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“My family used to come here every weekend when I was younger,” she said, smiling. “My sister and I would play hide-and-seek while my parents shopped. I’d hide by the barrels of coffee and nuts. And my sister”—she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the stairs that led to a seating area—“she used to hide underneath the microwave they have in the corner for people to heat up their food for lunch.” She giggled. “Used to jump out at unsuspecting people, thinking it was me.”
And while I had gotten all worked up, rushing around this store to find her, I smiled softly at her story. Usually, I hated all stories about families that Hector and Michelle had before we were all adopted, but hearing how happy Sierra was made me happy.
Even if it was only for a moment.
I sat down at one of the tables. “Do you have any other stories?”
“I do,” she whispered, but then stopped herself and hid her face in her hair. “I have a lot of stories, but none that I really like thinking about often. But this place … it makes me happy, gives me only good feelings.”
We sat there in silence for a few moments, and I admired the way her lips were curled into a small smile as she looked over the main railing and down at the fresh fruits and veggies section, cheeks rounded.
“I apologize for how I reacted Tuesday morning,” I said, taking her hand and running my thumb across her knuckles. The guilt had eaten me alive this past week every single time I remembered the look on her face at the bus stop.
Sierra tucked some hair behind her ear and looked at the table. “It’s okay.”
I reached across the table to grab her chin and lifted it. “No, it’s not.”
She gently pushed me away. “It was my fault for staying.”
“I wanted you to stay, but I … can’t even remember the last time someone had slept over at my home, and I don’t think anyone had given me a bath before you. I was nervous.” And scared as fuck because of the warm feelings inside my chest.
“Nobody’s given you a bath?” she hummed. “Not even your mom?”
After stiffening, I gripped her hand tighter. “No.”
I didn’t want to get into it and really didn’t want her asking questions about it. Not right now. Having her over had been enough to freak me out. Letting her bathe me … that was enough for this week. I didn’t know how I would react, telling her about my birth parents.
I hadn’t even told Michelle and Hector the extent of abuse.
“Come,” I said, taking her hand and standing. “I want to bring you somewhere now.”
24
sierra
“Why are we at the mall?” I asked.
“Because your clothes have holes in them,” Steven said, taking my arm in his hand and showing me the hole that I usually played with in my sweatshirt. “I’m going to buy you some warm clothes for the winter.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me, Sierra,” he said, pulling me into Luxe Room, one of the most expensive clothing stores in the mall. “Either you can pick the clothes out yourself or I’ll buy you clothes that I want to see you wear.”
After biting back a sigh, I followed him into the store and glanced around at the clothes that were way out of my price range. I hadn’t even shopped here when my parents were alive and we had a little bit of extra money.
An hour later, Steven shoved his credit card back into his wallet and grabbed the three giant bags filled to the brim with new jeans, coats, sweaters, and long-sleeved shirts that he had forced me to try on. I had tried to get out of it by saying that I didn’t like any of the clothes here, but he had taken control and nearly bought me half the store!
“Follow me,” he said with one hand on my lower back to guide me deeper into the mall.
“But the car is in the other direction.”
He continued and stopped near the escalators.
“Why don’t we stop here?” he offered.
I paused in front of Birch Jewels and chewed on the inside of my cheek. Maybe he needed to buy a couple of diamond-encrusted watches or … something for him because if he thought he was going to buy something else for me in here …
He had another thing coming.
