14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Sunny
My heart sinks into my stomach as Levi pulls into the massive parking lot of Riverside Mall. The gleaming glass and steel structure towers over us, stretching for what seems like forever in both directions.
"You brought me to a mall?" My voice comes out higher than intended.
"Not just any mall." Levi parks near one of the main entrances, turning to face me with that grin that usually makes my knees weak. Right now, it's not helping the anxiety bubbling in my chest. "This place has everything."
I press back against the seat, memories of my last visit flooding back. Dad had brought me for my thirteenth birthday. We'd spent hours exploring every store, sharing a giant pretzel. It was the last birthday we spent together.
"I haven't been here since—" The words stick in my throat.
"Hey." Levi's hand finds mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "We can go somewhere else. Just say the word."
I stare at the entrance, watching people stream in and out. The sheer number of people makes my teeth itch. In Easton Creek, I know who to avoid, where the safe spaces are. Here, every face is a stranger.
"There's just so many people," I say under my breath.
"And not one of them knows us." Levi shifts closer, his voice low and steady. "We're just two normal teenagers at the mall."
The thought hits differently than I expected. He's right—no one here knows about Garrett, or my mom, or any of the rumors that follow me through the halls at school.
"Two normal teenagers?" I ask, hating how small my voice sounds.
"Remember what we said about making our own normal?" His fingers thread through mine. "This can be part of that. If you want."
I look down at our joined hands, then back at the mall. A group of girls about our age walks past, arms linked, giggling about something on one of their phones. They don't even glance our way.
"I haven't been shopping in forever," I admit. "I usually just order basics online when I absolutely need something."
"Well then, we definitely need to fix that." Levi's enthusiasm is infectious, but anxiety is still gnawing at my stomach.
"I don't have any money," I start, but he cuts me off.
"This is part of your birthday. Like the phone. My treat."
"Levi, no—"
"Yes." He squeezes my hand. "Let me do this for you. Please?"
The sincerity in his eyes makes my chest ache. I want to argue, to tell him I can't accept something like this. But I also, equally as much, want to pretend that I'm a girl, spending the day at the mall, shopping with her… Levi.
"Okay," I say finally. "But nothing crazy."
His whole face lights up. "Define crazy."
"Levi..."
"I'm kidding." He leans over and kisses my forehead. "Mostly."
I roll my eyes but can't help smiling. "You're impossible."
"That's not a no."
Taking a deep breath, I look back at the mall entrance. The glass doors reflect the morning sun, making them look almost welcoming. "I might need a minute. Before we go in."
“We've got all day." Levi settles back in his seat, still holding my hand. "Take all the minutes you need."
I watch another group of people enter—a mom with two kids, an elderly couple walking arm in arm, a guy a little older than us carrying what looks like a guitar case. None of them look threatening. None of them look at our truck or seem to care that we're just sitting here.
"The last time I was here..." I start, then stop, unsure if I want to share this memory.
"Tell me." Levi's voice is soft, patient.
"It was my thirteenth birthday. Dad took me." The words come easier than I expected. "We spent the whole day here. He let me try on ridiculous outfits at every store, even though we didn’t get any of them. We shared this massive pretzel from the food court—it was bigger than my head."
Levi stays quiet, his thumb still tracing gentle patterns on my hand.
"He bought me books. So many books." I smile at the memory. "Said a girl could never have too many stories to escape into. I still have them all, hidden under my bed where..." I trail off, not wanting to mention Garrett.
"We don't have to go in," Levi says after a moment. "We can drive somewhere else, do something different."
I look at him then, really look at him. At the way his eyes hold nothing but understanding, the way he's completely still beside me, letting me work through this at my own pace. No pressure, no expectations. No disappointment
"No," I say, surprising myself with how firm my voice sounds. "I want to go in. I want..." I pause, trying to find the right words. "I want to make new memories here. Better ones."
"Yeah?" His smile is soft, and gentle—the one I've noticed he saves just for me.
"Yeah." I squeeze his hand. "But you have to promise me something."
"Anything."
"If I start to freak out, or if it gets too much..."
"We leave. No questions asked." He raises our joined hands and places them on his chest. "On my heart."
I take another deep breath, looking at the mall. It still looks intimidating, but less so now.
"Okay," I say. "Let's do this."
The boutique Levi leads me into is nothing like any of the stores I've ever shopped at. Sparkling glass chandeliers cast warm light over racks of flowing dresses and delicate tops. Even the air smells expensive, like an expensive floral perfume.
"I don't know about this." I tug at the sleeve of my oversized hoodie. Everything here looks too pristine, too untouchable.
