Chapter 5 - Riley
The car was quiet as Cayden drove with the music turned down low the vehicle, but it didn't break the awkwardness that filled the space.
"So…" I cleared my throat. "Where are we going again?"
"The mall in the town over. They are having a bunch of sales with the holiday coming up." Cayden said, looking up at the mirror, his eyes snapping to me for a moment. I blushed and looked at April sitting in the front seat.
The car ride started with a fight over who was going to drive, which Cayden won. He stated that it was his car and that he didn't just let anyone drive.
"They have a food court, right?" April asked, her eyes glued to her phone.
"It's a mall. Of course, it has a food court."
"Our mall at home doesn't have a food court."
Cayden snorted. "That wasn't a mall."
I took a deep breath, pulled my gaze out the window, and took in the view as Cayden pulled into the town.
West Creek. Before we left, Cayden gave us the lowdown about the town. It was a popular town of over fifty thousand people. Many packs traveled there for shopping, which meant they might run into people Cayden knew, so he apologized in advance.
"And by the way, we don't need a chauffeur," April quickly added as he stopped at a red light.
Cayden looked at his sister, giving her the same look he had earlier when she said those exact words. "And I told you that you don't get a choice."
Cayden had also explained that there was a bit of a rift with another pack and that he was keeping a close eye on them. If anything seemed off, they were leaving.
"You know we took this vacation to get away from pack bullshit," April snapped, more irritated than she was yesterday. I was hoping it was because of the fact that she was leaving later today to deal with her husband.
"You should know you can't get away from it. Every pack has its own problems, April."
"And what are your pack's problems?"
The car fell silent, and I swallowed. The tension between them was still there. A part of me was hoping they would just start getting along. I hated being between them.
We turned down a road, and my eyes widened as I saw a huge mall. The parking lot was filled with cars, and people were walking together, heading inside.
I smiled. "Wow, this is a huge mall."
"I told you," Cayden said with a hint of a smirk as he headed down the parking lot looking for a parking spot. It took him a few moments before he finally found one, pulling in.
April jumped out of the car first, and Cayden sighed. He rubbed at his forehead, and for a moment, he reminded me of when he was younger. It was the same way he used to rub his head when April did something that irritated him.
"I'm sorry about us fighting," he said, looking back at me.
"Give her time," I said simply. As much as April was hurting and angry at her brother, I knew she had picked to come here for a reason. She just needed to work through her emotions first.
He gave me a gentle smile before he pulled himself out of the car. I followed him, pulling my purse tightly around myself.
We all headed inside, and I grew giddy because this mall looked like it had a lot to offer. Our mall in town was great and had plenty of shops, but this mall was four times as large.
As we headed inside, my phone started to buzz, and I scowled. I glanced at Cayden and April, who were deciding which direction to go, so I took a moment to pull my phone free.
I scowled, taking in three new messages from Brad.
April, please just call me. Let's talk about this.
April, we have an entire life here. Do you really want to throw all that away?
April, think about this. I understand that maybe things are a little hard, but that's part of life. You can't just run away when things get tough.
It seemed he had moved past his anger and was moving on to begging. I knew it wouldn't last. He would be sending threats soon, and before that, I would probably cave. But I was there. I was here, and he couldn’t touch me.
"I want a pretzel," April said, snapping her attention away from her phone back to the siblings. April had her arms crossed, and Cayden rubbed his forehead.
"Fine, let's go get your stupid pretzel."
I stuffed my phone into my purse and smiled. I didn't want to think about Brad. I wanted to enjoy myself.
I hooked my arm with April and smiled. "A pretzel sounds amazing right now."
April smirked, looking at Cayden. "See, Riley agrees."
"She agrees because she doesn't want us to fight."
"Or maybe she agrees because she wants a pretzel too," April said with a smirk, turning us. We headed down the long, wide hallway. I could smell food blending together, the sound of laughter, and endless people talking at once. My nerves calmed as we moved, and I sank into the feeling.
We got some pretzels, and Cayden even bought one. He bought three, offering each of us one. "Ok, where to now?" he asked, and April looked around as she took a bite. Her eyes paused on a store.
It was a boutique with jewelry and high-fashion clothes. Although it wasn't my style, April's eyes twinkled with delight.
"Let's go see what they have."
April pulled on our hooked arms, aiming us inside. I glanced at Cayden, who was following us.
Inside, the shop smelled like perfume and cedar. A large tree was strung up with necklaces and scarves. A wall of shoes and outfits hung on racks. I took in dainty dresses and jeans paired together with crop tops, making adorable dark outfits—outfits I could never wear.
April pulled her hand away, looking at a dress. "This is cute," she squealed.
"Why don't you try it on?" I asked, taking a bite of my pretzel.
"I'm going to see if they have my size," she said, walking a little further down.
I turned to the jewelry and took in chunky necklaces. I scrunch my face up.
"You not a fan?" Cayden asked, looking around the space.
"I like simpler things," I said, turning to find April grabbing the dress. She smiled. "They have my size," she said.
We continued to look around, checking out as many shops as we could. After a while, April already had a few bags, finding herself plenty of clothes. Some of them seemed her style, others not so much, but she was using her husband's credit card, and I don't think she cared what she bought besides that it was Ivan's money.
April paused in front of another boutique and pointed. "Look at that dress," April said, looking at me.
I glanced at the dress. It was a simple white lace dress, clearly carefully made, with a couple of pale pink flowers embroidered at the bottom. It was a beautiful dress, but I couldn't see myself in it.
