Page 184 of When a Soul Cries

“You bought all this?”

“You needed clothes.”

“I know I need clothes.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Okay.”

“That doesn’t mean you were supposed to buy them.”

His expression changed slightly, amusement pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“You want me to take them back?”

I opened my mouth.

Closed it.

He nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“How did you even know what size bra I wear?”

That finally made him laugh.

“I didn’t.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“My mama helped.”

“Of course she did.”

“She picked most of the clothes too. I told her keep it simple.”

I looked back down at the bed.

“I don’t want you thinking you have to replace everything I lost.”

“I don’t.”

His voice was quieter that time.

“It’s a few outfits and some shit you need to be comfortable. That’s it.”

Comfortable.

I swallowed.

“Thank you.”

Rome watched me for a moment.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

I wasn’t.

Because people thought about Halo all the time.