Page 139 of Withered

My cheeks flush, and I push him away. Jake is so moody today. He was upset a minute ago and is now acting all normal. Sure, we have our usual bickering going on, but what just happened reminds me of the old Jake, whom I dislike.

I mask my thoughts and follow him into another extravagant store. The girl in her twenties greets us, but her eyes remain on Jake’s. “What would you like me to show you?” She asks Jake.

“This is a ladies store; why would I want something?” Jake chuckles.

I elbow him, and he points a thumb at me. “We’d like something special for her.”

She looks at me, her gaze sweeping over me, and her lips turn into a scowl. This is what you should expect from other girls when you walk into a mall with a boy who has the face of a model.

The girl presents us with some dresses, but neither the color nor the pattern appeal to me. I couldn’t help but wonder what Kristy would have said to her if she were here, possibly giving her an earful or finding her clothes.

I wander around the store and find a cute off-shoulder red dress, but it is only knee-length. Next, I find a full-length olive-colored dress.

“I don’t like the color,” Jake comments from behind me.

I look for some more, but Jake always says something like,"It’s too backless, the neck is deep, and the color won’t suit me."I eventually give up, and we leave the store. Not only because I didn’t like anything but also because the girl was starting to get on my nerves.

I find another elegant store and point it out. “How about we try that one?”

Jake nods, and we start walking, but Jake’s steps shorten, and he abruptly stops.

“What is it?” I ask him.

When he doesn’t look at me, I wave a hand in front of him. I get his attention, but his face turns cold. He grabs my elbow, his eyes softening slightly.

“We need to get out of here, Rose. Now.” After that, he takes my hand and drags me along with him.

“What? Why?” I ask him, trying to know the reason, but he doesn’t budge. I look around, wondering what he saw, but the floor is vacant, just us in the corridor.

“You have to get out of here,” Jake says, looking anywhere but me.

I finally snap and yank away from him. My patience is wearing thin due to his mood swings and then because of that girl.

“Rose,” he growls and glares at me.

“We didn’t buy anything. Why do we have to go?”

“Is that important, huh?” Jake asks and adds, “Just listen to me.” He’s almost pleading now.

“Why? Give me one good reason.” If he wants me to listen to him, he’d better give me a solid one. If he trusts me, he should.

“I-It’s. Just listen to me,” Jake pleads again, but clearly, he just proves he doesn’t trust me enough, so I won’t listen either.

“No. I’m not leaving with nothing,” I say as I take a step back.

He rakes his hands through his hair, visibly annoyed, but I’m not giving in.

“If you want to go, then go,” I say.

I turn around and walk towards the store. When I turn around, Jake has already left. He just walked away.

An elderly lady greets me when I walk into the store. I asked her to show me some gowns. She ushers me to follow her before giving me a long look. She shows me various gowns in various tints, colors, and designs, but none of them appeal to me. A part of me is still wondering where Jake went and why.

When I sigh, she says, “We just got a new piece, but it might be too expensive for you.”

“It’s okay, ma’am,” I say. “Could you please show me?”

She nods and takes me into another room, where there’s only one dress on a mannequin. It’s an off-shoulder powder pink gown, ideal for a ball. It’s simple yet elegant.

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