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"Yes." It would look amazing on Chloe.
"Sold. Let's change and find shoes to go with it."
We'd spent the rest of the day trying on clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Even if I couldn't buy anything, pretending was still fun.
By the time we left, we were both exhausted, and I was ready to eat and relax.
"Are we headed back to your Aunt's?" I asked Chloe when I noticed we were going in the wrong direction for her house.
"No, I was under strict orders to bring you back to Christian." I rolled my eyes dramatically, sinking back into the seat. "Sorry, but he's bigger and scarier than you."
Overprotective wouldn't be a strong enough word to describe Christian the last few days. If he wasn't with me, one or all the guys were. My only private moments were in the bathroom. When Chloe asked me to go, I was surprised he didn't push me to come, but he hadn't even asked.
Chloe whipped her truck inside the gate.
"Drop me here. I want to walk up."
"Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded.
Christian's property was beautiful, and the weather was perfect today. A walk in the quiet alone was exactly what I needed. I hadn't had much time to think about what I would do next. I'd spent the last few nights with Christian but knew I couldn't stay much longer. I was getting low on clothes and didn't want him to tire of me. He was fueled with hate and guilt, but that would wear off eventually, and I'd have to go home.
Rounding the main house, I spotted both Christian and Aiden waiting outside the pool house.
"What's going on?" I asked, stepping up to Christian. "Is everything ok?" He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up a keychain with four keys. My eyes narrowed as they followed his hand. He grabbed my hand, forced it open, and placed the keys in it. "What is this? What's going on?"
"It's the keys to the pool house," Christian answered. My eyes went wide. Was he asking me to move in with him? Panic rose in my throat. "Aiden and I moved out this morning." I blew out a heavy sigh. It wasn't that I didn't want to live with Christian; well, actually, that was precisely what I didn't want. I wasn't even sure what Christian and I were, and there was no way we were ready to live together.
"Wait," I said, my eyes flying to Aiden. "This is your man cave."
"And now it's yours," Aiden said, smiling softly.
"No." I shoved the keys into Christian's chest. "I'm not pushing you out of your home."
"You're one of us now," Aiden said, bumping my shoulder with his. "We take care of our own, plus, I've already moved my stuff, and it was a lot of work, so..." I laughed.
"You'll be safe here," Christian said.
"What about your parents?""
"It was Mom's idea," Aiden said. Christian grabbed the keys, unlocked the front door, and gestured for me to go in.
It was no longer a dark, stinky man cave. It was bright, clean, and smelled like fresh linen.
"You did this today?" I gasped. He nodded. My chest swelled. I didn't even know what to say in a good way.
"This will be your home," Christian said, and I smiled. "You can stay as long as you want to."
"I'll have to go and get my things," I said, smiling.
"No," Christian said, his tone and posture tense as his long fingers curled into my arms, squeezing hard enough to get my attention. Leaning down, he pulled me closer, nose to nose. His tone was no longer gentle. "You will never go back to that house!" He squeezed my arms tighter to my sides. "Harper, do you understand me? You will never go over the tracks to the Southside again."
Never going over the tracks to the Southside again was unreasonable.
"Christian, I have no clothes," I said.
"Well, lucky for you," Chloe sang, appearing at the front door that was still open. ""We have that taken care of." She dropped the shopping bags from today on the table and floor. Christian released his grip on my arms, but I knew this conversation wasn't over.
"And I have everything else," Ryder said, stepping in behind her.
