The moment I heard the word, I turned around.
And there he was.
Standing still like a statue, tall and unmoving, looking annoyingly hot and handsome with that messy pumpkin-colored hair of his.
He stared down at the cart as if he was on a serious mission, then calmly reached out and packed ten packs of sanitary pads into it, one after the other, without a single trace of shame.
"I think that's enough." I said, staring at the cart in disbelief.
He didn't even look at me.
"You don't have to come here every time. It should last for a while," he said casually, like he was talking about buying bottled water.
Heat rushed to my face instantly. My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and I turned away quickly, gripping the cart handle tighter as I pushed it forward.
"I still have other things to get though?" I said, my voice a little quieter.
"Okay," he replied. "You have a black card. Get what you want, shortie."
I stopped walking and turned to glare at him.
"Don't call me a shortie."
"Why?" he said, looking down at me. "Your head is literally under my chest."
Annoyance bubbled up inside me. I hit his chest hard with my fist and walked away with the cart, my steps quick and angry. He followed behind me quietly.
I picked up tissues, panty liners, and other ladies' stuff I didn't even bother to think about too much. There was no need to mention them anyway.
Soon, we got to the bra and panties section.
One of the staff noticed me immediately and approached with a bright smile.
"Welcome to Derap Underwear Brand," she greeted cheerfully.
I froze. Wait.... Did I just hear Derap?
"You guys make underwears?" I asked, looking around, completely confused.
"Trust me, they did that behind my back," he said with a frown. For some reason, I found it cute. "My grandma was so obsessed with us having an underwear brand," he added.
Oh. Wow. I moved closer to the display, examining the underwear carefully. I didn't even realize Raisem was doing the same until he suddenly pointed at a mannequin dressed in a matching bra and panties.
"I think this will be your size," he said loudly.
I felt like the ground should swallow me.
The staff burst into laughter, trying and failing to hide it. My embarrassment quickly turned into anger. Why would he do that?
Without thinking, I grabbed a pair of panties and walked straight up to him, slapping it against his face.
"You're so disgusting," I snapped.
"I was just trying to help," he said, rolling his eyes.
"I never asked for it," I replied sharply, walking away from him.
I returned to the staff and showed her the ones I had picked. I added a few nightwear pieces too. Everything was calculated quickly. I handed her the black card, and her eyes widened in surprise.
Raisem paid. I collected my things.
As we walked back toward the car, something caught my attention. Stuffed animals.
Rows and rows of them. Soft, fluffy and cute. Their big eyes seemed to call out to me. My steps slowed until I stopped completely in front of them.
Raisme noticed and walked toward the section.
"Which ons is your favorite?" he asked.
I looked at him. So he wasn't going to judge me for this?
"The pink one," I said softly.
The staff smiled. "Welcome to the stuffed store. What would you like to get, ma'am?"
"I want the pink one," I said with a wide smile. I couldn't hide my happiness.
He packaged it neatly and handed it to me.
"Thank you," I said, blushing. It was so cute.
"Get me the one beside it," Raisem said.
"No, it's okay. I'm cool with just this one," I replied.
"It's not yours. It's Alexa's," he said.
I rolled my eyes and walked away. I thought he wanted to buy another one, me thinking he was romantic.
Carrying the stuffed animal and the underwear bags wasn't easy. I struggled a bit, and that was when I felt the weight lessen.
Raisem stretched out his hand and lifted the underwear bags from me without saying a word. He just kept walking. I smiled softly, hugging my stuffed animal.
As we walked, I was in front and he was behind me. Suddenly, a woman ran into me. I almost fell, but Raisem's strong arms caught me instantly.
Thank God for Raisem.
I would have hit my head hard on the floor.
The woman rushed back, a nose mask covering her face. She bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry," she said.
Our eyes locked. She looked so familiar. My memory tried to flash back, but nothing clear came. She dropped her wallet, and I bent down to help her pick it up. Some ID cards fell out, and as I gathered them, I saw her name.
Mona Armstrong.
The name felt familiar, but I didn't dwell on it. She took the wallet, thanked me again, and ran off. Moments later, a few men ran after her.
But like I thought, it wasn't my business.
We got into the car. I sat in the passenger seat, holding my stuffed animal close, it sat softly on my tighs. Raisem got in, noticed it, but said nothing.
He drove off.
I pulled out my small phone. It had survived so much with me, it was practically a partner. I was so clumsy It slipped from my hand and fell under the seat.
I bent to look for it, not realizing the stuffed animal was now right in Raisem's face.
"Where is it?" I muttered, still searching.
The stuffed animal kept tickling him. He pushed it away, frustrated, but I unknowingly pushed it back again until he finally grabbed it and tossed it aside.
"Get that thing off my face," he growled.
"Sorry," I said quickly, throwing it to the back seat. I finally found my phone.
He looked pissed and somehow… cute.
"You look like a panda when you're angry," I said, smiling.
He didn't reply. The rest of the drive was silent. He was a man of few words, so I didn't bother.
******
When finally got home, I dropped the bags where they belonged and went straight to the bedroom to rest my head. Moments later, there was a knock.
I rushed to open the door. Raisem stood there holding the purple stuffed animal he wanted to give Alexa.
"Take it. Alexa doesn't like the color purple," he said.
I smiled. I knew it wasn't for Alexa. He was just a silly liar.
"Thanks," I said, taking it without starting an argument.
I placed it beside the pink stuffed animal on the bed.
"Can you please help me with the LED lights?" I asked. "You're taller, and I can't reach."
He walked in and I closed the door behind him. We worked together, placing the lights carefully. As he raised his hands, his top lifted slightly, revealing the lower part of his stomach down to his hips.
I froze.
A tattoo stretched across his skin, very close to his hips, dark ink against warm skin. The design was intricate, sharp lines blending into softer curves. It looked almost ancient, like symbols woven together, mysterious and powerful. It disappeared beneath his clothes, leaving me only half of the story.
I looked away immediately. That was wrong, bad behavior. I focused on handing him the pins instead. When he finished, I turned off the lights. The LEDs glowed softly, filling the room with warmth. It looked beautiful—almost like my old room when I still lived with my family.
"Thank you so much," I said with a huge smile.
He nodded and walked toward the door.
"You're leaving?" I asked.
"You want me to stay?" he raised his brows and stared at me.
"No," I replied quickly.
He left without another word. As the door closed, the phone rang again. I walked over and picked it up.
"Hello, Ara."
That same voice, nice one Raisem. I won't fall for such.