"Penny you’re fifteen," William said without looking up from his phone. "That backpack is for children."
"You’re just jealous because I have style."
We moved through several stores and Penny kept finding reasons to grab my hand or touch my arm or stand pressed against my side while looking at things. At one point she insisted on taking a selfie with and wrapped her arm around my waist while holding up her phone.
"Smile Oliver!"
I smiled awkwardly while she took about fifteen photos from different angles.
"You’re so photogenic," she said, scrolling through them. "Look how good we look together."
William glanced over and made a gagging sound.
"What?" Penny shot him a glare. "We do look good together."
"He’s like an ancestor, you’re a baby."
"I’m not a baby!" Penny’s face went red. "And age is just a number!"
"That’s what criminals say," William muttered. It took another second to process that William just called old, an ancestor? Really?
After buying her backpack and so other supplies Penny insisted we get ice cream even though William said he wasn’t hungry.
"I wasn’t asking you," Penny said sweetly. "Oliver, you want ice cream right?"
"Sure." I didn’t really want any but saying no seed rude.
We ended up at an ice cream shop and Penny ordered us matching flavours without asking what I wanted and then sat right next to in the booth while William sat across from us looking amused.
"So Oliver," Penny said, taking a bite of her ice cream. "Are you and William just friends?"
I blinked at the sudden question. "Yeah? Why?"
"Just making sure." She looked at William. "You’re really letting soone this handso and nice just walk around single? I’m disappointed in you William."
My face heated up. "Penny—"
"Oliver’s not my type," William said casually.
Sothing about that stung even though it shouldn’t have. "Well, you’re not my type either!" I blurted, making a gagging sound in my throat.
William raised an eyebrow. "I didn’t say you were ugly, I just said you’re not my type."
"And I’m saying you’re not attractive to at all!"
"Okay, but I didn’t say that first—"
"Boys, boys," Penny cut in, looking delighted by this argunt. "There’s no need to fight." She turned to with a smile. "If my brother doesn’t want you Oliver, I do."
I choked on my ice cream. "What?"
"You heard ." She batted her eyelashes. "I think you’re cute."
"You’re fifteen!"
"I’ll be sixteen in four months."
"That doesn’t make this better!" I looked at William desperately. "Help?"
"Sorry man, you’re on your own." He was grinning now. "My sister has decided she likes you."
No, she doesn’t you dummy!! She’s trying to make you jealous because apparently, we love each other secretly!
"I don’t just like him," Penny smiled too sweetly. "I think we’d be perfect together. So? Oliver could wait for ."
"I’m not waiting for anyone!" I squeaked, she was taking this act too far, she reminded so much of Pumpkin, always the troublemaker.
Penny just smiled and squeezed my hand. "You’re cute when you’re flustered."
We finished our ice cream and her phone started ringing. She glanced at the screen and made a face.
"It’s Mom, she probably wants ho." She answered. "Hello? ...Yes I’m at the mall. ...With William and his friend. ...Now? ...Fine, okay, I’ll be ho soon."
She hung up and looked at with a mischievous smile. "I have to go but this is perfect! Now that you’re alone with William, you should make your move."
"It’s really not like that!" My voice ca out as a strangled yell.
"Good luck!" Penny called over her shoulder as she walked away. "Rember, confidence is key!"
I stood there frozen while William ca up beside , holding a hand over his chest. "Everyone thinks we are soulmates, do you think we should try dating? They may be right."
I bead at him, so fakely that my cheek hurt, " I would, but you’re not my type,"
His expression narrowed into a glare, and then in another blink of a second, he was smiling again. "Maybe, I could change your mind,"
"Wait! Where are we going?" I yelped when William pulled into a clothing store. He held up a shirt. "This would look good on you."
I was still catching my breath when he grabbed another. "Or this one?" Co on, at least tell which one you hate less."
We moved through the racks. William kept pulling things out. I kept nodding or shaking my head.
Then I saw it, a green sweater.
The exact sa Kieran had bought for , because it matched my eyes, he had said.
My chest went tight. Like soone was squeezing my lungs.
"I can’t," My hand went to my chest. "William, I can’t do this."
"What’s wrong?"
"It feels like my heart is going to explode." My hands were shaking. "I need to—I have to check if he’s okay."
I pulled out my phone, "I’m not calling him, I’ll call my mom. She can check on him. Make sure he’s—"
William grabbed my wrist. "Oliver, stop."
"I just need to know"
"Listen to ." His grip tightened. "What happened to his dad is horrible. I get that. But he burned down your house. Your actual house. That’s not normal. That’s scary."
"I know, but..."
"This is how toxic relationships work." His voice was gentle but firm. "They get worse. Not better. You have to cut it off now before..."
"I know!" The words burst out of . "I know all that. But I’m still—I can’t stop—"
My voice broke completely. William pulled into a hug right there in the middle of the store. His arms wrapped around tightly.
I felt him shaking and realised he was crying too.
"Are you crying for ?" I asked into his shoulder.
"Yeah." His voice was muffled on my cloth.
"Liar, looks like you’ve been looking for an excuse to cry yourself" I rubbed his back gently.
"Can’t it be both?"
I made a face when he wiped his face on my hoodie before pulling back to look at . But his eyes got , seeing him looking this vulnerable and knowing he understood made feel all the more connected to him.
"Yeah, at least we still have each other, I wouldn’t know what to do without you, maybe you are actually my soulmate," I whispered.
"I think so too,"
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