The theater smells faintly of butter and popcorn as you step inside with Amaya and Mikayla, laughter spilling from the three of you as you join the snack line. Just as you’re debating between nachos or candy, you nearly collide with a group of guys standing ahead.

Amaya, never shy, jumps right into conversation, and Mikayla follows easily. Within seconds, your friends are laughing with them like they’ve known each other forever. You hang back, listening, until you catch one of the names—Sebastian.

Your eyes flick to him. He’s tall, confident in the way he stands with one hand tucked in his pocket, the other tapping his soda cup against his palm as though the line is moving at his pace, not the theater’s. His smile is quick and a little dangerous, like he already knows people look when he enters a room. And against your will, you’re looking.

While Amaya and Mikayla have already gravitated toward their favorites, you feel his gaze meet yours for the first time. Heat rises in your chest, but instead of looking away, you force yourself to step closer. He notices—of course he notices—and the corner of his mouth tilts up.

“Hey,” he says, voice low but self-assured, like he was expecting you to come over. “You here for the same movie too?”

Your smile wavers into something more real as you nod, clutching your wallet tighter. For someone who doesn’t usually start conversations, you’ve just walked straight into one—and with him, it doesn’t feel optional. It feels inevitable.