We climbed out of the car, the cool air of the underground lot hitting my skin. My legs felt a little wobbly, but I locked the car and followed Tessa and Jasmine toward the mall entrance. The glass doors loomed ahead, reflecting the neon glow of the parking lot signs. We passed through the metal detector, its faint beep barely registering, and stepped onto the escalator, the hum of the mall growing louder as we ascended to the first floor.

The first floor was a bustling sprawl of light and sound, shops lining both sides of a wide, polished walkway. Bright storefronts glowed—clothing boutiques with mannequins in trendy fits, a tech store blasting music, a coffee shop packed with people sipping overpriced lattes. The air smelled of pretzels and perfume, the chatter of shoppers mixing with the clink of coins at a nearby arcade. A few stores had sale signs plastered across their windows, drawing crowds. The energy was electric, the kind of place where you could get lost in the chaos of consumerism.

"Alright," I said, glancing at Tessa. "We need to buy a shit ton of alcohol. Then some frozen food."

"Tamba it is, then," Tessa replied, her eyes scanning the directory sign ahead. "I heard they had a discount on booze a few days back. Hope it's still on."

Shit. I needed to buy a dildo. But from where? I couldn't just ask them, Jasmine and Tessa would roast me alive. They'd laugh, make jokes for months, and I'd never hear the end of it. No. That was my secret quest. Solo mission.

We walked up to Tamba, the big supermarket at the corner of the mall. The sliding doors opened with that dry hiss, and the cold air hit us right away.

I pulled out my phone, opening Kim's list. "Alright," I read aloud. "Frozen food, alcohol, sunscreen, snacks, bottled water… and, uh, a few things I can't even pronounce."

"Jesus," Jasmine muttered. "We're not moving in, we're just staying five days."

"And cigarettes," I added. "Five days' worth. Can't forget that."

"You smoke a lot, huh?" Tessa asked.

I looked at her with a half-smirk. "You work as a gas station clerk and then don't smoke like I do. I'll give you a medal if you manage it."

Tessa laughed. "Yeah, fair point."

I grabbed a shopping cart, and the three of us started down the aisles. The place was busy, that kind of dull hum of wheels, chatter, and beeping scanners everywhere.

We stopped by the frozen food section. The air was icy, the shelves bright with LED strips that made everything look too clean.

I tossed five frozen pizzas into the cart. Jasmine grabbed three burger boxes. Tessa, then, went for nuggets.

Jasmine's phone buzzed. She checked it, then frowned.

"Oh," she said. "I set notifications for any news about the Karim case… there's an update."

"What is it?" I asked.

She scrolled for a second. "He told the authorities the one who kidnapped him was a woman. Around five foot two. Maybe shorter. Maybe taller. He's not even sure."

"Damn," I said. "Bet it's one of the women he messed with."

"For sure," Tessa said, shaking her head. "Dumbass had it coming."

We grabbed a few more frozen packs before heading toward the grocery section. Jasmine and Tessa went full mom-mode, arguing about tomatoes like they were picking stocks. I stood behind them, pushing the cart, eyes scanning around, hoping to see an aisle sign like "Dildos! Dildos here!" or something.

No luck. All I saw were detergent shelves, snacks, and a bunch of kids screaming near the candy section. Great. I was sure there had to be some place selling that kind of stuff in this mall, but hell if I knew where.

Once Jasmine and Tessa were done bagging their veggies and fruits, we rolled the cart forward.

"We done?" I asked.

"Yep," Jasmine said. "Now we just need some alcohol and some—"

She stopped mid-sentence as someone stepped in front of me. A woman. Hoodie on, hands tucked deep in her sleeves.

Then she pulled the hood down. Cora.

"Oh," I said, blinking, a little caught off guard. "Cora. Hey."

"H-hey…" Her voice was soft, nervous. "Evan."

She was wearing that same oversized beige hoodie again, sleeves too long, hiding her hands completely. She looked tired. Pale.

"Uh—this is Tessa, and that's Jasmine," I said, gesturing. "Guys, this is Cora."

"Nice to meet you," Jasmine said, giving a polite smile.

"Hey," Tessa added.

Cora just nodded, avoiding eye contact, mumbling a quiet, "N-nice to meet you too."

I nodded. "Hmm… so…"

There was a weird silence. Her lips curved into a shy smile. "I was just… passing by. T-thank you."

Thank me? For what? She was hands down the most awkward girl I'd ever met. But I didn't have the brainpower to think about that right now.

"Y-yeah," I said finally. "We'll, uh… get going. See you around, Cora."

She nodded quickly. "B-bye."

We walked off toward the alcohol aisle. For a few seconds, none of us spoke.

Then Jasmine broke the silence. "Who was she?"

"A girl from the gas station," I said. "She's… a little clumsy. Once dropped a few beer bottles and then somehow tipped over an entire chocolate shelf."

