Chapter 87: THE WRONG STALKER
KEISHA’S POV
"Stop that." I groaned from where I was sitting on the edge of my bed as Nadia continued rummaging through my closet like she was searching for buried treasure.
"Ugh!" A black dress flew over her shoulder and it landed directly on my face.
I peeled it off slowly. "Nadia."
"What?"
"You threw a dress at me."
She glanced back briefly. "Oh." Then she returned to destroying my wardrobe.
I stared at her in disbelief.
Since moving into my apartment after her fight with her father last night, Nadia had somehow managed to make herself completely at home.
My kitchen had become her kitchen.
My couch had become her couch.
My snacks had somehow become our snacks.
And now my closet apparently belonged to her too.
The worst part?
It made me feel better.
The apartment felt different when she wasn’t around.
Besides, she’d always housed me when I didn’t have a roof over my head. Which was probably why I hadn’t complained when she showed up last night.
I tossed the dress onto the bed. "What exactly are you looking for?"
Nadia pulled another dress from the rack and examined it critically. "Something cute."
"You literally own enough clothes to fill three closets, give me one of yours like you always do."
"That’s not the point."
"Then what’s the point?"
She sighed dramatically. "The point is that tomorrow is a send-off party and I only have one cute enough and it’s not your fit."
I rolled my eyes. "You say that like we’re attending a royal wedding."
"It practically is."
"No."
"Yes, I’m meeting new people."
I laughed as Nadia finally turned toward me.
Unlike the first few hours after leaving the Alpha mansion, she looked better now.
"You’re staring."
"I’m making sure you haven’t stolen half my wardrobe."
"I haven’t."
She paused. "Yet."
I threw a pillow at her and she caught it effortlessly. "Violence isn’t the answer."
"Sometimes it is."
She grinned.
A knock sounded on the apartment door before either of us could continue.
Nadia’s nose wrinkled.
"Please tell me that’s breakfast."
"It isn’t, probably."
"Then I don’t care about answering it. Do that."
I shook my head and stood.
After opening the door and collecting the delivery package waiting outside, I returned to find Nadia sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by clothes.
The sight nearly made me laugh. "You know normal people try one dress at a time."
"Normal people are boring."
I dropped the package onto the table. "Fair point."
The morning passed quickly after that.
We finished the rest of our chores, cleaned the apartment, and headed outside for our daily run.
By the time we returned, sweat covered my skin and my muscles burned pleasantly.
Nadia collapsed dramatically onto the couch. "I’m dying."
I grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it toward her.
She caught it barely. "One day," she announced, unscrewing the cap, "I’m going to become Luna of a pack."
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay."
"And then I’ll ban exercise."
I laughed. "You’d destroy the entire pack."
"It would be worth it."
An hour later, after showers and lunch, we finally got ready to leave.
The shopping mall was nearly overflowing with people when we arrived.
Families moved through the corridors carrying shopping bags. Teenagers gathered near the food court. Music floated through the air from hidden speakers and the place buzzed with life.
Nadia practically lit up the second we entered. "Oh, we’re definitely spending all day here."
"No."
"Yes."
"We’re buying dresses and shoes."
"No. We don’t need that." I scowled.
"And accessories."
"No."
"And maybe—"
"Nadia."
She smiled and I already knew I was losing this argument.
Twenty minutes later, we entered one of the largest boutiques in the mall.
Rows of elegant dresses stretched throughout the store and some glittered beneath the lights while others were sleek and simple.
The selection was almost overwhelming.
Nadia immediately disappeared between the racks.
I should have known to follow her because by the time I caught up to her, she’d already gathered six dresses.
"You’re joking." I huffed.
"No."
"You can’t try all of those."
"Watch me."
An employee passed by and smiled knowingly as Nadia was a regular and felt my soul leave my body.
This was going to take forever.
The next hour became a blur of changing rooms and fashion debates.
Nadia tried on a silver dress that made her look like she belonged on a magazine cover. Then a red one that made her look dangerous. Then a black one that made her look like she was attending the funeral of someone she personally murdered.
I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the chair.
"I hate you." She fumbled with the zipper of the dress.
"You look terrifying."
"It’s called elegance." She twirled slightly.
I laughed harder.
When it was my turn, things became significantly less enjoyable.
Mostly because Nadia suddenly became an expert stylist.
"No." She frowned.
I looked down at the dress. "What?"
"It washes you out."
"It does not."
"It does."
I sighed and returned to the changing room.
