What Deceit Looks Like | ✓

05: cassidy

I hadn't found a bottle of alcohol in the house in three weeks which was so reassuring to me that my mother's birthday had been a turning point for us that I let it slide when Noah asked if I would go to another event.

I didn't question where all the money was going because he was working all the time and I didn't care that I had to go to help pull my end of the bargain. I had a sneaking suspicion though, I just wasn't ready to admit it to myself.

Jupiter was supposed to come with me to the boutique but she'd canceled to pick up an extra shift. It seems like she and Noah are working all the time now. So now it's just me and the array of dresses that are way too pretty and expensive for me to ever keep for more than one night.

My hand lingers on a black sequined one that seems much too flashy for me especially since I'm not supposed to bring attention to myself when it seems like that's all I've been doing the past few times, "That will look fantastic on you."

I turn to see Maddox standing a few feet away and I try to get over the initial shock of seeing him in a sweater and jeans instead of a tux like all of our other meetings. "I hope you're not following me," I say and he smiles kindly. Maddox looks better than he did the last time I saw him which feels like years ago, but I don't think I'll forget the sadness in his eyes.

"I'm here picking up a new tie for tonight; are you going?"

I ignore the flutter of butterfly wings brushing against the inner lining of my stomach. "If it's the one for an endangered species then, yes, I'm going." I focus on the fabric of the dress and how it catches in the light instead of how normal he appears. Besides the fact, we're in one of the only high-end stores around that accepts returns, you'd never know that he had money if you saw him walking on the street.

I step away and spare a glance at Maddox surprised to see that he's still looking at me. "Are you going to try it on?"

My gaze focuses back on the dress and I know without looking that it's more than I should be spending on a dress. "No, it's too much for me. I think I'll get this one instead," I say moving my hand to the navy one next to it and I wish I'd looked before I said it. It's pretty, it's just so... plain.

Maddox grabs the black one off the rack before I can say anything, "Try it on, I mean what's the harm? If you end up not liking it, then you can go with the navy one." And then he leads the way to the dressing room and I'm left with no choice but to follow behind him.

I wish I could say that I wasn't checking him out from behind, but I completely and totally was. Look but not touch is the key part here.

The saleswoman sorting through the discarded dresses in the entrance to the dressing stalls looks up to see Maddox standing there and her face immediately changes into a smile. "How can I help you?"

Maddox smiles and I'm sure he doesn't know what he's doing, "My friend needs to try this on if that's okay?"

Her gaze turns to me and I'm not even surprised to see her smile fade a little as she takes the dress in his hand into account. "Of course, right away Miss," Her smile is tighter as she beckons for me to follow after taking the dress from him and I can't help it but the snort escapes from my mouth anyway while Maddox gives me a weird look that I shake off.

"I'm sorry, uh lead the way."

'God, how on earth did he ever get used to people acting like that around him?' I think to myself as she hangs up the dress on a hook in a stall.

"Please let me know if there are any problems with the dress or if you need another size," She offers and I smile politely stepping in.

"Thank you," I reply but she's already disappeared which is fine by me. The dress is a little more difficult than I expected to get into and I can't quite reach the back to zip it up.