Ineffable

52 | LATE NIGHT, CANDLES AND ICE CREAM

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Iris

I wipe off the non-existent sweat on my face. Sitting on one of the benches nearby, I say, "Aunt, I am tired!"

"We just went to five shops," she says back.

"And shopped so much!" I look at the five bags, near me.

Out of every place she could've taken me to, she chose the mall. She adores shopping, probably more than Aunt Gaby—which she always denies to but I know the truth.

So, now while she is in her trial room, I have been squashed in between the twins as we wait outside for her. I smile at the twins who are giggling among themselves.

But my main concern is I left Noah Arthur Radcliffe alone at the hands of my other Aunt. Aunt Gaby has made it so clear that she doesn't like him, or trust him. Noah has made it clear that he isn't going to back down if she says anything to him. Me? I can only hope that the gunshots aren't being fired.

"Aunt, how much time more?" I groan just when she comes out.

"So, how do I look?" She says, twirling. She is wearing a turquoise-colored sequin dress.

"Expensive," I state.

"True that." She nods, admiring herself in the mirror. "Gaby would like it."

I make a face. "She would?"

Aunt Tam just winks at me in reply. I nod, awkwardly, like I know what she means but I don't really know what she means.

She looks at me. "You don't want to—"

"Nope."

Of course, she ignores me and gets a black dress out of the rack. "What about this?"

"Aunt," I say. "I am okay with not shopping more."

She pouts. "But you didn't get any dresses."

"Because I don't wear them a lot."

"Noah would like it."

"Really?" I let out a laugh in disbelief. "You pulled out that card, huh?"

She shrugs. "Whatever that makes you buy a dress."

"Aunt," I tell her. "I think Noah likes me just the way I am. I don't want to dress up for his affection." She raises her brows. "What? Okay, I might have done that once but I didn't wear a dress then."

She laughs, keeping the dress back on the rack. Going into the trial room, she says, "I can see it, you know?"

I furrow my brows. "What?"

"The way you both act around each other," she says. "It is almost too cute to watch." She puts her head out of the door. "Has he made you his girlfriend yet?"

I remember the long hours of flight and how everyone—literally everyone regarded me as 'Mrs. Cooper-Radcliffe'. Noah was too amused to see my red face anytime someone said it. Because of my stupid ability to blush, most of the crew thought that we were newlyweds and literally gave us sweets—which was the only good outcome.

But still, we aren't really official. So— "No," I reply to Aunt Tam.

She just smiles at me and says, "He better do it soon then."

***

The shopping might've not ended if Aunt Tam hadn't got a call from Aunt Gaby—who in turn must've gotten a call from the bank. I mean wow, the shopping we've done today probably would last me a whole lifetime.