Exclusively Hers

4 - Imposter

Sunday morning @ Evermall Mall
Raffe’s POV

I could only partly feel the drool dribbling down my chin as my head was thrown back against the wall, my body slumped against the comfortable bench. I was outside of the dressing room, waiting for my dad and Aspen to finish up for the twentieth time today.

“I think this is a deal breaker kiddo!” My dad’s voice rang out through the dressing room, causing me to jump from my half conscious slumper, scrambling to grab the lapful of clothes I held. I turned with a yawn just as they both walked out. My dad had Aspen in more kake pants and another color polo shirt.

The man was undeniably attractive and I will admit that everything so far always seemed to look good on him, but no way was I going to let him start his first ever experiences in a school with my dad’s style on. I’m not sure how far his good looks will get him, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“He’s not wearing that dad, no way.” My dad frowned, looking down at Aspen's attire.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Everything,” I said boredly, releasing another yawn. “We are in the twentieth century, dad. He’s going to get bullied.” I stood, shoving the armful of clothes to my dad’s chest gently, keeping my eyes on Aspen’s depressed dresswear.

“I don’t like it,” was all he simply said. It has been three weeks since Hope pulled that stunt at the dinner table and though some things are still the same, he’s starting to voice his displeasures. Which in this case, has been every single article of clothing he’s been put in so far from both me and my dad.

“Why do you have to be so picky,” I groaned out, pushing him back into the dressing room. “What the hell do you want to go in? Nothing?” At this, his lip just barely twitched upwards. It’s weirdly his way of smiling without actually smiling.

“I may?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“I wish,” I voiced, tensing when I remembered my dad was here. I looked over my shoulder only to sigh in relief when I found him browsing some rack of ugly shirts.

“Is that-”

“No, it was not a yes.” I turned back around and pressed my palm against his chest, pushing him further into the dressing room as I followed. Drawing the curtain behind me, I had to slightly crane my neck to look up at him. The dude was freakishly tall compared to Hope and I’s five foot and eight inches.

He wasn’t looking at me as for some reason, he always avoided eye contact with people. Maybe it was a thing in the brothel. Even so, the proximity was doing some things to me, causing me to quickly remove my hand.

By no means was I a shy person when it came time to what I felt, whether just lust or romantic feelings. I just haven’t encountered someone who quite looked like Aspen and it was nerve-wracking. Him being so forward didn’t help either.

“Try on the clothes I set in here a while ago.” Aspen looked around the dressing room before seeing the clothes my dad had completely disregarded. He didn’t attempt to move for the clothes and only looked back in my general direction.

“Madam never forced me to wear clothes,” he stated plainly.

“I’m sure that’s because she preferred you without them.” The more I was around Aspen, the more I realized just how conditioned he was to the brothel and thought the way he was being treated was okay.

“Do you not prefer me without them?” he asked genuinely, causing me to cough and look around the dressing room like the wallpaper was the most interesting thing yet. What was up with this dude?