Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

Aubree was relieved when Gwen said she would take her out shopping, but she was worried about her brother tagging along too. Didn’t guys hate going shopping, never mind a gigantic mall like Mall of America?

She shook her head as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, getting ready for Gwen and her brother to arrive.

Whatever.

Sighing, she leaned forward over the sink and applied a thin line of eyeliner on her eyelids.

Maybe he would go off and do his own thing and meet back up with them later?

I can only hope, she thought, standing back and making sure she looked okay.

She only ever put on eyeliner and a layer of lipgloss to jazz up her facial features. Anything more than that was for special occasions, like weddings. She was dressed in a pair of blue denim capris and a loose fitted white peasant blouse with her hair tumbling over her shoulders. She gathered her golden brown locks and piled them up on her head. She always looked younger than she really was, and pulling her hair back made her look somewhat closer to twenty-four.

Sighing, she let her hair fall down before she left the bathroom.

She went to their room and checked her cell for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. Gwen and Stone should be there any minute. She had sent Gwen a text with her apartment building’s address an hour ago so they knew where to pick her up.

She slipped it into her purse and went into the living room to wait.

“All ready to go?” Dan asked leaning forward, his eyes glued to the television set with a game console in hand, his thumbs clicking away rapidly on the buttons.

She sat down beside him on the couch and looked at the forty-inch flat screen. She had no idea what game it was he was playing, but it looked like he was killing zombies or something equally gruesome.

“You sure you don’t want to come?” she asked, pulling her eyes away from the image of Dan shooting a line of zombies coming at him.

“Yup. You girls go and have fun.”

“Want me to bring something back home for dinner?”

“Okay.”

“What would you like?”

“Okay.”

She frowned at him. “Dan.”

He paused the game and gave her his full attention now. “Yeah, babe?”

“I’m going to pick something up on my way home for dinner. What would you like?”

“How about Chinese? Something good, like Szechuan Beef.”

Aubree nodded at the suggestion before he returned to playing his game. She understood him getting in the zone while he was playing video games, but that didn’t make it any easier to talk to him. She tried not to make a big deal out of it, though. He didn’t spend too much time playing games, so it’s not like she could complain. She usually spent that time reading a book beside him. It just didn’t work when trying to have a conversation.

She sat there, twisting the hem of her blouse while staring blankly at the TV, waiting for Gwen to arrive.

Ten minutes later, her cell phone beeped. She swiped the screen open and saw a message from Gwen.

Gwen: Here :)

“Looks like she’s here,” Aubree announced as she pulled herself up from the couch.

Dan hummed in response.

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Have fun, babe,” he said, his eyes still glued to the TV.

She ruffled his hair with her fingers. “You too, hun.”

She looked around the parking lot in front of her building when she stepped outside. She didn’t know what car to look for, or what Stone looked like, so she honed her eyes for the only familiar brunette she knew in the city.

She didn’t have to look far as Gwen was standing beside the trunk of a black car and waved at her.

Aubree readjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder as she walked toward her. She smiled as she waved back. “Hey, thanks for taking me shopping.”

As she approached, she noticed a man leaning against the hood of the car and was at first hidden behind the car next to it until she got close enough to see around it.

It was then, at the sound of her voice, that he pulled himself up and turned to face her.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the stranger from the café and the grocery store staring back at her with sunglasses on, a black leather jacket over a gray and black shirt with black jeans on. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the beard had been shaven off making it easier for her to see the deep frown he held locked in place.

Shit.

You can’t be serious!

Gwen skipped over and gave Aubree a quick hug. “How’s it going, girl? All set for MOA?”

Aubree couldn’t respond. She was trapped in his gaze, afraid to move, as a torrent of emotions swept over her and threatened to knock her off her feet. At first, her heart skipped a beat before it started pounding like a jackhammer in her chest.

Gwen pulled back and tilted her head as she studied Aubree with a puzzled look. “What’s wrong?”

Aubree blinked and tore her gaze away from his. She looked at Gwen and forced a smile on her face. “Nothing.”

Gwen looped her arm through Aubree’s and led her to the car. She didn’t say anything, but Aubree saw Gwen shoot her brother a sharp glare.

