Page 96 of Wicked Spite
“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” I reassure her with a forced smile, not wanting to tell her he’s here until I figure out why. Is he spying on us for his cousins? He’s trying to blend in, casually leaning against the entrance, which makes me think it’s nothing urgent. It’s clear he’s here for one reason and one reason only, to keep tabs on us.
“Excuse me for a sec,” I tell Reese, placing a reassuring hand on her arm before making my way toward Iris.
“Hey, Iris, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.
“Of course, what’s up?” she replies, concern etched on her face.
“Ramsey’s been lingering by the door,” I say, annoyance seeping into my voice. “I checked my phone and no messages from Penn, so I don’t think anything bad happened.” I leave out the fact that I do have messages from Penn, but they’re just him asking me to send him pictures of me naked in the dressing room.
Iris chuckles, her laughter carefree, as if a grumpy behemoth isn’t shadowing us. “Oh, that. Well, Ramsey is their designated watchdog since he’s the youngest. When we want a girls’ day, it’s just a given that he’s gotta walk around and make sure nothing happens to us. He doesn’t try to hide as much as he used to because we know he’s here.”
“Designated watcher?” I scoff, my eyebrows raised in disbelief. “They’re all ridiculous.”
“They’re Blackwoods,” Iris says, her voice softening, “it’s just how they are. They’re protective of us, and that’ll never change.”
Shaking my head, I return to Reese and Oakley with Iris in tow.
“Ready to check out?” I ask Reese, putting on a smile as I help her gather up her selections.
“Definitely!” she grins, her eyes shining with excitement. “Thanks for an amazing day, Reagan. I feel like a whole new person.”
“Anytime,” I reply warmly, my heart swelling with pride as I watch Reese confidently stride toward the register, her newfound sense of style evident in every step.
“Ooh, look at these shoes!” Iris exclaims, picking up a pair of stilettos with a daringly high heel as we stand in line. She holds them up for all of us to see, her eyes shining withanticipation. “Lincoln would round up every guy on campus and cut their eyes out.” She laughs, which seems to be contagious because we all know that she’s not wrong.
“Those would look so good on you, Iris,” Oakley remarks, her voice laced with admiration. “I wonder how tall I’d be in those. I’d break my neck before I could move three feet in those.”
“Can you imagine how worried Jeremiah would be watching you try to walk in those?” I chime in, my eyes scanning the racks of clothing before me. The way Iris agrees, and Oakley giggles makes me feel like I’m really part of the group now because my assessment of Jeremiah is spot on. It doesn’t take long for anyone to see that Jeremiah’s whole personality is protecting Oakley.
“Reagan, what do you think of this dress?” Reese calls out, holding up a slinky red number that will hug her curves in all the right places. I raise an eyebrow, impressed by her bold choice.
“Oh my God, yes,” I say, grinning at her enthusiasm. “You’re going to turn heads in that one.”
“Thanks,” she replies, her cheeks flushing with pride. “I figured it was time to step out of my comfort zone.”
We pay for our purchases and make our way out of the store, laughter and banter filling the air. I can’t help but feel grateful for this girls’ day out, despite the ever-watchful gaze of the Blackwood spy.
“Hey, Ramsey!” Reese calls out suddenly, her voice full of candy-coated sass. I turn to see her waving at the hockey boy with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Since you’re just standing there, how about being a gentleman and carrying our bags? They’re getting awfully heavy,” she teases, batting her eyelashes innocently.
I hold my breath, curious to see how he’ll react. Ramsey’s face contorts with feigned annoyance, as if he’d just tasted something sour. He tips his head back and pinches the bridge of his nose, seemingly trying to stifle an exasperated sigh.
“Fine,” he grumbles, reluctantly walking over to us. With a begrudging expression, he takes the shopping bags from each of our hands, his brawny arms quickly filling with the spoils of our retail therapy. “But that fucking bodycon bullshit is getting burned when we get back to the house.”
“We’ll see about that,” Reese grins at him.
“I’m serious. Shredded and burned. Did you get her a sweater? All I saw were strappy dresses that look more like crop tops,” Ramsey mutters, glaring at me. “Look, they’re having a sale. Maybe we’ll find something for her in there,” he points to Outdoor World as we pass by and sure enough, they’re having sales on men’s hunting jackets and overalls.
“You carry the clothes, you don’t get to pick them out,” Reese says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Good thing I can fucking fight,” Ramsey grumbles as we head toward the exit of the mall. I chuckle at Ramsey’s grumbly attitude to Reese’s choice in dresses and exchange a knowing glance with Iris and Oakley. The three of us share an unspoken understanding about the Blackwoods and their antics.
“More like fighting for your life,” Oakley says gently, trying to stifle a giggle over his clear discomfort.
Chapter 36
Reagan