"That would look cute on you."
I shook my head. "No, that's not made for my body shape."
April scowled. "Oh, come on. Just try it on. You might surprise yourself."
She looked for Cayden, but he was no longer standing there. April pulled on our hooked arms, and we headed inside.
"Try on a few things," April said. "Come on. I've been the one trying things on."
"I don't need anything new," I said.
"That isn't the point. We're on vacation. Splurge a little."
It wasn't something I often got to do. I had plenty of clothes. I didn't need anything else, but I didn't bring all my clothes. My clothes were back at the house with Brad. I had only a few of my things, so I could buy a few outfits. I should buy a few outfits.
"Fine." I said, "I'll try on that dress."
"And a few others," she quickly added, pulling me inside. "I'll bring them to the fitting room."
I decided I might as well. April found my size for the white dress, and I took it to the fitting room. She then looked for a few other dresses she wanted me to try.
I stared at myself in the mirror as I got inside. I was wearing a simple outfit. A pair of jeans and a cream-colored top. I paired it with some of my sneakers.
I slipped my shoes off and then my shirt and bottoms. I shimmied the dress up and turned, buttoning it. When I was finished, I looked at myself in the mirror.
The dress fit me like a glove, but the front dipped far too low to my liking. My breasts were practically jumping out of the outfit.
I cringed.
"So, how does it look?"
"I look like a whore," I muttered, already reaching for the buttons to take it off.
"I found some other dresses."
Suddenly, a couple of dresses were thrown over the door, and I glanced up at them in the mirror. There was a deep blue one and a light green one. Both sparkled. They were beautiful dresses that I would love to wear.
I took the white dress off and pulled on the blue one. This one was a little looser, but the front was still plunging. I cringed, hating how it made me look even bigger than I already was.
The next dress wasn't any better. The sparkles brought your attention to my figure, and I stared.
I could hear Brad's words in my head, repeating themselves over and over like he was standing right next to me.
"This is disgusting. Look at yourself! Do you think you can wear something like this? You're not skinny enough for that. Cover up and look proper."
I felt tears build up, threatening to break free. Suddenly, the dress felt like it was tightening, and I clawed at it, practically ripping it off myself. I started to panic, shaking my head as I ran my hands through my hair.
This was all a huge mistake. My life was just a big mess that would never be figured out.
"So, how do they look?" April's voice spoke through the silence, and I could see her shadow under the door. I took a few deep breaths, grabbed my jeans, and pulled them on.
"They don't fit."
"Really? Oh, I wanted to see you in them. Let me look for something else."
"April, I'm really not feeling like trying other clothes on now."
I pulled my shirt on and opened the door. April scowled at me with her arms crossed. Cayden stood next to her now, holding a blank expression. He raised an eyebrow at me, but I didn't look at him.
"Just one more, please," April begged, and I chewed on my cheek.
"Fine, one."
April turned quickly and hurried off. I frowned when Cayden turned, pulling an outfit off another dressing room door.
"Try this."
I frowned. "What if someone was going to try that?"
"She already left," he said, handing me the dress. It was a simple cream-colored dress. The fabric was soft, almost like satin. The shoulders had bows on them, and it was no longer possible to go to my mid-calf. It was simple, something I would have picked to try myself.
"I would get in there before April brings you something frilly."
I looked over for April, spotting her. She was looking through clothes frantically, trying to find something. While April and I did wear the same outfits, sometimes we had different tastes.
I turned and slid back inside the changing room. I stared at the dress, noticing it had an extra layer underneath, giving it a little extra puff. It hugged the breast but flared out towards the stomach and hips.
I undressed once more and slid the dress on. I pulled my hair back and glanced at myself in the mirror.
The dress fit me well. Extremely well. It was almost like it was made for me. The color gave me a tan rather than washing me out. The bows were extremely large but added a little character to the dress. It reminded me of my younger self, the girl without problems.
I turned, opened my door, and stepped out. Cayden stood waiting, and his eyes widened slightly at me. He looked impressed.
"You have taste," I said, feeling a blush roll over my face.
He blinked, seeming speechless for a moment, before his eyes went from my ankles and up, scanning me.
I swallowed, waiting for him to comment, but he didn't. He just stared, mixed emotions in his eyes, and I couldn't put my finger on what he was thinking.
"Is it bad?" I asked, knowing Cayden wouldn't lie to me.
His eyes snapped to mine, and a smile pulled at his lips. It made my heart skip a beat, and I felt a blush roll over my face.
"You look good," he said in a rough voice. "Fits you extremely well."
I could hear footsteps coming back, and I turned, spotting April as she came back. She froze as her eyes stopped on me, and her mouth dropped. "Damn! Girl, you look fucking hot!"
"Cayden picked it out."
April looked at her brother and then back at me. "Wow, that…you have to get that. It's like it was made for you."
I looked down at my outfit and then up at both of them. I had to admit that I did look good, and judging by their reactions, I probably should get it.
"Well, I think I'll buy it," I said, turning back to change.
"Nice pick," April said as she looked at her brother.
"I thought it would fit her," he said, his eyes glued to me.
I chewed on my cheek. I felt my heart flutter, and for a second, I thought maybe he thought I was more than just April's friend. But that would never happen.
I slipped inside and stared at myself for a moment. I smiled, running my fingers over the dress. I had to admit, I looked good.