Page 222 of When We Fall: Part Two
She sighed. “Yeah. It was gross, huh?”
“Definitely.”
She looked down at her new phone. I glanced over to see her going through apartment ads.
“How about you let me pick out a new dress for you now,” I said, wanting to distract her from apartment shopping.
She looked adorable in her black pants, blue button-down, and black ballet flats. She had her hair pulled into a high ponytail. She said she wanted to be ready for her interview at the diner in case the apartment showing ran late.
“OK. Lead the way.”
She seemed a lot happier than she had been lately, so I’d take the smiles where I could get them.
I’d texted E and asked him to get a message to Cole and Enzo about Rosalie’s car. He said he’d handle it. I’d saved the photo of the girl he’d sent, and really meant what I’d said when I said I’d keep an eye out for her.
Out of the guys, E was the one I liked the most. I knew he wasn’t an asshole like the other two were. He had his own shit going on.
So Ryder and Trent were getting Rosalie’s car for her. That offered me some sense of relief. Trent texted earlier, saying they were there, and Enzo had sent some guys over to watch. It looked like everything would be fine. They’d message if anything changed.
We got into my car, and I drove us to a shopping center I knew she liked. She kept checking apartments and making notes in a little notebook. I found it hard to focus because I didn’t want her to move out. I liked her being at my place. It was nice to come home to her every day.
Plus, I was worried about her safety being on her own. Maybe not so much that she was going to kill herself now, but this world was dangerous, and while she wasn’t the horsemens’ girl anymore, that likely wouldn’t stop someone like Everett Church from trying to sink his claws into her.
I’d caught glimpses of men sitting outside my place a few times. I knew they were Enzo’s men. He said he’d make sure she still had security. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. If she noticed them, she didn’t say anything about it.
We walked through a few shops, me pointing out hideous outfits in the hope that she’d laugh. She did, her eyes lighting up with each ridiculous one.
Finally, I took her to a high-end place. She’d hesitated at the door before following me inside. I knew she wasn’t this sort of girl, but I always dreamed of dressing her in clothes from there. It sounded weird, but there it was.
“Try this on,” I said, going to a dress I’d been eyeing for her for what felt like forever. Now was my chance. I grabbed her size and handed it to her.
“Oh my God. Anson, this dress is almost a thousand dollars,” she hissed at me.
“So? Try it on?—”
“Just let me take a picture of it. I bet I can find one online just like it for, like, forty dollars. Jamie could even make a dupe.”
I smiled at her as she fumbled for her phone in her purse to take a picture. I wrapped my hand over hers.
“LeeLee. Try on the dress. I really like it, and you said I got to pick. I’m buying anyway.”
“No, I said you could pick it. I didn’t say you’d be paying?—”
I pressed my finger to her soft lips. “Shh. I make these rules. Go.”
She stared up at me with those impossibly green eyes. She was really doing something to my heart that I was desperately trying to fight.
Finally, she took the dress and went to the fitting room. I blew out a shaky breath. My phone buzzed as I was picking out shoes for her. I pulled it out to see Trent in Rosalie’s car, giving me a thumbs up.
Perfect.
I grabbed the heels and took them to Rosalie’s fitting room.
“Hey, I got you some shoes,” I said, pushing them under the door.
I heard her swear softly as she took in the price. It made me laugh. No wonder Cole had shopped without her.
I sat in one of the chairs, waiting for her. When she came out, I sat forward, completely mesmerized by her.
