Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius

Author:Kimberly Karalius
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250063601
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

chapter 15

MAN BEHIND THE VOICE

Fallon’s scrap of bravery fled the moment she examined the clothes. The slacks had loose buttons. Piles of sweaters folded on the sale table had stretched collars. Threads hung loose from sheer blouses hanging on the walls. She didn’t dare check the tags for the listing of materials.

Sebastian tracked down an employee and asked for a first aid kit. Since the salesgirl was squeamish, Sebastian cleaned Fallon’s hands with alcohol and wrapped the bandages snug. “There,” he said, smoothing the last fold of bandage. “Now you’re infection-free.”

“What?” she asked. The music caused the entire store to throb.

He shook his head. “Let’s find you some clothes.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re not scared,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“Did you see the loose threads?” she said, gesturing at the blouses. “I can’t wear that.”

Sebastian smirked. “Can’t say I’m surprised. But you need to try harder. This place is like a warehouse. You’ll find something you’ll like.”

Fallon cast a doubtful look.

“You have to. No one’s catching a cold on my watch.”

She flexed her fingers. The store was heated, but her clothes weren’t drying fast enough. The amount of bad clothing overwhelmed her, but she tried not to think like her family. What do I like? What would I want to wear, no matter what it was made of?

“Did you see that display over there?” Sebastian said. “Says it’s some new brand called Cassiopeia.”

The display was shaped like a giant fireplace, cardboard flames bright inside the hearth. The clothing on either side had a different feel than the shop’s other items. When Fallon ran her fingers over a dark sweater with neat, geometric patterns, the material felt soft and sturdy.

“You don’t wear patterns, do you?” Sebastian said. “Could be worth trying on.”

“Yes, I think it is.”

He patted the stacks of jeans folded underneath the flames. “Then take one of these too.”

“You know, most boys would hate shopping.”

He shrugged, his carefully cultivated boredom in place for the first time that day. “When you’ve had a lot of girlfriends, you learn that it’s not about you. It’s about making them happy.”

The comment stung; she didn’t want to think about his past girlfriends. “It’s a good thing you’re not dating anyone now. You can be selfish.”

Sebastian lowered his eyes. “I’ve never stopped being selfish.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, sighing, “that you need to go get changed. No more chattering teeth.”

Fallon found jeans in her size and took them and the sweater into the changing room. As she undressed, she worried about Sebastian’s change in mood. His comment about being selfish bothered her. Just what had he meant by that? It was almost like he wanted her to solve him, but the clues were just too vague.

The Cassiopeia jeans were comfortable and flattering, warming her clammy skin immediately. The sweater almost touched her knees, fashionably long. Fallon rolled the sleeves up past her wrists and turned to the mirror, finding beauty in the triangles that replicated themselves in different shades of green. Her shivering stopped as she stared at herself in the mirror.

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