Vista

okay

"We should've gone to the mall."

"Again?"

"Yeah. I need you to get more clothes."

He spun the car in the opposite direction and was heading towards the mall.

"Okay," I breathed out.

He laced his fingers with mine as he maneuvered the steering with his other hand. He loved doing that and even when I told him it wasn't good driving practice, he defended himself by claiming that he also learned to drive with each hand, which was also not bad practice.

When we pulled up in front of the mall, I let out another breath.

"Headache?"

I nodded. He untagled our still-laced fingers and used the same to stroke my jaw.

"You pamper me so much."

We remained in that position, waiting for Tony and Elsa. When we finally decided to wait for them in the mall, we got out of the car. The first face we met was Billy's.

Urgh.

Was he so desperate for a home that he slept at the mall?

I remembered that I was holding Ethan's hand when I felt the heaving in his chest. It wasn't visible, but I felt it. I held him tighter.

When Billy noticed we'd spotted him, he flashed us a toothy grin and left his shed for our path. This time, we didn't increase the pace.

"Emilia." He waved from a distance.

"Oh. Hi." I forced a smile.

"So, what's up today? You seem to be liking this mall a lot. You should come often." He was now smiling at Ethan whose mind was focused on balling his fists. Why?

I forced another smile. Why was he even keeping us here?

"Anyway, what are you looking for? Mind if I show you around?"

"No, thanks," Ethan said almost immediately. Now he was chewing something.

Since Ethan became a Christian, he always made sure to avoid getting angry. He said the issue with his dad made him develop anger for the slightest things, which he wanted to subdue. Oftentimes, he would breathe in and out. At other times, he would get gums.

"Emilia?" He snapped me out of my thoughts, raising his brows in askance.

"Baby, come on. Let's get in."

I nodded, but Billy had seized my other hand. Ethan held my side, trying to avoid contact with Billy.

It was at that moment that I noticed Tony and Elsa standing in front of the mall. They looked like Elsa wanted to do something because Tony was holding Elsa and prevented her from doing whatever she wanted to do next.

"I don't bite." Billy snapped me out of my thoughts again.

"She doesn't even know you."

"Oh. Maybe you do." Now, he was laughing.

I managed to free my hand from his grip, but it was so firm around my wrist. When Ethan noticed that I was trying to get my fist loose from his grip, he finally pulled my hand away. In the process, Billy pushed Ethan on his chest. However, Ethan didn't lose his balance so much as to have landed on the floor. While he was trying to regain stability, Billy held my fist again. Tighter now. I struggled with all my might to get my hand out of his grip, but it wasn't working. Ethan was still chewing, but when he regained stability, he aced forward and gave Billy a blow in the face that took him to the ground. He'd never been as angry as that.