Bound By Sin

Retail Therapy.

The morning sunlight filtered through Genevieve's curtains, casting a soft glow across her room, but it did little to chase away the heaviness that had settled in her chest. She hadn't slept much, her mind spinning with the weight of Nicholas' confession. His words from last night echoed in her head, a constant reminder of the dangerous secret she now carried.

She had promised to help him, to protect him, and somehow, despite the fear that hadn't left her since he admitted the truth, she found herself drawn to him. There was something twistedly comforting about being near him, like the danger that surrounded him was also what kept her tethered. She didn't understand it, didn't fully comprehend why she was doing this, but she had made a promise—and Genevieve was not going to break it.

She got out of bed, quickly throwing on some clothes and brushing her hair, before glancing out the window toward Nicholas's house next door. It was quiet, his bedroom window still dark, but she knew he was there. With a deep breath, she grabbed her keys and headed downstairs, slipping out the front door and crossing the short distance to his place. Her heart raced the entire time, fear still lingering at the edges of her thoughts, but she pushed it aside. She had to.

******************************

Standing at his front door, Genevieve hesitated for a moment before knocking softly. The sound echoed louder than she'd expected, and after a few seconds, she heard footsteps approaching.

The door creaked open, revealing Nicholas standing there in a wrinkled t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair a mess from sleep. His eyes were bleary with confusion, but when he saw her, he blinked in surprise.

"Genevieve?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep. "What are you doing here?"

Genevieve forced a small smile, though her heart was still pounding in her chest. "Get dressed," she said, her voice surprisingly calm. "We're going out. I figured you could use some retail therapy."

Nicholas blinked again, looking even more confused. "Retail therapy?"

"Yeah," Genevieve nodded, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "Shopping. You know, a distraction. Trust me, it'll help."

He stared at her for a moment longer, as if trying to figure out if she was serious, and then let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious," she replied, her voice light but firm. "Now, go upstairs and get dressed. We're spending some money today."

Nicholas glanced at her, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Alright, alright. Give me a minute."

As he turned to head upstairs, Genevieve stood in the entryway, her mind still buzzing. She couldn't believe she was here, couldn't believe she was about to go shopping with someone who had just confessed to being a murderer. But somehow, the normalcy of it—the idea of spending the day doing something as mundane as shopping—felt like exactly what she needed. She wasn't ready to face the weight of his confession yet, wasn't ready to deal with the full reality of what he had done. So she'd distract herself, and him, for as long as she could.

A few minutes later, Nicholas came back downstairs, dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, looking much more awake. "Ready?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Genevieve smiled. "Let's go."

They headed to her car, the tension from last night still lingering but less suffocating now. As they drove toward the mall, Genevieve kept the radio on low, letting the hum of the music fill the silence. Nicholas leaned back in the passenger seat, staring out the window, but there was a small, almost amused smile on his face, as if he still couldn't quite believe they were doing this.