Pressing her lips together, Aubree let Gwen lead her away, silently praying that Stone would ditch them when they got to the mall and that would be the end of him.

How could he be Gwen’s brother? How? Was there some dynamic puppet master stringing her along and forcing her to interact with this crazy stalker? What did she do in her past life that made karma turn around and bite her in the ass?

The car ride was filled with a strained silence even though they had music playing on the radio. Aubree looked out the backseat window, trying to forget about Stone and the uneasy feeling she had being near him and watch the city fly by.

Her eyes grew large as they approached the mall. It really was huge. She’d never seen anything like it.

Gwen picked up on her awe and looked back at her from the front passenger seat with a huge grin. “Isn’t it something? We’re going to have so much fun!”

Stone grunted, to which she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, the smile still present on her face despite being forced at that point.

He clenched his jaw but kept his mouth shut.

Gwen shot him another glare before turning around in her seat.

Finding a parking space was the next challenge. Being a Sunday, it was the mall’s second busiest day of the week. Once Stone parked the car, he stomped behind the pair with his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. His deep blue eyes pierced through her soul again as he tucked the black sunglasses into the breast pocket of the jacket.

She swallowed, feeling the heat rush to her face as Gwen looped her arm through hers again.

She listed off the boutiques they should check out, and as much as Aubree tried to pay attention to the names, she struggled with simply breathing and making sure she didn’t trip over her own feet. It felt like Stone was right on her heels and breathing down her neck. It was unnerving but oddly exhilarating. She couldn’t understand why he looked at her so intensely.

When they walked through the doors to the mall, Aubree couldn’t believe how busy the place was already. The mall opened half an hour ago and already the place was bustling with people.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the rollercoaster and Ferris Wheel in the middle of the four-story mall, and she bit back the sudden rush of excitement. She couldn’t wait to ride the rides and be carefree like a kid again.

Seeing Aubree’s face light up gave Gwen an added bounce in her step. “Stick close to me,” she said, pulling her tightly to her side so their hips brushed against each other. “Don’t want to lose you. I’m sure your boyfriend wouldn’t like it.”

The way boyfriend rolled off Gwen’s tongue pinched a small nerve with Aubree. She nodded in agreement, before glancing over her shoulder at Stone.

He looked tense, but the way his head was lowered almost gave him an aura of nervousness. What was there to be nervous about?

“Come on, let’s go to that place over there first,” Gwen pointed to a shop across the hall.

Nearly dragged, Aubree found herself standing between clothing racks in a quaint upscale boutique while Gwen zeroed in on the object of their hunt.

Stone never once left their sides and always remained two paces behind, watching over them like a hawk.

“Does he always hover so much?” Aubree whispered to Gwen as she pulled out a flashy black blazer.

Grinning, Gwen’s brown eyes flicked over to Stone for a split second before falling back on Aubree. “Sometimes. What do you think about this one?”

It looked nice with a silk inner lining and silk trim.

Aubree glanced at the price tag and her eyebrows jumped up.

Gwen frowned upon Aubree’s reaction. “What’s wrong? Don’t you think it’s nice?”

“Oh, it’s nice alright. Nice and expensive.”

Gwen’s brows furrowed as she flipped the jacket around and peeked at the tag inside. Now it was her turn to be shocked.

“Holy smokes!” she hissed under her breath. Her eyes met Aubree’s with remorse. “I’m sorry, Aubree. I’ve never been in here before. I didn’t think it would cost that much!”

Aubree nodded, glancing at Stone who was frowning, despite the laughter in his eyes. He looked like he was trying to refrain from laughing out loud. It was the oddest expression she had ever seen, and she couldn’t help but stare at him.

It didn’t take long for him to notice that she was watching him. His eyes met hers and a jolt shot through her, making her entire body twitch. She dropped her gaze to the floor as shivers ran up her spine.

Hanging the blazer back on the rack Gwen gave her a little smile before coaxing them outside, whispering under her breath, “Maybe we should just wander around before stopping at Macy’s. Sound good?”

Aubree’s lips pulled back in a grin. “Fine by me.”

She peeked at Stone, his brows pulled together as if deep in thought. Why hadn’t he uttered a word since picking her up? He had so much to say at the grocery store the other day.