Two Weeks of Sin

Chloe and I were walking through the Flea Market and I had my hands stuffed in my jeans as she picked up various animal skulls, and looked at coffee tables.

“What are we doing here?” I asked casually, looking around at all the knick knacks.

“Oh. They always sell vintage clothes and fabrics at these things.”

“What in the world do you do with vintage clothes and fabrics?”

She laughed a little and just shook her head back and forth. “I’m a clothing designer. I sew for a few vintage lines and they’re going to be holding a fashion show in the next month or so,” she paused and glanced at me. “You know, you might be a good model. We’d just have to teach you how to walk.”

My cheeks turned bright red and I started to shake my head furiously. “Oh no. I don’t think so.”

Chloe laughed. “Well, think about it at any rate, okay? I think you’d do well.”

“I guess I can think about it,” I said with some hesitation.

Chloe smiled as she started to pick out bright fabrics and dresses. They were all beautiful and things that I could possibly see myself wearing. I’d never allowed myself to think about wearing things as pretty as what Chloe was pulling off the rack. She caught me looking and I had to turn my head quickly, blushing a little and chewing on my lip.

“So, you’re going on your date with Ryder this weekend. That’s only two days away. What were you planning on wearing?”

“Oh, um-” I looked down at the jersey t-shirt and jeans I was wearing. Chloe had been kind enough to take me out shopping and buy me a few outfits, but I hadn’t bought anything date-worthy. I hadn’t thought abou

t it. “This, I suppose?”

“That won’t do,” she said, shaking her head. “I have something that will do just fine. I’ll give it to you when we go home.”

I nodded and while I was excited to see what she came up with, leaving my date outfit in the hands of someone else was also a bit nerve wracking. We ended up leaving a bit earlier than we’d originally planned and went straight back to the house.

“Come on,” she said, tugging me into her room.

She disappeared into the closet and I waited patiently until she returned holding a short, black dress with cut outs at the chest. It fell just above my knees, and hugged my body in all the right places. I really liked the way it fit and when Chloe brought me to the full length mirror, I was shocked.

My long hair curled just a little thanks to the humidity and my face was flushed from the embarrassment of having such a short dress on. It gave my cheeks a rosy glow and I was surprised that I really liked the way I looked.

My eyes widened and Chloe smiled, draping her arm over my shoulder. “You like it?”

“ It’s wonderful,” I whispered, my voice cracking just a little.

She smiled and gripped my shoulder. “You can have it. Wear it on your date with Ryder.”

I turned to look at her, eyes wide. “Don’t you want it back when I’m done?” I asked almost shyly.

She laughed and shook her head. “Nah. It looks better on you anyway.”

Shame filled me, knowing I was lying to this kind woman about everything. I was actively trying to destroy her and her whole family, and all she was doing was showing me an immense amount of kindness. I had to force the tears back as I wrapped my arms around her and swallowed thickly.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. That’s what friends are for.”

Friends. For the first time in my life I had friends. If only they knew who I really was.

Chapter Eight

My date was only two days away and the more I waited, the more excited I got. I wanted to spend as much time with Ryder as possible, but I didn’t want to seem desperate. I said hello to him when I passed by his shop, but I tried not to stick around too long. I didn’t want to be a pain in his ass.

He was the mechanic for Damien’s gang, and from what I heard he was amazing with his hands. I could only hope that statement held up in the bedroom as well. I was slipping into my normal attire when my phone started to ring. I glanced down at the name and my heart jumped into my throat. I answered it tentatively.

“Fang.”