Page 33 of Rewind

Ethan wondered if this was how his mom had felt, living in constant disappointment of the people who should have loved her but eventually abandoned her.

Amina’s pain was so palatable he could practically touch it. He wanted nothing more than to ease the ache in her heart and a plan suddenly formed in his head.

He cupped the side of her face. “Amina, I know that whatever it is between the two of us is only beginning but when I came back from the dead or whatever you call it, I decided I would live my life without regrets this time around.”

“And I think it’s time for you to start doing the same. I want to be the man you turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on. I want to be the one to keep a smile on your face. I want to be the man to hold you every night. I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect along this journey, but I do swear, I’ll be your sword when youneed to fight. I’ll be your shield when you need protection. But most of all…”

He stared down into her big brown eyes with determination.

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

“I’m going to be there by your side, when we take revenge on all the motherfuckers, who wronged us.”

Chapter

Twelve

“Thanks so much for inviting me out today. I couldn’t believe when you suggested we hang out, outside of the office or a work event,” Paisley gushed.

Amina smiled. The bubbly receptionist always seemed to be positive no matter what and while some people found Paisley’s constant optimism annoying, Amina knew it came from a good place. And learning from Ethan that Paisley had attended that sorry excuse for a wake that Mark had thrown for her, she’d been touched.

It also made her realize that in her first life, Mark had kept her so isolated from other people that he’d made it damn near impossible for her to form real friendships with anyone. He’d also encouraged her to be around her toxic cousin and aunt in the name of family unity knowing they never supported her.

She now understood that’s what he’d wanted all along. For her to depend solely on him even though he hadn’t been much of a support. But now she understood, he only wanted her to think she needed him.

Ethan told her that their rebirths was a second chance to do things differently from before and this time around, Aminaplanned on surrounding herself with genuine people. So, Amina decided to give herself a complete makeover, but she didn’t want to go on her shopping trip alone due to her lack of fashion knowledge.

Paisley always seemed to know the latest styles and wore the sharpest outfits. Amina thought it would be a good idea to ask the other woman, to meet up downtown for a shopping trip.

“I’m happy you could come with me. I wish we could have hung out more before now but things have been a little complicated.”

“You mean with your boyfriend? Oh, I’m sorry.” Paisley covered her mouth as her face went tomato red.

Was the entire office aware of her tumultuous relationship with Mark? How could she have been so blind? “There’s no need to apologize and yes, my errr…boyfriend and I have a complicated relationship.”

As much as Amina wanted to be done with that turd, Ethan had suggested that she allow him to think they were still together and let things play out as they had before. If things went exactly how they did in the other timeline, Mark would be proposing soon and they wanted the engagement party to be a moment no one there would forget.

It was why Amina wanted a new wardrobe and look, to boost her confidence for the event that should have been one of the happiest nights in her life but had turned into another humiliating episode with Mark.

“I know it’s none of my business but I don’t understand why you’re with him. Whenever he stops by the office, he’s doesn’t speak to you kindly. I’m the only girl amongst five brothers and if any guy talked to me the way he talks to you, they’d whoop his butt. You know, if things get too out of hand for you, I’ll call them up for you and I’m sure they’d come running.”

In her past life, Amina would have been defensive about a comment like that, even a little frightened because of the control Mark had had over her life. But now, she felt relieved to know that she had people in her corner who cared about her.

Tears burned her eyes. She was so touched by Paisley’s offer. “That’s very sweet. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Of course, hon. That’s what friends are for.”

Amina couldn’t keep the smile off her face. It was good to be able to call someone a friend. “Well, I’ll certainly keep your offer in mind.”

“So where should we go first? I was thinking we could try the shop a couple blocks down. Their clothes are a little pricey but every wardrobe needs a couple of good pieces to build on. Unless you have a specific budget, then I know of some other places we can go today.”

“Well, I don’t have a set limit today. I’d like to splurge a little without going overboard.” Her grandmother had left Amina some funds that if invested wisely, she could live comfortably for a while. She hadn’t touched any of it since what she made at work covered all her living expenses.

When she married Mark, he’d convinced her to combine all their finances. Once he got his hands on her money, he blew through it within the first couple years.

“Oh, great! Let’s go. I just love shopping!” Paisley hooked her arm through Amina’s and practically dragged her toward the store.

Four hours later, with several bags in tow, Amina was exhausted. Her instincts about Paisley was correct. The woman certainly had an eye for fashion, choosing outfits for Amina she would never have thought to wear. She taught Amina what to look for when trying to accentuate her best features.

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