Chapter 10 Tension In The Mall
Twenty minutes later, we standing inside a large mall called the Gilded Lily. The mall was spacious and everything here was made of glass and from the price tags was expensive and cost more than my first car.
A woman with sharp bob and a wide smile walked over to us. I asked for our order. “Oh, the Vanguard’s order? It’s right this way. I just need you to verify the engravings on the silver bookmarks and silk wraps.”
Barth stood by the door, arms folded over his chest. He looked bored. I moved to the counter and looked at the beautiful, delicate items.
“They are gorgeous,” I muttered, picking up a silver bookmark shaped like a feather.
“We have several styles you can pick from,” The woman said with a smile, looking between me and Barth. “Is this for a family event? You two make such a striking couple I must say.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks, I couldn’t even dare look at Barth.
“We aren’t a couple,” Barth said in a sharp tone. “She’s my step sister.”
The woman’s smile faltered and her face turned red as her eyes darted between us. “Oh, my apologies. I just thought… well, the way you were looking at her when you walked in…”
“Just pack the souvenirs,” Barth snapped, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his phone and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
Barth isn’t only a jerk to me but also to outsiders.
The lady placed a final tray on the velvet counter. “Mrs Vanguard mentioned she wanted a valuable item for a special guest. She said you two should choose it together.”
“That special guest would be Summer,” I said with a smile. Mom must have made a last minute order.
I reached for a delicate, hand printed glass ornament of a winter swam. It was fragile, beautiful and looked like it was straight out of a museum. “Summer would love this. It’s elegant but still fun.”
“Anyone would miss,” The attendant replied. “Should I pack that up for you?”
Barth scoffed behind me, moving closer. The more closer he got the more smaller he made the cramped space feel. “A swan? Are you serious Yvonne? That’s damn boring. It’s exactly the kind of predictable and fragile junk people expect from others.”
I turned to him, my eyes narrowing. I gulped seeing how close we were, the tip of his nose brushing against mine, but I still had to make my point. “It’s not junk. It’s a gift, not everything has to be a statement of power and besides… it’s nice.”
“Nice is for people who don’t have a reputation to hold,” he countered, reaching over my shoulder. His arm brushed against mine sending an electric jolt through my spine. He grabbed a heavy, bronze paperweight shaped like a lion’s head.
“Now, this is worthy of being a Vanguard’s gift. It’s solid.”
“It’s a paperweight, Barth! Summer’s a teenage girl not a CEO!” I argued, my face turning red due to my frustration.
Why was he turning choosing a simple gift into a battle?
“Why do you have to be difficult about everything? Gosh! Is it because you can’t stand the idea of me having a better opinion?”
He chuckled, staring down at me. The dark look in his eyes made the attendant and the rest of the patrons blur out for a while making it just me and him.
“I’m being difficult because I know how the world works,” He whispered, his mint, scently breath sending goosebumps on my skin. “You pick something fragile and it breaks and you’re left with nothing but a mess to clean up after. I’m only saving you the trouble.”
“Maybe, I don’t want to be saved,” I bite back, my voice trembling. “Maybe I will rather have something beautiful for a moment than something cold and heavy for a life time.”
The attendant cleared her throat looking incredibly awkward. “So shall I wrap up the swan or the lion?”
“The swan.”
“The lion.”
We stared at each other for a long time, ignoring the confused attendant. Barth’s gaze dropped to my lips for a second before he slammed the lion back onto the tray.
“Wrap the damn swan,” he growled, turning towards the door. “But don’t come crying to me when it shatters, Brooklyn.”
The silence in the SUV was heavy, broken only by the hum of the heater. I glanced back at Barth. His face was cold, gaze fixed on the road but as he shifted the gear, I saw it.
His knuckles were split and swollen, a deep purple.
“Your head,” I whispered, subconsciously reaching out before pulling back. “What happened, Barth?”
He didn’t even spare me a glance. “I hit a wall. Drop it.”
“Hitting a wall? Barth, I’m not a kid. Did you get into a fight with someone?”
He finally looked at me, a low laugh escaping his lips. “Why do you care, Bree? You’ve got your swan and your best friend coming. Just play your own part and leave my business to me to care about.”
I bit my lip, mentally beating myself for caring. The sting of his words left me silent for the whole of the drive.
When we pulled into the driveway, Aurick was standing on the front porch, his arms crossed. He looked pissed, incredibly pissed.
“Barth, in my study, now!”