Page 7 of Cain

His hair is precisely styled, with a longer, wavy top—almost straight—and shorter sides that blend seamlessly into the top without being overly tight or closely shaven.His dark blonde forelock frames his well-defined face, intensifying his gaze.

It’s strange; he looks ready to devour me, yet he doesn’t seem threatening. Somehow, I don’t feel afraid of him. His solemn eyes hold me captive, and then, a faintly mischievous smirk plays at his lips.

How can someone be so handsome?

“Done!” Emily beams, jolting me back to reality.

“Uhm …” My gaze shifts from her to the spot where he was standing, but he’s vanished into the crowd as if he were never here at all. Did I imagine it?

“Let’s go into the last shop.” She pulls me to stand. I can feel my gaze wandering, searching for him in a foolish attempt to convince myself that I’m not crazy.

“Katerina? Are you okay?”

I don’t reply; I can barely hear her talking.

“Katerina!” she repeats, grabbing my wrist and shaking me back to reality.

“Yeah?”

“Is everything okay?”

My throat tightens; I’m sure I didn’t imagine it. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Do you want us to go home?” she asks, widening her dark, almond-shaped eyes.

I sigh and look down as though I’ve given up on finding him. “No, let’s go to the store.”

Something in me doesn’t let me relax and forget. I know he was there, but can he vanish in a blink of an eye?

As we step into the final store in the mall, Emily lets out an excited sigh. “I’m sure you will find something here!” She shoves me playfully.

A faint grin crosses my lips as my eyes rise to see the sight that took her breath away. I can’t deny that she was right. The store’s right side is stocked with gowns, exquisite shoes, and sophisticated clothes for both formal and daily occasions. The left half is designated for guys. It has everything a man could wear—gloves, hats, shirts, jeans, suits, and shoes of different kinds.

“This is heaven.” My eyes dart everywhere as my breath stutters.

“Let’s find the perfect dress for both of us!” Emily exclaims, jumping twice.

“I didn’t know you were searching for a dress too.” I cross my arms and raise my brow.

“You have a party to go to; I need to find a guy,” she quips, pulling me deeper into the store. “Come on!”

It’s impossible!How can I not find anything I like? Disappointment washes over me as the narrow fitting room seems to engulf me. What’s so wrong with me that nothing satisfies my needs? Why can’t I find anything that looks good?

After trying on nearly half the store, I do my best to ignore the persistent, judgmental glare of the saleswoman, pretending I don’t see it.

Emily starts getting upset and impatient; I can hear her heavy sighs behind the fitting room’s dusty pink curtain. I take one last look in the mirror, examining theteal, girly dress that Emily and the saleswoman insisted would be a miracle for me. I can’t understand how they thought it would ever suit me.

“This doesn’t look good.” I exhale, disappointed, instantly searching their eyes to confirm my doubts.

Without realizing it, I stumble upon someone and lose my balance, but he snatches me mid-air from my waist.

It’shim!Him again?!Where did he come from?

Breathless and terrified, I look into my savior’s eyes, and he looks back into mine. His eyes are a beautiful dark green, framed by long, dark brown lashes that make his gaze even more intense and captivating. For a few seconds, there’s absolute silence.

Emily and the saleswoman don’t speak; they gaze at the scenery without a sound. I can’t deny that I can’t stop looking into his eyes, studying his features. It’s like a scene from a fairy tale.

We’re close. So close that I can feel his gentle, shallow breaths brushing against my lips. He smells so good—like fresh wood, with a hint of spice and something warm. Maybe musk. Yes, yes, it must be musk—timeless, fresh, and elegant.