I glared at him, but Wynter nodded. “If that’s what she so desires, then the Lego store it is.”
“You’re not being serious are you?” I scoffed,
“Oh but when I ask to go to the Lego store, it’s Bae you’re so childis—” Bae complained just as Cahya dragged her away against her will.
“Do you want the annoying people out of the house for a few hours or not?” He reminded her and she turned back and gave a smile before leaving the room with my brother. “Can we play fair now?”
“Oh you bet.” He affirmed.
I immediately grabbed my pink jacket and white scarf from my bag and grabbed Wynters car keys from the counter, he smiled shaking his head is disbelief as we made our way outside and into the vehicle.
The entire car ride I connected my cellphone to the AUX and played Gracie Abrams on the entire drive, he didn’t complain not even once even when I raised the volume to 88 and played That’sso true so loud it could make your ears bleed. It was like he was beingdeliberatelypatient with me.
Oh I was going to have fun withthat.
The Lego store was as bright and overwhelming with disgustingly yellow walls as I expected, towering walls lined with plastic possibilities. I walked ahead of Wynter, feigning disinterest while I mapped out my plan. This wasn’t just about picking something fun I wanted to see how far he’d go for me. If he was serious about what he’d said the day before about his view of me shifting. I wanted to asses the extent of how far I could push before he stopped being the calm, indulgent Wynter I’d grown so used to.
The first set I picked was simple: a colorful flower bouquet. It was cute, modest, and entirely reasonable. I grabbed the box and turned to show it to him.
“This one?” I asked, watching his reaction carefully.
Wynter glanced at it, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Nice choice. A tad bit modest for your tastes if you ask me, maybe something to brighten up your desk at school?”
I shrugged, pretending I wasn’t already plotting my next move. “Maybe.”
He didn’t hesitate, taking the box from me and carrying it like it was nothing. Too easy. I needed to level the fuck up if I was going to take on the final boss.
As we moved further into the store, I let my eyes linger on a larger set, the kind that made the flower bouquet look like an appetizer. A sleek sports car caught my attention next, its bold red pieces gleaming under the store lights.
I paused, running my fingers over the edge of the box. “Actually… this one looks fun,” I said, tilting it so he could see the flashy image on the front.
Wynter raised a brow but didn’t comment. He just smiled faintly, took the bouquet from the crook of his arm, and swapped it for the car set. “Stepping up your game, huh?”
“Just testing my skills,” I said, trying to sound casual as I turned toward the next aisle.
By the time I reached the far end of the store, I’d settled on my real goal: an enormous Millennium Falcon set, the kind that took up an entire shelf and had a price tag so ridiculous, at a whopping $850, I almost laughed out loud. I hovered near it, he obviously wasn’t going to buy it, I pretended to read the description on the side of the box.
“Thinking about that one?” Wynter asked from behind me, his voice calm as ever.
I turned to face him, half-daring him to say no. “Yeah. Why not? It looks cool.”
He stepped closer, eyeing the box with the same measured patience he’d shown all evening. “It’s… certainly ambitious,” he said, his tone light.
“It’s notthatbad,” I countered, crossing my arms.“ I did warn you on our hike that I’m the kind of girl who wants a lot.”
“And I did respond that I’m the kind of man with a lot to give.” He argued, “So by all means,tryme.”
“You’re bluffing,” I scoffed, “I want it then.”
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.” Without another word, he reached for the box, lifting it like it didn’t weigh half of what I did.
I blinked, caught off guard by how easily he agreed. “You’re just… okay with this?”
Wynter glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “You’rethe one who has to build it.”
At the register, the total made the cashier do a double-take, she appeared borderline concerned. I waited for Wynter to hesitate, to at least flinch when he saw the number. Buthe didn’t. He handed over his card with the same maddening composure he’d had all night.
As we walked out of the store, my frustration boiled over. “Seriously, Wynter? You’re just going to let me get away with that?”
