. He was charming—laughing at previews, offering me his jacket, leaning in to make quiet jokes.
For a while, I convinced myself I had imagined the warning.
What happened next changed everything…
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