"Just look around." Levi's hand settles on my lower back. "No pressure."
The saleswoman is nice—genuine nice, not fake nice. She doesn't even seem to notice my ratty clothes or hesitate to hand me expensive dresses to try on. When she says I have a lovely figure, I almost believe her.
The first dress is blue. The fabric feels impossibly soft, and when I look in the fitting room mirror, I barely recognize myself. It hugs the curves I usually try to hide, and the color makes my skin glow.
"How's it going in there?" The saleswoman's voice is gentle through the door.
"I..." My voice cracks. "It's different."
When I step out, Levi's eyes go wide. He stands from the waiting area chair, his lips parting slightly. The way he's looking at me makes my skin tingle.
Each dress after that first one gets a little easier. The saleswoman keeps bringing options, and I find myself relaxing and starting to enjoy the process. With every new dress, I stand a little straighter, look in the mirror a little longer. The burgundy one shows off my shoulders. The green makes my eyes look brighter. Each reflection shows me something new about myself, something I've been hiding under baggy hoodies and slumped shoulders.
But it's the black dress that changes everything. Simple, elegant—it fits perfectly, and shows just enough skin to feel daring without making me uncomfortable. When I step out this time, Levi actually stands up straighter.
"That's the one," he says immediately.
I study my reflection, barely recognizing the girl staring back at me. She looks confident, beautiful even. Like someone who could walk into a room and turn heads for all the right reasons. For the first time, I’m looking at my reflection and don't feel like I want to disappear.
"What do you think?" Levi asks softly.
I bite my lip, considering. I can't imagine what it would feel like wearing something like this out somewhere. But, I think I'd like to find out.
"I love it," I admit quietly.
"Then it's yours." Levi's hand finds mine, squeezing gently.
"Levi, no—it's too expensive." I start to protest, but he shakes his head.
"Birthday gift, remember?" His smile is warm. "Plus, the look on your face right now? Worth every penny."
The saleswoman claps again. "Shall I wrap it up for you?"
I look at myself one more time in the mirror, at the way the dress makes me stand taller, shoulders back instead of hunched forward. At the way Levi can't seem to take his eyes off me.
"We should find you shoes to go with it," the saleswoman suggests as she carefully folds the dress.
"Oh, I don't—" I start to protest, but Levi's already nodding.
"She's right. Can't have you wearing those beat-up Converse with it." He gestures to my worn sneakers with a teasing grin.
The shoe section is just as intimidating as the clothing, rows of heels in every height and color imaginable. The saleswoman brings over several options, and I find myself drawn to a simple pair.
"Not too high," I warn, wobbling slightly as I try them on.
"These are perfect." Levi watches as I take a few tentative steps. "You can actually walk in them."
I catch my reflection again—the shoes make my legs look even longer. "They're pretty."
"One more thing." Levi disappears toward the jewelry counter, returning with a delicate silver necklace. A small solid heart pendant dangles from the chain, catching the light. "This too."
"Levi..." My throat tightens as he holds it up.
"Turn around," he says softly.
I do, and his fingers brush my neck as he fastens the clasp. The heart settles just below my collarbone, and when I touch it, it's warm from his hands.
"Beautiful," he murmurs.
The saleswoman rings everything up, and I deliberately don't look at the total. Levi takes a large wad of cash out of his pocket without hesitation, and soon we're walking out with several bags.
"I can't believe you just did that," I say as we head toward the food court.
"Believe it." He takes my hand, swinging our joined hands between us. "Now, I believe you mentioned something about a giant pretzel?"
The food court is busy but not packed. We find a table in a corner after loading up our trays—a massive pretzel to share, Chinese food for me, pizza for Levi.
"This is so weird," I laugh, looking down at my ratty jeans and oversized hoodie, then at the boutique shopping bags. "I feel like I'm living someone else's life."
"Why?" Levi steals a piece of my orange chicken.
"Because normal girls go shopping with their boyfriends all the time. They try on pretty dresses and eat mall food and..." I trail off, realizing what I just said.
"Boyfriends?" His eyebrow raises, but he's smiling.
Heat floods my cheeks. "I didn't mean—I just—"
"I like it." He reaches across the table, taking my hand. "Boyfriend has a nice ring to it."
"Yeah?" I can't help smiling back.
"Yeah." He tears off a piece of pretzel. "Though I have to warn you, as your official boyfriend, there will be more shopping trips in your future."
I throw a fortune cookie at him. "You're ridiculous."
"And once again I say, you love it."
"Maybe I do," I admit quietly.
His thumb traces patterns on my palm. "Good."