The sudden intimacy made Henry''s heart skip a beat.


    Hadn''t Vanessa always been in love withn? She had always maintained a polite, friendly distance from him. This was the first time she had ever initiated such close contact.


    Henry swallowed hard. Now that the opportunity he had dreamed of was here, he felt a surge of panic.


    "Vanessa, let me hold your hand," he said, gently disengaging his arm and taking her hand instead.


    Vanessa looked around and saw that the entire back row was empty. "Let''s sit back there," she suggested.


    Henry agreed, and he led her to the middle of the row. After they sat down, Vanessa smoothed her hair. In the flickering light from the screen, Henry looked down at her. Sensing his gaze, she turned to face him, their eyes meeting in the darkness.


    She blinked slowly. With her perfect makeup and alluring charm, she was everything he had ever wanted. This should have been a dreame true, but instead, Henry felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach.


    In his mind, Vanessa belonged ton. All her beauty, all her tenderness-it was all meant forn. He shouldn''t be indulging in it, let alone epting it.


    The thought made him quickly look away, his heart beating erratically. It wasn''t just her proximity; it was the panicked feeling of betraying his friend.


    "What''s wrong? Scared to look at me?" Vanessa leaned in, a yful smile in her voice.


    Henry''s throat felt dry. "No, it''s just... this movie looks really interesting."


    In truth, he hadn''t registered a single frame. His mind was a tangled mess.


    Vanessa was extremely perceptive. She sat up straight, remembering the two drinks she was holding She handed


    done to Henry. After inserting


    the straw into her own cup, she asked, "Can I have a sip of yours?"


    Henry nodded.


    As he watched, she pressed her red lips to his straw and took a small sip. Then


    she handed the drink back to him. "Here you go."


    He took it from her, and she began to drink from her own cup in silence.


    Suddenly, a violent assassination


    scene shed on the screen, causing the audience to asp Before Henry could react, Vanessa yelped and threw herself against him, burying her face in his arm.


    Henry''s body tensed again. By all rights, he should have been thrilled, but all he felt was unease. An image ofm shed in his mind, followed by one of Selma''s gentle understanding face.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, patting her arm. "It''s just a movie."


    Vanessa slowly lifted her head. Looking at his clueless expression, she couldn''t help but smile. "Don''t you know girls get scared easily?"


    Henry managed a weak smile and said nothing.


    He couldn''t focus on the movie at all. For years, he had wished for Vanessa to get overn and turn to him, to let him make her happy.


    But now, all he wanted was to wish her well and maintain a safe, friendly distance.


    It was as if his six-year obsession had suddenly begun to crack.