The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(52)

“What’s yours? What’s Micah Jacobs’ favorite romantic song?”

“Mine?” He scratched the side of his head. “Well, I’d say I have lots of favorites. But there’s nothing like Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes,’ and John Cusack to follow with a boom box in hand.”

“You like that movie?” I was surprised Micah had seen Say Anything.

“I mean, if I like Peter Gabriel, then Say Anything is kind of a given, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily. Ask anyone else in our grade, and I’d bet five bucks no one else knows that movie.”

Micah turned into the Mini-Mart parking lot and stopped the car by the front door.

“If you had to pick between a boy blaring a song from a boom box or a twinkling side street full of your roses song, what would you pick?” he asked. We got out of the car, my mind full of imagined romantic fantasies and the famous John Cusack scene. I still liked mine better.

We made our way to the slushy machine. “They’re very different situations. ‘La Vie En Rose’ is a song for two people who are in love. ‘In Your Eyes’ and boom boxes are more for…teenagers and crushes.”

“Exactly, so mine is better,” Micah said with a wink. “You wouldn’t be able to resist if a handsome guy stood outside your window blasting that song.”

“I probably could.” I laughed. “It’s not my fantasy, it’s yours.”

I paid the cashier for our slushies, despite Micah’s protests, and went back outside to sit on the curb. The sun was starting to set in the sky, and crinkling golden leaves blew by our feet.

“I love autumn,” I remarked. “Even the air smells like pumpkin sometimes.”

“Pretty sure that’s the Pop-Tart factory right down the road.” Micah sipped on his slushy. “They have those Halloween specials, you know.”

I elbowed him. “Warm sweaters. Football games. Changing leaves. Hot chocolate. It’s kind of magical.”

“Other than Christmas,” he reminded me.

“Okay, that’s a holiday.” I laughed, touched that he remembered what I’d said that evening in the car together. “Not a season.” I drew a sip of my Very Berry Cherry slushy.

“So, are you happy with how filming went today?” I asked.

Micah watched the parking lot. “I mean, we’re not professional directors, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we got an A for it.”

“I think you kissed that ‘A’ goodbye with the stupid mask,” I teased him.

“You and that mask.”

“I’ll probably have nightmares about your monster strangling me.” Lie. Instead, I would definitely be dreaming about the kiss he gave me on my forehead. The imprint of his lips would remain with me there forever. “Did you want to come over after we’re done tonight and have a movie marathon?” I sounded a little more hopeful than I meant to.

“What kind of movie marathon?” Micah leaned his elbows back, resting them on the sidewalk as he eyed me.

“Halloween is Monday. We could watch…some scary movies, if you wanted.”

“I thought you hated horror movies?”

“I’m up for it.” I was feeling adventurous.

“And where are we going to get these movies?” Micah asked, the corners of his lips twitching.

“Josh, duh.” I rolled my eyes. “And I have one.”

“I don’t recall seeing a scary movie on your shelf.”

“I own that Dracula movie with Gary Oldman,” I confessed. “It’s not really scary.”

“Pffft, you would. That’s more of a romance than a horror film.”

I felt no shame. “Are you up for it or not?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m up for it.” He laughed. “We just need to figure out what to do for another thirty minutes.” Micah stood up. He extended his hand to me, which I took with a curious smile. We carried our slushies back to his car. Micah took his time, shuffling a few CDs around, until he found the one he wanted. After he started the car, he slid the CD into the player and found his track. The opening of “In Your Eyes” began to waft from the speakers. Micah rolled down the windows and grinned at me.

“You’ll thank me for this experience,” he said as he pulled out of the parking lot and made a left onto the main road. He turned up the volume as he drove onto the on-ramp of the highway. He held his hand out the window, allowing it to fly against the current of wind. The music was loud and the breeze was whipping my hair all around my face. I mimicked his movements, holding out my hand against the crisp, fall air. The sun was almost out of sight as we traveled on the wide-open highway. As I turned, I caught Micah watching me, enjoyment in his chocolate eyes.

“What?” I asked, brushing my hair out of my face.

“You just look like you’re having fun,” he replied. The song ended, and another began.

I burst with laughter at the sound of the familiar melody. “Oh, my God, Micah! Is this really ‘Hold Me Now?’ Really?”

“Don’t hate on it! I’m telling you, your parents only half-educated you on good music. It seems to be my responsibility to fill you in on the rest.”

“But this?” As the chorus started up, I couldn’t stop myself from singing and half-shouting the lyrics like they did in The Wedding Singer.