I nod.
“Good girl.” He kisses me. “Why don’t you wear one of these dresses, since your shirt is ruined?”
The dress is simple, but the fabric is so soft I almost mew when I put it on. This is the most luxurious thing I have ever worn.
I love it. It fits me perfectly. Not only does it fit, it makes me look so much better than in any of my clothes. Goddammit.
“Beautiful.” Xander, dressed, with his jacket hooked on his finger, casually over his shoulder, leans against the wall.
“Thank you. Sometimes it scares me how carefree I am when I’m with you.”
He doesn’t move, just watches me for a beat. “Coraline, you deserve more than you’ve ever reached for. There is a difference between existing and living. Life is to be enjoyed. Lean into it.”
Enjoyed? I guess I can let him put me first while Ilearn to do it myself.
“Ready?” He reaches for the handle.
I groan, but I guess I can’t hide here forever.
He opens the door and picks up my bag from the floor. “Jesus, I forgot how heavy this thing is. What do you carry in here?”
“Notebooks,” I reply before I can stop myself. Shit, am I ready to share that with him?
“Are you a professional note taker?” He swings my large bag over his shoulder.
I snort. “No, I’m not. I scribble stories.” I look away, suddenly self-conscious about my hobby.
Besides my father, nobody knows I enjoy writing for children. I guess mostly for me, since I’ve never shown or read my stories to anyone.
“Stories? What kind of stories?” He doesn’t mock me, just asks with a genuine interest.
“Children’s stories. I started when I was a teenager, and it’s been an outlet for me.” I shrug.
“That’s amazing.” He smiles at me, pulling me closer.
We turn the corner, and I stop in my tracks. The store is deserted.
“Where is everyone?” I look around, bewildered.
“You really think I would let anyone hear you come undone? That privilege is mine, and mine only.” He leans in and kisses me.
“But how?”
“I paid them to close the shop.” He shrugs, takes my hand, and leads me to the exit.
“Are you… What… Xander!” I’m completely incoherent. “How much did that cost you?”
“You’re still under budget, Coraline; we need to work on that.” He winks.
Outside, a security guard nods and enters the store. “Have a good evening, Mr. Stone.”
“I’m going to die,” I murmur.
Xander laughs. “Let’s have a bite, because I’m having things moved to your place. Can they have your neighbor open the door for them?”
He holds my hand and leads us down the street.
“Sure.” We’d just agreed to live there. “You’re fast.”