Tessa glanced back over her shoulder. "She looked weird. Dark circles, messy hair, weird vibe."

"Hey," I said. "She's a good girl."

Both of them shot me a look, eyebrows raised. Yeah. I heard how that sounded too.

"Ohhh," Tessa teased. "A 'good girl', huh? First you call us baby, then call me a slut, and you smacked my ass at the car—"

"Tessa," Jasmine said, narrowing her eyes. "Back at where?"

"Nothing," Tessa said quickly. "Anyway. Alcohol. Let's go."

Jasmine frowned but didn't press. "You two hiding something from me?"

"No," I said, smiling. "Trust me."

"Huh. Okay."

We hit the alcohol aisle next. It was chaos, brands everywhere, shelves stacked to the ceiling. Jasmine started adding bottles like she was prepping for a wedding.

"Are we sure about this?" Jasmine asked, holding a whiskey bottle. "My wallet can't take this much booze."

"Don't worry," I said, pulling my card out. "It's on me."

"With your clerk wage?" Tessa said. "Yeah, sure, big spender."

"Trust me," I said, grinning.

She snorted. "Whatever you say, magic boy."

—

I slammed the trunk shut with a solid thunk, the groceries from the store rattling inside like they were settling in for the ride. Hopped into the driver's seat, key already in the ignition, and twisted it over.

Before I could even buckle up, Jasmine piped up from the back, leaning forward between the seats like a kid staking claim. "My turn up front. Scoot over, Tessa."

Tessa rolled her eyes from the passenger side, already halfway in. "Fine, whatever. You're such a child." She climbed out, groaning as she swapped spots, sliding into the back with a huff.

Jasmine beamed, dropping into the front like she'd won a prize, buckling up quick. "Thanks, babe."

I threw it in reverse, easing out of the parking spot with a glance over my shoulder. I Hit the gas light, merging onto the main drag, streetlights flickering on as the sun dipped low.

Jasmine twisted in her seat, eyeing the bags in the back. "Hey—how'd you snag all that stuff? Where'd the cash come from? You rob a bank or something?"

I shot her a sideways grin, one hand loose on the wheel. "You never know… I might be loaded. Rich as fuck. Ever think of that?"

Tessa snorted from the back, kicking her feet up on the seat. "Yeeeah, right. Okay, Mr. Moneybags."

We hit a red light, brakes easing us to a stop. Jasmine turned to stare out her window, chin propped on her fist, watching a couple argue under the awning of a dive bar. Then her gaze dropped lower, snagging on something. She squinted, leaning in close to the edge of the seat. "Wait a sec... is that a cum stain?"

My eyes flicked to the rearview—Tessa's locked on mine, wide and busted, a split-second freeze before we both looked away. Heat crept up my neck.

Jasmine whipped around, jaw dropping. "Oh my god, you two fucked in here while I was knocked out?"

"Yeah," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry. It... just kinda happened. Heat of the moment, you know?"

She crossed her arms tight over her chest, lips pushing out in a full pout, cheeks puffing like a pissed-off chipmunk. "Unbelievable."

"Sorry," I said again, softer this time, eyes on the light. It flipped green, and I eased through, picking up speed. "Won't happen again. Promise."

Jasmine stewed for a beat, then uncrossed her arms, shooting me a side-eye. "At least you should've woken me up. I could've joined."

Tessa leaned forward, voice dry. "You were out cold, snoring like a chainsaw. We couldn't just shake you awake for that."

"Yeah," I jumped in, chuckling to cut the edge. "Like, 'Hey Jasmine, rise and shine—I need my dick sucked.' That'd be straight-up rude."

She huffed, slumping back. "Whatever. So what'd you guys do, anyway?"

Dead air. I gripped the wheel tighter, focusing on the road. Tessa went quiet too, staring out her window like it held all the answers.

Jasmine twisted fully now, elbows on the console. "Come on, spill. Just tell me."

Tessa sighed, breaking first with a smirk. "Fine. He had me suck him off while he drove. Then we pulled over and fucked. Happy?"

Jasmine shook her head slow, brows shooting up. "You two are the horniest people I know. Straight-up animals."

"Yeah, sorry," I said with a nervous laugh, the sound catching in my throat. Another light ahead, yellow turning red—perfect timing to dodge her stare.

She tilted her head, curiosity winning over the pout. "Okay, but real talk—how'd it feel, Tessa? Giving him head with all those cars whizzing by?"

Tessa's smirk deepened, eyes glinting in the mirror. "Thrilling as hell. Adrenaline rush, the works. Why don't you just try it out?"

Jasmine bit her lip, doubt flickering across her face. She glanced at me, then down to my lap—lingering on the growing bulge in my jeans—then back up, a spark lighting in her eyes. "Nah. I got a better idea."

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