"We are almost there!" Aria shouts excitedly over the walkie-talkie.
I just chuckled and stared out of the car window as a loud groan came over the speaker that sounded particularly from my brother. "Why do we have to go shopping every time we travel somewhere?" he asked flatly.
"Because everywhere has a different mall that has new things," she retaliated. "We all agreed that we would each pick out a specific place we wanted to go to, and I choose this mall."
"What's different from this mall than every other mall?"
"I don't know; that's why we're going." I looked over at Kason and smiled as he quietly laughed at our friends.
It wasn't long after when we turned down the exit and pulled into the massive parking lot. We all climbed out of the car and I was sure to grab my wallet just in case the unlikely occurrence of me finding something I liked actually occurred. Kason clicked a button on his car key that locked the doors, before grabbing my hand in his own. I took a deep breath and lovingly held my boyfriend's hand while we walked, thinking about the guy we had met at the waterfall and the advice he had given us. I was going to relish the moments like these and try to live in the present instead of dwelling in the past.
Aria practically ran ahead of us as we entered the building like a kid excitedly looking for a candy store. As soon as the rest of us entered the building, we didn't even get the chance to really look around the structure before Aria dragged us all into the first store she saw. So, being the 'great friends' we were, we wandered around the clothing store and looked for something to catch our eye as Aria picked out an item she wanted to try on from every rack. There were a few things I would have enjoyed owning, but I guess I just wasn't in the mood to spend a bunch of my saved money on a few overpriced items because I didn't end up snatching them from the racks.
While we waited for Aria and Marla to check out with the few things they wanted to buy, I just lingered by Kason's side as he browsed through a sunglasses display. He tried on a few pairs before turning to look at me in a pair of aviators. "How do I look?"
I smiled widely, absolutely adoring him. "Very stylish?"
"But do I look good?" he asked.
"You always look good."
He nodded once, looking satisfied with my answer before lightly tossing the pair of sunglasses at the empty register. The cashier began ringing him up and he paid for them with cash before I could even say anything more. Just a moment later, we were walking out of the store, with a very satisfied Kason wearing his sunglasses inside like an idiot. "Why in the world did you buy those? You already have a pair in your car."
"Yeah, but these make me feel cool," he replied, faking an offended look. I just smiled up at him, leading to him returning the expression.
"Delilah, come on!" The next thing I know, Marla is gripping my hand and pulling me away from Kason and to a photo booth where Aria is already waiting. "We have to get some pictures!"
They both pulled me into the booth, making me laugh as I squeezed between them. Aria put a few dollars into the machine, and just a few seconds later, we were smiling and posing for different pictures. We went through this process three times, just so each of us would have a strip of pictures. By the time we were finished and climbing out of the booth, we were all laughing.
The boys had been waiting for us just a few feet away. I immediately way to Kason and showed him the pictures he took. "Awe, you're so cute," he replied, smiling down at the strip of photos.
I looked up lovingly at him and grinned, getting an idea. "Come on." I grabbed his hand and led him into the photobooth before putting in the required few dollars. We smiled and took a few pictures, one of him kissing my cheek, one of us making silly faces and another of us kissing. Once the session was over with, I rushed out of the booth to look at the pictures. Fortunately, they turned out great.
As I looked down at the pictures, Kason hugged me from behind before kissing the top of my head. "I love you."
I let him hug me tightly and grinned up at him. "I love you, too."
"Alright, you two, let's go," Aria interrupted us, sticking her strip of pictures in her purse. "We've still got a whole lot of stores to check out." I just chuckled and nodded before slipping my two picture strips into my small backpack purse. Then, grabbing onto Kason's hand we followed Aria's lead further into the mall.
#
I stood behind the others, waiting in line to order a milkshake and a cookie. Pretty healthy, I know. As we waited, my friends were immersed in a conversation about where our road trip would take us next, while I started looking around us, observing the surrounding people. I knew the undercover cops were around somewhere, they always were, but I couldn't see them. I guess that's also a good thing—it means they are good at their job—but it made me feel more relaxed, knowing exactly where they were.
A man's gaze caught my eye. He looked to be in his late twenties and was staring right at me. A charcoal hoodie concealed his torso and he wore a pair of black jeans to match—a weird combination of clothes to wear at the start of summer. We stared at each other for a long moment. I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes. Honestly, he looked like the green-eyed man that had murdered the corner store cashier and framed me for his crimes five months back. How could I not stare?
Hesitantly, I looked away and continued my search for Chad and Brandon. Just a moment later, I found them standing at the far end of the room, just a few feet apart, looking like complete strangers. I found myself looking back to the man I had caught staring at me, though he wasn't there anymore. Instead, I found an older man, dressed similarly, but more summer appropriate, smiling and laughing down at a small child standing in front of him. He looked like a casual father figure, definitely not the same man I had just seen.
Taking a deep breath, I wiped my eyes, hoping to get rid of some of the sleep that I had apparently not completely woken up from. Seeing the man that had nearly put me in jail for a crime I didn't commit, when he wasn't actually there, definitely meant I was paranoid.
I remained mostly silent as we waited through the line and all ordered our snacks and refreshments. We had been shopping for a couple of hours now and needed to take a break and rest. A few minutes later, I ordered my Oreo milkshake and an oatmeal raisin cookie and joined my friends at a circular table in the middle of the mall food court.
"So," Marla started after we were all seated. "We talked more about it and we've all agreed to take a gap year with you guys." She looked between me and Gavin. "We don't think we would be real friends if we didn't...We are your support system through this."
Keeping my breathing steady, I looked at my brother who held the same worrisome expression as I did, before glancing at all my friends. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" I asked them.
Aria furrowed her eyebrows. "Why don't you approve of our decision?"
"I don't disapprove of the decision, I'm just worried..." I told them. "I don't want to lose you guys."
"And we don't want to lose you two," Kason jumped in. "That's why we want to stay and help the best we can." I just looked at him and nodded, knowing that they all meant well.
"This whole thing with Charles could last a lot longer than a single year," my brother mentioned. "What if one gap year isn't enough?"
"We are okay with that," Holden told him.
I looked around and found everyone nodding in agreement. Taking a deep breath, I pursed my lips and nodded in return. "Okay. I'm not going to argue with you guys because obviously nothing is going to change your minds. I know that you know what you are getting into. Just realize that we could be hiding from Charles for a long time before anything actually resolves."
"We understand," Kason assured me, sending me a reassuring smile. The warmth in his expression helped me relax. It was nice to know that we weren't alone in this.
"Ugh, I can't wait to punch that guy in the face," Holden said, gritting his teeth.
Everyone around me voiced a reply of agreement or similar comment. They all seemed determined to get back at him. But how will I react when I see him? What will I say and do when I'm face to face with him again? Will I scream and yell at him? Break down and ask him about the letter? I didn't know. But I guess I would find out when that time came.
***
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How do you think Delilah will react when she meets Charles again? What will she do?
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Thanks for reading!
Until next week:))
~Emily