One thing I decided when Riley and I went into Remington the next day was that he had the ability to reject absolutely anything that had a potential to be fun. It was like he could sniff out possible enjoyment and stomped on it as soon as he could.

This habit was really getting on my nerves. Every time he had opened his mouth today it was 'don't do this, Sabine. Don't do that. Blah Blah Blah'. He should quit the police force and become a professional party-pooper.

"Can't we go to the-" I began.

"No." He cut me off for the billionth time.

"But you don't even know what I was going to say-"

"Doesn't matter. The answer is no. We are here to get food. Nothing else. Stop pestering me."

With an admittedly overdramatic groan, I stormed further along the road until stomping to a halt right out the front of the movie theatre. Pride and Prejudice was written in bright yellow letters along the top of the entrance. Without bothering to look back at Riley, I stepped closer and saw that the next showing was in 10 minutes.

I turned, only to run into a large body in my way. Mr Party-pooper himself.

"No," he spoke, before I even had a chance to open my mouth. "We are not seeing that ridiculous movie."

Offended, I did an extremely over-dramatised gasp with the additional hand to forehead. "Pride and Prejudice is my favourite movie ever in the existence of anything. Pretty, pretty, pretty please Riley!"

He rolled his eyes at my exuberance and turned to walk away. I was going to have to do a low blow.

"Fine... I'll see it by myself then–"

"You don't have any money, remember?" Yes, idiot. You took it all, remember? Is what I really wanted to say but being the polite woman that I am decided to answer with...

"Oh, I know. But you see that really cute ticket boy?" I asked, motioning to the 14 or 15-year-old looking bored behind the counter. "I'm sure I can flirt a ticket out of him. Maybe some popcorn if I'm lucky. Wanna see?"

Turning, I began to strut my way toward the counter where I would try and most probably fail to get a ticket. But Riley didn't know about my lack of expertise in the male species.

The loud growl I heard from behind me confirmed my plan had worked. He grabbed my arm and tugged me behind him.

"You will not be flirting with anyone, Sabine. We will see the stupid movie." He looked the exact opposite of pleased. Me, on the other hand? I jumped up and down like a 5-year-old and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thanks, Riley. You'll love it, I promise!" Racing to the ticket counter, I'm sure I looked like an absolute retard with a massive smile on my face, but Pride and Prejudice was my absolute favourite movie and I haven't seen it in so long.

Begrudgingly, Riley settled beside me and did his best to scare the absolute crap out of ticket-boy by glaring at him in true Martin fashion.

"Two tickets please. And some popcorn. And Malteasers." Yes, I was definitely pushing it now, but seeing how far Riley would let me go had become my new favourite game.

Ticket-boy quickly stumbled to get the food after handing us our tickets. He was honestly terrified of Riley.

"I'm going to find seats before it starts, not that there will be anyone else watching this insufferable film," Riley told me before walking off.

"At the back, preferably!" I called out after him, almost certain that he wouldn't listen to me. He'd be in a particularly bad mood today, if you haven't already noticed.

Eventually the only sound that could be heard was ticket-boy fumbling with the popcorn scooper. Maybe Riley was right, and it would just be the two of us in the cinema. That could be either a very good thing or a very bad thing. But with his recent mood, I'm 98% certain it will be the latter. After the day he told me about the bad state of his mum, he's been hating the world. I understand, I do. It's so easy to hate everything once you've lost, or are losing, someone. But he needs to take it down a notch, because scaring innocent people and yelling at me all day aren't going to help his mum at all.

Suddenly, someone speaks from behind me, breaking my inner thoughts.

"Fancy seeing you here," I turn to see Spence standing behind me, holding his own container of popcorn, with half a handful still in his mouth. My face erupts into a smile, with all the drama lately, I'd almost forgotten about Spence.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I ask. He quickly chews and swallows his mouthful, thankfully before answering.

"I've come to watch the greatest movie of all time," he says, as though it should be obvious.

My jaw drops. Did he really just...? "You mean... you love it too?" I ask, almost hesitantly.

He just laughs at me, "Of course, it's a classic. How could I not?"

"You have no idea how rare it is to hear someone say that. I've got big strong man in there at the moment probably grumbling about how he didn't sign up for this or something."

Ticket-boy finally finished collecting everything I'd asked for and set them on the counter, still shaking despite Riley no longer being in the room. Spence was still laughing from my 'big strong man' comment and took a moment to compose himself.

"Well since the place doesn't seem to be too busy... I have no idea why... You mind if I sit with you and strong man?" I tried and ultimately, failed to hold in my laughter.

