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I don’t want them worrying about me.
Especially not over something that feels so obviously fake.
“I’m all right!” I turn around and show him the zipped shirt, and he gasps. “Sorry, this took forever.”
“How the fuck did you get that thing on?! I’m surprised it didn’t take you ten hours.”
“So? What do you think?” I pose, and he gives me a thumbs-up.
“You look great.”
I take the jacket Leo is looking at and lift it toward his chest. “This one is amazing! We should also get you the one with the red stripe.” I look at the associate, and he immediately nods.
“Size medium, coming right up,” the associate says, quickly heading toward the racks.
“Cil… there is no ‘we’ in getting me clothes. I can buy them myself.”
I rest my arm over his shoulders and lean in. “I know you can… but I don’t give a shit.”
Leo laughs, but then glares at me. “I’m serious, Cil.”
“Leo, I’m a billionaire. This is pocket change.”
“And I’ve told you before, I’m not with you for the money.”
“Oh, I know. I’m the one who kidnapped you since we were in kindergarten, so see this as a thank you for putting up with my shit through all these years.”
“If you’re trying to make it up to me, you’d need to buy me the entire franchise.”
I burst out laughing, but our amusement is cut short by a sudden scream.
Leo and I bolt out of the private room, expecting to see a dead body or a gun, but instead, we’re met with a group of Insta-moms completely fawning over Knox.
“OMG, he’s a Harknett!” one of them squeals. “Can we, like, get a picture with you?”
“No,” Knox says.
“OMGod, please! Jessica will be so jelly of us.”
“Aww, come on, Knox,” I mock, beaming at him as I join the crowd. “Think of Jessica. She’ll be so jelly.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Don’t mind him, ladies. He works for me, so you guys can have whatever pictures you want.”
“We can?!”
I tilt my head, giving him a daring look. “Unless he wants to quit right now, of course.”
Knox glares at me, his eyes promising retribution.
“A picture sounds great,” he says.
“Yay!” The women clap and do weird tiny jumps.
The blonde presses her bejeweled phone into my grip, and I step back to frame the shot.
“Say cheese!” I snap the photo, then immediately wave my hands. “Beautiful. Now, everyone crowd in close and hug him!”
