frostbite

Chapter 39: Shopping and Surprises

The bright afternoon sun filtered through the skylights of the mall, casting soft shadows across the bustling corridors as Eden and Amy wandered from store to store. It was the kind of day that didn't require much thought—a perfect antidote to the tension that had been simmering between Eden and Evelyn for weeks. Eden had needed a distraction, something to pull her out of her head after their last conversation.

Amy, of course, was more than happy to oblige.

"You know," Amy said, twirling in front of a mirror as she held up a ridiculous, glittery hat, "if this doesn't say 'fashion icon,' I don't know what does."

Eden laughed, shaking her head. "You look like a human disco ball."

Amy grinned, tossing the hat into the air and catching it. "That's the point! Come on, live a little. Try something outrageous."

Eden rolled her eyes but humored her friend, picking up a bright orange scarf and wrapping it around her neck dramatically. "How's this?"

Amy made a show of gasping, clutching her chest. "Fabulous. You're a trendsetter, Eden. People will talk about your bold fashion choices for years."

Eden snorted, tossing the scarf back onto the display. "Yeah, I don't think so. But thanks for the vote of confidence."

They continued to browse through the racks, the carefree energy between them making it easy to forget about all the complicated things in Eden's life. But as they rounded the corner toward another store, Eden's laughter died in her throat.

Standing just ahead, outside a boutique, was none other than Evelyn Winters. And with her was Claire.

Eden hadn't seen Claire in weeks—maybe even months—since their strange night together at the bar. She'd almost forgotten about that whole encounter, about the tension that had brewed between them. But now, seeing her here, laughing with Evelyn as they examined a display, brought all of those memories rushing back.

"Well, well, well," Amy murmured beside her, noticing Eden's sudden silence. "Look who it is. The Ice Queen and her... sister, I guess?"

Eden swallowed, her pulse quickening. She hadn't expected to see either of them, let alone both together. And while seeing Evelyn outside of class wasn't unusual at this point, running into Claire was an entirely different story. A story that Eden wasn't sure she was ready to confront.

"I, uh... didn't know they'd be here," Eden mumbled, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

Amy grinned, nudging her with an elbow. "Don't look so nervous. This could be fun."

"Fun?" Eden hissed, her heart racing as Evelyn and Claire spotted them, their eyes locking onto her.

Amy shot her a wicked smile. "Oh yeah. Let's see how this plays out."

Before Eden could protest, Amy was already dragging her toward them, her energy as unstoppable as ever. Eden reluctantly followed, her heart doing little flips as she closed the distance between them.

"Eden," Evelyn said coolly as they approached, her expression unreadable but her eyes lingering on Eden just a little too long. "Amy."

"Hey, Professor Winters," Amy said brightly, throwing a glance at Claire. "And you must be the famous Claire."

Claire smiled, her gaze flicking between Amy and Eden. "Famous? Hardly. But I guess Eden's told you about me?"

Amy's grin widened. "Oh, she's mentioned you."

Eden shot Amy a look that said don't push it, but Amy, as usual, ignored her. Instead, she turned her attention back to Evelyn and Claire, clearly relishing the tension.