Chapter 93: Shopping with Aeri & Sara ll
The Grand Mall was a dazzling labyrinth of lights and sounds, the upper floor alive with the rustle of shopping bags, the chatter of shoppers, and the faint pulse of pop music drifting from storefronts.
My arms were already weighed down with a growing pile of bags—brightly colored, stuffed with clothes, shoes, and accessories—as Aeri and Sara led me from one shop to another, their energy relentless. Aeri looked radiant in her cream sweater, jeans, and white sneakers, her warm smile a quiet comfort, while Sara strutted in her jacket, t-shirt, skirt, stockings, and boots, her smug confidence always get on my nerves.
My long black shirt and t-shirt felt heavy under the mall’s bright lights, my white sneakers scuffing the polished floor, the faint scent of my cologne mixing with the mall’s aroma of pretzels and perfume.
We moved from a shoe store to a boutique, the bags multiplying with every stop, my arms aching as I juggled them, my patience thinning. In a clothing shop lined with racks of dresses and mirrors, Sara held up a sparkly top, tilting her head.
"Ezra, what do you think? Hot or not?" she asked, her grin teasing, her boots clicking as she spun the hanger.
"Looks like something you’d wear to blind everyone," I said, my voice flat, a sarcastic edge creeping in as I shifted the bags in my hands, my eyes narrowing at her.
She laughed, unbothered, tossing the top back. "Haha, Was I supposed to laugh? Fucking idiot." she said, her hands slipping into her jacket pockets as she moved to another rack.
Aeri, browsing nearby, held up a soft blue scarf, her eyes meeting mine. "Ezra, would this look good with my coat?" she asked, her voice gentle, her smile making my chest tighten.
"Yeah, it’s nice," I said, my tone softer, my gaze lingering on her, the scarf’s color matching her warmth. "Go for it."