The second dress was apparently too plain.
The third was too flashy.
The fourth was somehow both.
By the fifth dress, I was considering abandoning society entirely.
Then I stepped out wearing a deep sapphire-blue gown.
The room went quiet and Nadia blinked.
"Oh."
I frowned. "What?"
Her eyes widened. "That’s the one."
I turned toward the mirror. The dress fit perfectly.
For a moment, even I couldn’t find anything wrong with it. "It’s nice." I accepted.
Nadia grinned. "Told you."
"I didn’t say anything."
"You don’t need to."
She pointed dramatically. "That face says everything."
I shook my head but despite myself, I smiled.
Eventually Nadia found a dress in the same shade.
The moment we stood beside each other, she gasped.
"We look amazing."
I laughed.
That was probably closer to the truth.
After deciding on the dresses, I assumed we were finished.
Unfortunately, Nadia wasn’t. "Let’s check the other section."
"Nadia."
"Please."
"Nadia." I almost groaned.
"Please."
I sighed. Five more minutes. That was the deal. Five.
Unfortunately fate had other plans.
Because halfway through the next section, a familiar voice spoke behind us.
"What a surprise."
My shoulders stiffened immediately and Nadia’s expression darkened.
Vanessa.
Of course.
The woman stood several feet away holding multiple shopping bags.
Her smile looked perfectly pleasant. The kind of smile that never quite reached the eyes. "What are the odds?" she continued.
Nadia immediately returned her attention to the clothing rack. Apparently choosing not to engage.
A wise decision.
Vanessa walked closer anyway. "I feel like we’re always running into each other in stores."
"Maybe because there are only so many stores in town," Nadia replied flatly.
Vanessa laughed lightly as though she’d been given a genuine joke.
I noticed the way her gaze swept over the dresses in our hands. The way she examined everything. The way she always seemed to evaluate people.
"I love that color," Vanessa said.
Neither of us responded.
Undeterred, she continued. "It’s perfect for tomorrow, I heard there’s a send off."
Nadia hummed vaguely and Vanessa followed us as we moved to another rack. Then another. And another. Everywhere. She followed us everywhere. Offering opinions and making observations. Commenting on dresses nobody had asked her about.
The longer it continued, the harder it became not to lose patience and snap at her.
Then finally we headed toward the checkout area.
Thank God.
I nearly sighed in relief. While Nadia spoke with the cashier, my attention drifted around the store when I froze.
A familiar figure stood near one of the pillars across the room.
Dane.
My heartbeat stumbled.
He wasn’t moving nor shopping.
He was simply standing there watching. Watching us.
Or at least that’s what it looked like.
Immediately irritation surged through me.
Unbelievable.
Had he seriously followed me here? After everything?
The longer I looked, the angrier I became.
By the time Nadia handed over her payment card, I’d already made up my mind.
"I’m going to use the bathroom."
She nodded distractedly.
I didn’t wait. The second I stepped away from the counter, I headed straight toward him.
Dane noticed me almost instantly and his gaze met mine.
I stopped directly in front of him. "What exactly is your problem?"
One dark eyebrow lifted. "My problem?"
"Yes. Your problem."
He stared and I folded my arms. "You followed me here."
For a second he simply looked at me. Then something unexpected appeared in his eyes.
Amusement.
My irritation doubled. "Don’t laugh."
"I’m trying not to."
The answer immediately made things worse.
"You think this is funny?"
"No." His mouth twitched. "Not at all."
"Dane."
"You really think I followed you?" The way he said it made uncertainty creep into my confidence.
Still, I refused to back down.
"Didn’t you?"
His gaze held mine. Then he said the last thing I expected. "I wasn’t here for you."
The words landed like a slap and I blinked.
"What?"
His expression remained completely serious. "I wasn’t following you."
Suddenly my certainty disappeared and my stomach dropped.
Slowly, Dane’s gaze shifted past my shoulder. Toward the checkout area. Toward Vanessa.
Realization hit me instantly.
Oh.
Oh.
Heat rushed into my face so quickly I thought I might actually combust. He wasn’t watching me. He’d been watching Vanessa the entire time.
I wanted the floor to open beneath me. Just open up and swallow me whole.
Dane looked back at me and somehow his expression made the embarrassment even worse.
Because he wasn’t mocking me.
He looked genuinely confused about how I’d reached my conclusion.
Which was somehow far more humiliating.
"I..." The words refused to come.
For once in my life, I had absolutely no defense.
Fuck.