“Oh yeah, you call me Trev now too… Admit it, Willa. We’re friends.”
I laugh. “Yes,Trevor, we’re friends. Happy now?”
“Mostly.” He smirks, angling the car into a parking spot.
Havenwood Shopping Center is set up like an outlet mall, with larger department stores surrounding the interior chain shops and food court. The Sunday morning crowd is already bustling, carrying Christmas packages and large bags filled with goodies. I’m not looking forward to barreling through overzealous shoppers today, but it snows in Nebraska. A heavy coat and winter maternity clothes for our time in Heritage are a necessity. I shoot a text off to Ashlie and Hunter, who are meeting us here. Before I can reach for the handle, Trevor’s already opening my door. My instinct to roll my eyes fizzles when they meet his sexy smile, and I suck my lip between my teeth. He offers his hand, and once I’m out of the car, disappointment hits from the loss of his fingers around mine.This is ridiculous.
“Hey, girl!” Ashlie waves when we enter the food court, untangling herself from Hunter’s arms and bouncing toward us. Hunter nods in our direction. Ashlie checks me with her hip and slips her arm around my back. “Let’s get started before you change your mind and decide to go home.”
Wordlessly, Trevor digs in his back pocket for his wallet, prompting me to shake my head. “Absolutely not. I draw the line at you paying for my clothes.” He stares right at me, smirking while he pulls out his credit card anyway and hands it to Ashlie, triggering the eye roll that fizzled in the parking lot. “I can buy my own clothes, Trev.”
“Oh, I know youcan. But you’re not gonna.” He turns to Ashlie like they preplanned for this to happen. “Make sure she gets everything she wants, even if she puts it back.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo, Trev. I’ll hook your girl up.”
Trevor leans in to whisper in my ear. “Remember the bookstore? Don’t think I won’t buy everything on the racks if I find out you put something back that you really want.” Heat fills mycheeks, and I shudder as his breath tickles my neck. The goosebumps rising at his satisfied chuckle almost make me come undone in this very public space.
Hunter claps his hands together. “Okay, you two, save your power struggle kink for the bedroom. I want to play around with that new Starbar notepad before the store gets crazy.”
Trevor laughs and squeezes my shoulder as he steps away. Before they turn the corner into the shopping center, he calls over his shoulder, “I better see bags, Willa.”
“Ooh, girl. I might lose the bet. He’s done for.” Ashlie fans herself with Trevor’s credit card before slipping it in the pocket of her jeans.
“What bet?”
“The one Hunter and I have on how long it’ll take you two to boink again. I say you’ll hold out until New Year’s. Hunt thinks you’ll cave by Christmas.”
“Please don’t make bets on me ‘boinking’ anyone.”
“Oh, I forget we have Ms. Academia over here.” Ashlie straightens out her shoulders and takes on a deep voice. “Our wager, Professor Wilhelmina, is a conjecture of the initiation of coitus between you and Mr. Jones.”
“I’m ready to go home now.” I take a step toward the door, and she pulls me back, cackling as she tugs me farther into the mall. “Why are you betting against me? As my sister, aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
“Girl, Iam. He’s good to you, Wills. Goodforyou. Better than anyone else you’ve ever been with, and it’s clear as day he’s gone for you. You just need to get out of your head and let him sweep you off your feet.”
“Sounds horrible,” I mumble, trying to slam the lid on the feelings blossoming inside me. I’ve never been swept off my feet and had it stick. In my experience, feet sweeping is always accompanied with whiplash whenever the guy gets comfortable. Maybe not right away, but it happens eventually.
“Come on. This card is burning a hole in my pocket.” Ashlieloops her arm in mine as we round the corner, smiling like the ray of sunshine she is. My nightmare of a man-sponsored shopping spree is a dream come true for her.
After making me try on way too many winter coats, Ashlie convinces me to go for the lilac puffer jacket with faux fur lining the hood. It’s my favorite color, so I was drawn to it when we first entered Parka Emporium. But one look at the price tag had me charging for the clearance rack. The thought of spending that much money on something I’ll only wear for a week churns my stomach, especially when I’m not paying for it myself. Since my sister’s loyalties clearly lie with the cardholder, she threatened to call Trevor if I didn’t at least try it on. Once I did, and she pointed out the smile on my face, I agreed it looked good. She wouldn’t even let me get it back on the hanger before she marched to the cash register with it.
Now that we’re in Mama Maternity, Ashlie leans a hip against the wall while looking at me through the mirror. “Wills, you can’t hate everything you’ve tried on. And I know my little nibling is getting hungry. What’s the problem?”
I cringe at her through the mirror. “The problem is you calling my kid anibling.” Sighing, I pull at the empire waisted tunic with a frown. It’s a cute top, but the more things we pull off the racks, the worse my attitude gets. I need new clothes. My jeans are already too tight to be comfortable, and I know it’s only going to get worse from here on out. Maternity clothes are a basic necessity, but Trevor’s insistence on buying them for me is a major mental block. I sit on the wooden bench next to my dressing room and slump against the wall. “I don’t know. It’s all of this, I guess. The clothes. The credit card. Trevor giving me whatever I ask for.”
“You’re worried this is a Carter repeat?”
I puff out a breath and nod. My ex would drag me to this mall and force me to buy clothes he deemed fitting for the girlfriend of an up-and-coming hotshot lawyer. Clothes that I didn’t get a say in because he was footing the bill. Clothes I wouldn’t have beencaught dead in before, and that I’ve stayed away from since. He was controlling, with a temper he hid behind expensive three-piece suits.
“Willa, Carter was a polished turd at best, and a piece of shit at his worst. I can see why today might give you pause, but Trevor’s not trying to control you. He’s trying to support you. You don’t see the difference?”
I shrug, letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s the whole surprise aspect. Neither of you told me about this secret plan today, and I’m in my head about it.”
“Explain please?”
“Really?” I roll my eyes.
“Yes, really.” She sits next to me on the bench, turning to face me. “I’m having a hard time understanding how a surprise shopping spree equates to Trevor being the next Carter, so help me out.”
