Protagonist! Please Stay Away from Me 2!-Chapter 36: Tina Shops for Me

Tina insisted relentlessly with a persistence born from her overwhelming guilt, her blue eyes darting to me repeatedly with guilty looks that betrayed the remorse eating at her soul after our intense night and morning encounter. Guilt is a currency that will never depreciate... unless the source is destroyed—unlike other currencies which are volatile.

She forced me to go shopping with her that very afternoon, declaring firmly that I needed new clothes to replace the ones she had torn during her uncontrolled rage, and she dragged me out the door of my apartment before I could protest further, my vanilla-scented skin still tingling faintly from the soothing bath I had taken earlier. If it’s her way to lessen her guilt, then I am sorry—really sorry for her.

Her transformed form remained discreetly hidden under loose-fitting jeans, but her submission lingered in every hesitant glance she stole at my beautiful legs, those long and elegantly sculpted limbs that seemed to mesmerize her even now—scratching her heart strings with every movement.

The mall buzzed with chaotic weekend energy all around us, the air thick with the mingled scents of perfume counters and fast-food grease from nearby stalls, and people looked at me constantly as we walked—shoppers pausing mid-stride, heads turning to admire my flawless calves and graceful arches peeking from simple flats, their gazes lingering appreciatively on my poised figure and radiant skin. A jealous look appeared in her eyes as she gave the onlookers a hateful glare/

She pulled me straight into a high-end boutique without hesitation, where gleaming clothing racks lined the walls under soft, flattering lights, and salesgirls eyed us both curiously while whispering to each other behind manicured hands, their stares drawn to my striking presence.

Tina thrust the first dress at me immediately, her hands trembling slightly as she avoided direct eye contact, a guilty look flashing across her face when our fingers brushed. The dress was a sleek black midi style made of smooth silk that slipped over my curves like liquid night, featuring an off-shoulder neckline that framed my collarbones elegantly even though she had bitten them savagely the night before, with a hem that flirted teasingly at mid-thigh to showcase my flawless calves glowing under the store lights.

"Wear this first, then you will try other dresses," said Tina.

"Do I have to try each and every dress?" I asked softly.

Tina nodded, "Yes, you have to."

I gave her a worried look. "What about the money? I mean, I don’t have any money with me." I have money, but I won’t spend money on these trivial things.

Tina smiled at me, shaking her head. "I have a lot of money with me. So, don’t worry—you can wear anything you want."

"Okay." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I emerged from the fitting room after changing, and people looked at me even more intently then—other customers glancing over, sales associates smiling enviously—as she murmured softly that it looked stunning on me, her eyes flashing with that familiar mix of unknown emotions while another guilty look crossed her features as she remembered her violence.

Next, she selected an emerald green velvet dress for me to try, a body-hugging piece that clung like a second skin with a deep V-neck plunging just enough to hint at cleavage and long sleeves draping gracefully over the bruised wrists she had gripped so harshly.

She gushed that this one screamed goddess while giving me yet another guilty look, her fingers twitching involuntarily as if she wanted to touch the fabric on me but held back out of shame, and I modelled it slowly for her, drawing more stares from passersby who looked at me with open admiration for how the velvet caressed my high arches when I kicked off the trial heels.

Her cheeks flushed deeply with embarrassment, but she kept handing me more options without pause.

She piled additional dresses into my arms relentlessly, including a vibrant red wrap dress with a cinched waist that flared into a swirling skirt perfect for hiding the welts on my thighs while accentuating my slender ankles beautifully.

Tina begged me to spin for her with a hopeful tone in her voice, and when I obliged, the fabric parted flirtatiously to reveal my toned thighs, which made her swallow hard while she shot me a quick guilty look as if recalling how she had slapped those very areas, and people looked at me appreciatively from nearby racks, murmuring compliments.

Then came buttery leather pants paired with a cropped white blouse for an edgy look, the leather moulding perfectly to my sculpted legs like custom armour while the blouse bared a sliver of my midriff where faint scars lingered, and she whispered that I looked like an edgy queen, adjusting the hem obsessively with downcast eyes full of remorse as more shoppers glanced my way.

