The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 6

"Shouldn't we be taking her to Baby Gap?" Damon asked as we walked inside and turned right. I put my hands on his shoulders and shoved him, making the others laugh.

"I am NOT a baby." I said, glaring.

"No?" he asked, still grinning evilly.

Caleb leaned over and bumped his shoulder into mine playfully, saying, "You sure, shorty?"

"Look, just because you guys are taller than 6 feet doesn't mean I'm that small!" I said as we walked past the food court. People hurried around us with bags and snacks in their hands but didn't look our way. It was like we fit right in.

"Whatever you say, baby." Brooklyn said, walking backwards and smirking at me.

"Hey!" I said, catching up to him to try and shove him too. He caught my wrists with his hands and pushed them back to my sides, making me squirm away in annoyance. I faked trying to bite him and the other guys laughed.

We got to the store and waited out front, peering inside. The mannequins in the window were wearing skirts and velvety dresses, with jean jackets and strange hats. I wasn't sure this was the store for me, but I sure as hell wasn't about to complain.

"At least I'm not as old as Dominic, that grandpa..." I teased, biting my lip. The guys laughed until we all heard a deep voice behind me say "What was that, Maya?"

I turned and shook my head, faking locking my lips with a key, and said "Nothing at all!"

"That's what I thought." He said gruffly, spinning me around and pushing me into the store. "Now pick a couple outfits and let's go."

I didn't tell them that I had never been in a store like this, or ever been to a mall at all in my recent memory. I just began walking around and checking out the clothes. Most of what I had at my last house was oversized shirts that I would tuck in at the back of my jeans, and I was wearing the same pair of them that I had been for years now.

I picked up a crop top and turned to Damon. "Where'd the rest of this shirt go?" I asked, naively.

He laughed and said "Put that thing down, idiot. You're not wearing something like that." I folded it again and put it back on its table before moving on. "So many sweet nicknames you have for me," I said. "I feel so loved."

He ignored me and went on his phone, but Caleb smiled, and shot me a thumbs up. I didn't know teasing was the way to these guy's hearts. Today was going surprisingly well...

After looking around and trying on clothes for an hour, I finally thought I had enough to last me a lifetime.

"That's all you're getting?" Caleb asked as we went to the cash registers up front.

"I... think so?" I said back, confused. It seemed like a lot to me.

"What about the other stuff you made me carry to the dressing rooms for you?" Brooklyn asked, coming up behind us.

"Dominic vetoed a bunch of stuff for being too slutty." I said with a laugh. "Because apparently anything that shows my elbows or collarbone isn't okay in this part of California."

Brooklyn chuckled and Dominic came up behind us, hitting both of our heads from behind.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, not used to it like the guys seemed to be.

"Don't talk shit and I won't have to." He said with a shrug, holding up the bags of clothes he had already paid for.

I put out my hands to grab them from him, but he pushed me away. "What're you doing?" he asked in surprise.