His Flower [DISCONTINUED]

42: Cottage P2

"I do not," I replied, following after him.

"You do!" Romano nosily shouted all the way from his bedroom.

Antonio laughed at his cousin's testimony.

I huffed, but before I could protest some more, Tabitha and Lily emerged from their rooms, clad in short-sleeved tops and denim shorts.

"Where are you guys goin'?" I curiously chirped.

"Heading to the mall," Tabitha replied. "You staying here?"

"In a cottage full of testosterone? Hell no," I shook my head, following after them.

"You guys brought suitcases full of clothes, and you're shopping for more?" Antonio quipped in bewilderment, biting into a red apple and leaning against the kitchen counter.

We ignored him.

"Hopefully, we can scour out some hotties for you," Tabitha playfully winked at me.

Antonio tossed his apple core in the can and clenched his jaw. I was unable to see his face as he stalked past the three of us girls. "I'm coming too," he murmured.

Tabitha stifled a giggle.

"Look what you did," I nudged her shoulder as we walked out.

"Sorry, but it's hilarious watching him get jealous over you," Tabitha replied, her eyes alight in amusement.

"Jealous?" I repeated in confusion. "He's not jealous."

"Why else do you think he's coming?" asked Lily.

"Well, it's not like we know our way around this place. He probably just wants to help us."

"To help you. Ward off boys, that is," Tabitha snorted.

I rolled my eyes at the two before heading outside, where Antonio was waiting for us in his car.

• • •

"I'm gonna go get a milkshake," I said to the group.

Tabitha and Lily barely heard me, too caught up in the excitement of shopping. I was quickly regretting my decision to come to the mall with them. Napping at the cottage seemed like the much better alternative.

Antonio, who also seemed on the verge of dozing off, glanced my way and replied. "I'll come with."

I nodded and headed out of the store, him in tow. We made our way to the crowded food court, coming to a stop in front of the bright milkshake shop.

"Strawberry flavored, yeah?" Antonio asked while shuffling around for loose change in his pocket.

"Yup," I chirped. He knew me all too well.

"Alright, I'll wait in line while you find us a seat."

"Sounds good. Here." I handed him a five dollar bill, however he pretended he didn't see it and instead joined the milkshake line. I fondly sighed at his stubbornness before heading into the food court. With that, we split up.

Only a moment passed before I realized how crowded the mall was. It took me a few seconds to find an empty table, although it was all the way on the other side of the food court. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone got there first, so I began to speed over to it. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a boy about my age competitively racing towards the table as well. We landed there at the exact same time, and we awkwardly glanced at each other. He was the first to give in.

"Sorry, I'll find a different table," he sheepishly turned around.

Guilt flooded me and I shook my head. "No, it's fine. We can share."