A light floral sundress came next, crafted from airy chiffon that floated around me with spaghetti straps exposing my shoulders marked by her teeth from the previous night, the skirt billowing romantically to mid-calf in soft waves.

Tina laughed nervously and commented that it made me look so innocent, which felt deeply ironic to her, but she gave me another fleeting guilty look as her gaze darkened on my elegant arches peeking from strappy sandals, with boutique patrons looking at me with evident envy.

Finally, she chose a sapphire blue gown made of floor-length silk with a halter neck that hugged my breasts securely and a high slit climbing one thigh to expose flawless skin midway up, declaring breathlessly that it was breathtaking while kneeling down to adjust the hem, her lips coming dangerously close to my toes and her eyes swirling with those unknown emotions once more, shadowed by unmistakable guilt as fellow shoppers looked at me in awe.

I tried on every single dress she selected, parading under the boutique’s fluorescent vanity lights while she watched with rapt attention and people looked at me continuously with admiration, her guilty looks punctuating each twirl and pose as bags piled higher and higher with purchases—the black midi, green velvet, red wrap, and more—all paid for with her card swiped without a single protest from her.

Tina vowed earnestly that she would do anything for me while carrying the heavy loads like an act of penance, her eyes lingering hungrily on my form even as guilt twisted her expression repeatedly.

She really loved Alex, right? Even I am doubting her now. How can someone who claimed to love Alex be so attentive to me?

After the dresses were bagged, Tina led me eagerly to the shoe section of the boutique, her guilty looks intensifying as she knelt to help me try on new pairs, her hands trembling whenever they brushed my flawless calves. People looked at me continuously with admiration, shoppers pausing to watch as I slipped into strappy gold stilettos first—four-inch heels elongating my elegant legs impossibly further, the thin straps crisscrossing my high arches like delicate vines accentuating every perfect curve. "These scream power," Tina whispered hoarsely, eyes flashing hunger while guilt pinched her features, fastening the buckles reverently near my pearl toes.

Next came red patent leather pumps, glossy and bold with pointed toes that hugged my dainty feet snugly, lifting my posture into regal grace that drew murmurs from nearby customers looking at me appreciatively. She polished a smudge off the heel obsessively, murmuring apologies under her breath for past hurts, her gaze lingering on my slender ankles as I paced the carpeted floor, the click echoing command. Black ankle-strap sandals followed, minimalist with block heels showcasing my sculpted calves fully—open design framing my toes beautifully, earning envious glances from salesgirls who looked at me with open awe.

We moved to jewellery counters gleaming under spotlights, where more people looked at me admiringly as Tina layered pieces with frantic devotion. She fastened a delicate gold choker first, its velvet lining soft against my bitten neck, dangling diamond solitaire catching light like stars—perfectly framing collarbones as she stepped back, guilty eyes tracing my skin. "Fits like it was made for you," she vowed, voice thick. Silver hoop earrings came next, oversized and shimmering, swaying hypnotically with each head tilt, drawing stares from passersby while her fingers lingered at my lobes, remorse shadowing her hunger.

A pearl strand necklace followed, lustrous orbs cascading over my décolletage, paired with matching drop earrings that brushed my shoulders elegantly—timeless beauty making boutique patrons look at me longingly.

Tina clasped a bracelet stack too: thin bangles chiming softly on my bruised wrist, rose gold links intertwining like chains of her penance. Finally, she crowned the look with emerald stud earrings to match the green velvet dress, vivid gems popping against my skin as she adjusted them meticulously, kneeling again with guilty looks pleading forgiveness.

Bags overflowed now—shoes in every hue, jewellery sparkling—her card swiped endlessly without protest. "Anything to make you shine," Tina breathed, hauling loads like a devoted servant, eyes devouring my adorned form amid envious crowds, who looking at me with lust in their eyes.