Recommence ° Edward Cullen[Rewriting]

[010]

Chapter Ten | Hunger in the Dark

Warning: Attempted sexual assault

🔷🔷🔷

"You are smoking in that, Alex!" Jessica's voice cut through the hum of the boutique, drawing curious glances from nearby shoppers. Angela stifled a laugh behind her hand, while Bella, ever the quieter observer, just smiled softly. Alex arched a brow at her reflection, tilting her head as she turned slightly in the mirror. The dress, crimson satin with delicate lace tracing along the neckline, hugged her figure as if it were made just for her. The colour was bold, daring even, and there was something about it that felt right. "I told you red was your colour," Angela said, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, if she wants to make every girl at prom hate her," Jessica muttered with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. Alex caught it in the reflection but didn't bite. She only smirked faintly, brushing back a curl over her shoulder. "I'd apologize," she said lightly, "but that would mean I'm sorry." Angela snorted, trying to hide her amusement as Jessica blinked, unsure how to respond. Bella, meanwhile, was busy pretending to admire a rack of pastel dresses to avoid getting dragged into it.

After another moment, Alex turned from the mirror, murmuring, "I'll take it," before disappearing into the fitting room to change. Inside, the noise of the shop dulled, replaced by the soft rustle of fabric. She pulled the zipper down, the dress sliding off her skin like silk as she shimmied it past her hips. Her phone buzzed from where she'd left it on the bench, and Alex reached for it, the dress pooling at her feet. The screen shone brightly up at her. 

Red looks good on you. Her brows rose, lips twitching. The corners of her mouth curved into something half-amused, half-exasperated as her fingers swiftly moved across the phone's keyboard. It's rude to stalk women, Cullen. She hit send, then leaned against the wall of the small fitting room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was slightly tousled from running her hands through it, and her cheeks were faintly flushed from the worsening throbbing in her head. 

The phone buzzed again. I wasn't stalking. Just. . . passing by. Coincidentally. Alex huffed, rolling her eyes even as a small smile betrayed her. Coincidentally enough to text me mid-dress change? There was a pause between his response, long enough that Alex had time to re-dress and walk out of the dressing room, making a beeline to the front. "Can you put this aside for me?" She asked the woman behind the desk as she glanced at her phone. Coincidentally enough to see you looked beautiful. Alex stilled, eyes fixed on the message as it lit up her screen.
The simple honesty of it caught her off guard, her chest feeling warm for a few moments too long before she gathered herself, flashing the store associate a disarming smile before she made her way back to the group of girls. Flattery will get you nowhere. His answering message was full of cheek, and Alex could almost see his expression and hear his voice with it. We'll see about that.
"Alex," Bella called as Jessica and Angela held their respective choices. "We were thinking about grabbing something to eat. There's this restaurant a couple of blocks down the street with really good nachos." Alex pursed her lips, considering the invite until her head throbbed in warning. Her eye twitched in the effort to remain focused. "I think I'll skip this one." She murmured, offering the girls an apologetic smile. "I'm good," she cut in before Bella could ask, "Just need some air."

Her sister frowned, trailing after Alex as the girl beckoned them to follow her to the front of the store. "Are you sure? It's getting dark soon." The brunette murmured, passing the dress folded over her arm into Alex's open hands. "I'll be fine," Alex reassured, laying the dress on the counter as the woman from earlier procured her dress without prompting. "I can take care of myself, Bells. It's okay."

The associate cashed them out, Alex occupied with the transaction, but she was still aware of Bella's anxious expression. "Still, maybe I should—" the onyx-haired girl shook her head gently, hiding a wince as the motion aggravated her headache. "I'll be quick, Bells. I just need a little quiet before heading back." She leaned back against the counter, folding their receipt as the older woman draped plastic over the dresses. "Promise I won't go far," she added.