I turned to see Verity beaming with happiness, springing into Colton's arms, a large stuffed toy held tightly in her grasp. She kissed him sweetly on the cheek, her delight filling the room with warmth.
But as soon as she spotted me, her smile faded in sight. After a moment, it dawned on her how inappropriate their embrace appeared, and she reluctantly pulled away.
Clearly trying to clarify, Colton said, “Tyron, don’t get the wrong idea about Verity. She was simply overjoyed to receive a gift she loved.”
Verity, with an air of confidence, lightly tapped Colton and assured him there was no need to apologize.
Then, turning to me with a cold expression, she remarked, “Did the movie end already?”
Before I could respond, the fire alarm in the mall shrieked, sending the crowd into chaos.
When I instinctively reached for Verity’s hand to escape, she didn’t hesitate to grab Colton’s hand instead. Without a backward glance, she raced toward the emergency exit with him.
Five minutes later, the alarm was silenced after being triggered by a false alarm. Verity returned, scanning the area for a long time, but could not find me.