FIFTEEN: AT THE MALL
LIAM
Saving her ass was not my plan. Aiden had traced her to that mall and we have driven to the mall. I don't know how he managed to put a tracker in her phone, but I was glad he did that. We arrived at the same time she arrived at the mall and we watched her cover her face with her hood and looked around as if she was trying to hide from people.
"Who wears hoodies and pyjamas to the mall on a Saturday morning?" I asked as Aiden and I watched her going towards the mall.
"Kimberly Nordstrom," Aiden replied and his lips corked up in a smile.
I chose to ignore him and we watched her as she was about to enter the mall, but suddenly turned as if she wanted to hide from someone, I wondered if there were reporters at the mall, but a group of girls came out of the mall and one of them seemed to call her to a stop.
"Who are those and why are they making her scared like that?"
"Those are frienemies and they were the first people she lied to about your relationship with her."
"Frienemies? What does that even mean?" I asked my eyes still on her. Then I decided to roll down my window and know what was going on. That was when I heard what they were talking about. They were hassling her to show them our pictures together. I chuckled. "What is wrong with them?" I didn't know why but I suddenly felt the need to save her and I felt a tinge of anger rising in me, but it was directed at the girls and I didn't know why I felt that way. I stepped out of the car and suddenly forgot her name and then I called her, "Baby!"
The girls who were bullying her were the first to see me and I enjoyed the look of surprise on their faces. I liked it when their eyes widened on seeing me and gasps left their throats. I smiled smugly, I like having this effect on people. She turned to look at me and she also had a surprised look on her face when she saw me. I felt like a demi-god as I started towards them. It was not an easy thing holding the attention of so many girls. When I walked up to them, I held her shoulders, being a man who loves showing off, I decided to give them something to talk about and thought of kissing her lips, but I didn't know what her reaction would be.
She might get triggered and hit me and that would be a hell of an embarrassment, so I decided to plant one on her forehead and that brought more gasps from her bullies and I felt her shoulder stiffen as I kissed her forehead. I smiled even broader and turned to the girls, greeting them and they greeted back enthusiastically, giggling like kids. I told them that I have to steal my woman and I hung my arm on her shoulders leading her away and smiling and feeling very pleased with myself when I heard the girls muttering praises of me. As we walked a few steps away from them, I took out my phone and put on the camera, making sure those girls saw me taking the picture with her. "Smile for the camera," I said.
She raised her face and smiled tentatively and I captured it immediately and it was perfect. I glanced back at the other girls and smiled. I led her to the car, opened the backseat, and made her enter. I went in beside her and asked Aiden to drive.
Once Aiden ignited the car, I started the conversation. "Why didn't you call me?" I asked, the smile wiped away from my face.
"How did you know where I was?" she asked quietly.
"Are you for real? That's not the issue here. You were given my numbers for a reason." Aiden pulled slowly away from the mall.
"I told you I am not interested in whatever deal you want us to seal."
"Alright, then." I relaxed back in my seat and looked forward, jotting up my chin and folding my arms across my chest. "My attorney will bring the papers to your house soon."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked looking at me.
The fact that she didn't even acknowledge my help still rankled, and I shifted in my seat. "I saved your ass back there. What about thank you for saving me?"
She chuckled and shot me a serious look. "Like you would have done that if you didn't have any selfish interest?"
To that, I had nothing to reply, no words came to my head at that moment because she was right and as much as I hated to admit it, she was. I wouldn't have spared her another glance if this whole situation didn't come up. But why won't she even play along? I wasn't the one who started all these.
"I thought as much," she said and turned to Aiden. "Aiden, please stop the car, I need to get out."
To my surprise, Aiden slowed down and pulled over. We were just a few distances away from the mall. "What are you doing?" I asked looking at Aiden in confusion.
"She said to pullover," came the reply.
"Who do you work for? Someone who is obviously very confused asked you to pull over and you are listening to her?"
"Obviously very confused?" she asked with a sarcastic chuckle. "Just let me out of the car please."
"We have a deal to seal and we don't have time."
She huffed and avoided my gaze. "I want to go down, please. Let me out of the car."
I met Aiden's gaze in the rear view mirror and signaled him to let her go, Aiden unlocked the doors and as she was stepping down, I said, "Next time, you could go to the mall in a better outfit, wearing pyjamas to a mall is..." she didn't let me finish she banged the car door and made me flinch. I looked at Aiden when she had left, he was still looking at me from the rear view mirror. "What now?"
"You are your mother's son," Aiden said and ignited the car. "What next?"
I was frustrated and angry at the same time. I couldn't think, no one has ever made me feel the way this woman was making me feel. She makes me exasperated and Aiden was making things worse by always being on her side. I placed my head on the headrest.
"Should I drive? Where next?" Aiden asked.
"Don't drive! I need to think!" I snapped and I could see him cringe. I felt sorry for snapping at him but I was too angry to admit it.
Then suddenly, the car door flung open and she came rushing back in, breathing heavily. "Drive, drive, drive," she said looking behind like she was being chased.
I was confused and I looked back as Aiden pulled away and saw the girls I had saved her from, they were walking down the sidewalk towards us and were chattering happily. I smiled inwardly as a mischievous plan crept into my head.