"Of course! But ill warn you, he won't be too happy about it."

"Trust me, I've never really thought of Riley and happy in the same context." I swear on my life nothing had ever made me laugh so hard.

We entered the singular theatre room with me still laughing my head off. Riley, who had surprisingly listened to me and was at the back of the room, jumped up and straight into protector mode. I don't understand how my laughter could mean danger but all Riley-logic confuses me.

We quickly bounced up the steps and I settled into the seat beside Riley, with Spence then sitting on my other side.

"Look who I found," I said, with the broadest and most innocent smile I could manage. The grumbling began with an under-the-breath message of talking about it later but I wasn't listening because the movie had begun.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" Spence and I spoke at the exact same time as the movie, laughing at each other. We then continued to spend the next 135 minutes laughing and following along with the greatest movie of all time.

When the credits began to roll I sighed in contentment and slowly stood up, turning to collect the boys. I expected them to be ready to leave, as I was and whilst Spence was, Riley sat dumbfounded and still staring at the screen.

"Wait, it's over?" He asked, looking borderline devastated when I nodded in response.

It wasn't until he looked up at me and Spence and realised what he had said, that he stood up and stormed out of the cinema. He liked it. No, he loved it. This was the funniest thing ever.

Spence and I followed after Riley, giggling to ourselves. When we got back into the light, Riley was already outside and on his way to the car.

I simply shook my head and turned to Spence. "He seems to be more in love with Mr. Darcy than I am."

"I don't think that's possible," He laughed.

"You know, when I was little, all I wanted was to be Lizzie. And my mum used to tell that I looked like her to make me feel good, aha."

He smiled softly and stepped closer, reaching for my hand. "Your mum was wrong... You're much prettier than Lizzie."

I had no idea how to respond to that and thankfully I didn't have to because Riley yelled at me to hurry up. I've never been so thankful for his complaining.

"I've gotta go..." I said quickly before pulling my hand back to myself and rushing to follow my guard to his car.

When we got to the vehicle Riley stopped, presumably to yell at me but he didn't get a chance to open his mouth.

"I don't want to hear it, let's just go."

-

It had started to get dark by the time we got home and I was tired after the movie. I stepped out of the car and walked up the timber steps of the cabin, not really paying attention to much.

Nate opened the door, a broad smile on his face and I couldn't help but smile back, until Riley's phone began to ring.

It seemed like so long since I'd heard the sound of a ringtone, let alone seen a real cell phone. Honestly, I might as well have been back in the 1800's.

"Hudson, what is- wait, Bliss?" Riley spoke into the phone. "What's wrong, Bliss? Calm down."

"Bliss!" I stole the phone straight from Riley's hand, placing on my ear, desperate to talk to my best friend.

"He cheated, Sabbie! He cheated on me!" Her words were so full of tears; it was difficult to understand her.

"Bliss, calm down. Who cheated? Christian?" I asked.

"Yes, Christian! I went over to his hose to sur-surprise him and he was doing it on the couch with some red-head skank!" The words barely made it through her sobs.

"Don't worry, B. I'm coming. I promise. Love you."

Hanging up the phone, I slammed it down on the table and ran outside, torn between anger at Christian and worry for Bliss. How could he do that to her? Why would he do it? Christian loved her, or we all thought he did.

I was half-way to the car when Riley's arm encircled my waist and picked me up, carrying me back into the house, despite my violent struggling.

He dropped me onto the lounge and he and Nate stood with their arms crossed, watching me as though I was some radioactive monkey.

"Where in the world do you think you're going, missy?" Nate asked.

I scoffed, like he didn't know. "Bliss. Needs. Me. I'm going."

"You know what Bliss needs more than you with her? She needs you to be alive. You're not going anywhere." Riley's tense shoulders softened, and despite having been in a bad mood all day, he smiled. And I felt like everything would be okay.

The younger brother knelt down so he was eye-level with me, and placed is hand on my cheek. "I refuse to let you go exactly where Chase expects you. I know she's your best friend and you miss her. But she won't be alone; I'm sending my best man to look after her."

"Who's that?"

Nate jumped forward, arms wide open and wiggling his fingers, "that's me, baby!"

"You're going to stay with Bliss?" Doubt was in my tone and Nate's face shifted into fake offense.

"It'll be great, I promise. She won't even notice I'm not you. I'll get a wig on the way and everything, if it helps." It made me smile that he wanted to help so bad.

"Well... if I can't be there, I'm glad you will be."

"That's my girl." He said, before giving me a hug. "I'll protect her. I will." He whispered in my ear, and I'm suddenly very glad Nate's going to be with Bliss.