The Player Game

Chapter 20

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“We’ve been to every shop in the whole mall.  Can’t we just go home and mix and match an outfit there?” I try to reason as I trail after Verity into a store that we’ve already visited three times.  “Or even go somewhere else?”  I add when she doesn’t reply, anything to get me out of the mall I’ve been rifling through for the past six or seven hours.

“Quit whining and help me search the rack.  These dresses look promising.”  Her voice is muffled as she sticks her head in between the clothes to get a better view; I doubt the action helps too much.

Joining her reluctantly, I pull the nearest dress off the hanger.  A familiar short yellow dress glistens in front of me.  “Verity, we’ve already searched this rack,” I deadpan, placing the monstrous item of clothing back where it belongs.

“Oh,” I hear her muffled reply before her head reappears, looking a bit disgruntled.  “I thought it looked a bit familiar.  Maybe we should try a different mall…”

“What have I been telling you for the last hour?” I exclaim exasperatedly, grabbing hold of her arm and quickly steering her around the clothes rack and out of the double doors before she can change her mind.  I take a right, the longest route to the exit, yet the route that goes past the section of the mall that is reserved for gift stores and old, out-of-age boutiques.  Therefore, there should be no distractions for Verity.

“You know, you and Aaron are a cute couple,” Verity states suddenly, cutting through my train of thoughts (which are in fact revolving around the luxuriance of sleep).

I feign a surprised expression at her random announcement, fighting against the mix of emotions that rise up inside me.  Happiness, lust, and something similar to adoration are some of them, though exasperation definitely plays a part as his narcissistic smirk appears in my mind’s eye.

“You fit together, if you know what I mean,” she continues.  “It’s kind of like how I image Harry and I look… as though we’re two jigsaw pieces that slot together perfectly.  When I look at you guys together, that’s what I see.  You’re two matching jigsaw pieces.”  I blink at the deepness of her words, opting to nod mutely as words fail me.  “It’s funny how quickly you both warmed up to each other too.  I’ve known Harry for years, but I’ve only just reached the point where I love him now.  But, you!  It only took you, what, a month?”

I freeze, my eyes feeling as though they’re bugging out of the sockets.  “What?  L-love – no!  I mean, no- we don’t like- love- not even a little.  I mean, as you said we’ve only known each other for- no.”  I let out a high laugh, fake and edgy even to my own ears.  Aaron and I in love?  No chance in a million years.

“You mean you haven’t admitted it yet?” she gasps, taking my reaction the wrong way.

“Yes!  I mean, no.   No, I haven’t!”

“Oh, Emily!  Don’t be scared!” she coos, grinning as she watches me with an adoring and almost pitying expression.  “Look how it worked out with me and Harry.  We were both nervous as hell, but we confessed, and now look at us!”