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Chapter 823  Shopping

Jade had said she was going to spend the day having fun alone and finding things of interest to do, and he really didn\'t want to interfere with her program or bother her-- not that he was going to tell her he was upset, anyway. There was no need getting her worried about him.

Before he could make up his mind, his phone buzzed, startling him out of his thoughts. Harry smiled when he saw it was Jade. She was calling him first.

"Hey, goddess. I was just thinking of giving you a call," Harry answered, trying to keep the weariness out of his voice.

"Hey, boo! While you were busy thinking about it, I was busy doing it! Next time, try to beat me to it," She sounded cheerful, a stark contrast to the heaviness weighing on his own heart.

"Yes, ma\'am."

"Where are you, pa\'ap? Are you back from the visit yet?" Jade asked, her voice brimming with a playful energy that instantly lifted his spirits.

"Yeah. I dropped by the office briefly. But I\'m on my way out now. You?"

"Out where? Don\'t tell me you went to find work to do at the office," Jade said and Harry chuckled.

"Nah. It was nothing like that. I\'m heading home now."

"Perfect! You don\'t have any plans, do you?" Jade asked without answering his question.

"It depends. Do you have something planned out for me?" He asked, hoping she did, since he needed her company.

"I was wondering if you could come shopping with me. It\'s boring doing it alone. I\'m at Ace mall. Can you come over?" She asked hopefully.

The mention of a shopping spree filled Harry with a mix of amusement and apprehension. He wasn\'t much of a clothes horse, and the thought of navigating aisles of garments sent a low groan through him.  But the prospect of spending time with Jade, even if it meant battling shopping bags, was too enticing to resist.

"Sure. Anything for you. I will be there in," Harry checked his wristwatch, "twenty minutes," Harry said and Jade screeched happily before hanging up.

Jade sighed as she returned her phone into her handbag. She was certain that Tom asked her to go to Harry because he was feeling down. And knowing that he had visited his mother in prison earlier, she suspected his mood had a lot to do with that.

She hoped that she would be able to cheer and comfort him now as he always did for her. She couldn\'t help but think about Candace and wonder how she was doing. She remembered the way Candace had wept when she first found out her biological mother had sold her (chapter 455). She couldn\'t imagine how Candace must have felt coming face to face with Sara.

Deciding to put her time to good use while she wait for Harry, she dialed Candace\'s line.

Candace, who was lying on the bed with Matt, with her head resting on his chest sat up when her phone rang.

"It\'s Jade," she informed Matt as she received the call, "Hey!"

"Hey, you. Are you okay?" Jade asked with concern.

"Why wouldn\'t I be okay? And why do you sound like we didn\'t see this morning? You know I\'m okay," Candace said with an amused smile.

"Are you sure? How did the visit go?" Jade asked and Candace shrugged.

"It was uneventful. Nothing memorable about it," Candace said dismissively.

Knowing Candace and how she liked to pretend like everything was right even when she was dying inside, Jade sighed. "Where are you?"

"I\'m with Matt. Trust me, I\'m okay," Candace said when she realized that Jade had called because she was worried about her.

"If you say so. Have fun then," Jade said, but before she could hang up, Candace stopped her. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Jade?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for checking on me. Maybe you should check on Harry. I think he is sort of sad," Candace said and Jade raised a brow.

"You think? Or he is sad? Which is it?" She asked, wanting to know if Harry had said so or she had only suspected it, and just how sad he was.

"It\'s just a feeling. I don\'t know. I might be wrong. Just check on him. Okay?" Candace said and Jade sighed.

"Alright. Thanks. Give my regards to Matt," Jade said before hanging up.

As Candace dropped her phone, Matt sighed, "Are you really okay?" He asked, since she had not said much since she got to his place.

"Yeah."

"So, why won\'t you tell me about the meeting? How did it go?" He asked and she shrugged.

"There is nothing to tell. It was pretty ordinary. She shed a few crocodile tears and I told her my piece," Candace said dismissively.

"So, why can\'t you meet my gaze? Look into my eyes," Matt urged her softly, running a hand down her arm.

"Why do you all keep sounding like I\'m expected to feel a certain way because I met her? Yes, I saw her for the first time today, so what? Why should that affect me or my day? It wasn\'t a pleasant meeting. I thought I was going to ask her why she did that and how she could do such a thing, but when I saw her I realized there was no point. What is done is done, and her answers won\'t change anything. They will only be excused to me. I don\'t hate her. I don\'t like. I\'m not mad at her either. I just don\'t care about her one way or the other and I can\'t be bothered. I just want to continue my day like that visit didn\'t happen. So, can we stop talking about it?" Candace asked and Matt bobbed his head since he had gotten the reaction he wanted from her.

He had been a bit worried when she walked in earlier and went straight to the bedroom to lie down on the bed.

Back at the Mall, Jade checked the time again and when she saw that ten minutes had passed, she decided to go wait for Harry in front of the mall.

Arriving at the mall, Harry spotted Jade waiting by the entrance, looking radiant in a sundress that danced around her knees as she waved him over.

"Hey, baby!" she said, excitement dancing in her eyes as Harry got to where she stood after entrusting the parking of his car to the valet.

"Did I keep you waiting for long?" Harry asked as he looked her over, the mere sight of her casting away the remnant of gloom.

"Not at all. Let\'s go in. I want to splurge a little," she said with an infectious smile that had Harry smiling back at her.

He couldn\'t help but notice how the afternoon light caught the highlights of her hair, how her eyes sparkled with delight, how her voice carried an unspoken concern beneath the surface.

Jade raised a brow when Harry took out his wallet. "What is that for?" She asked and shook her head as she watched him take out a black card.

"No. Not your money. I\'m not exactly poor, you know? I might not be as wealthy as you, but I am wealthy too. I have my untouched trust fund, monthly allowance sent by my grandfather and Tom. My fat salary, etcetera," Jade said as she pulled out her own black card and flashed it in front of him.

"Point noted. I\'m so lucky to have a wealthy girlfriend," Harry said with a grin as he returned his card into his wallet.

"Yes, you are. Now let\'s go in," she said as she took Harry\'s hand and pulled him with her excitedly.

"So, what are you splurging on?" Harry asked and Jade winked.

"You will see," she said, not giving her plan away.

Harry smiled as he let her lead him, curious to see what she termed splurging and what she wanted to get.

Instead of heading towards the usual women\'s clothing stores, she took a sharp turn towards a different section. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Ah, you\'ll see," she winked again, an air of mischievous secrecy surrounding her.

Harry\'s heart warmed at her thoughtfulness when he realized the shopping was for him. He had almost forgotten that he needed to get some stuff for their trip.

"You don\'t have to do this…."

"I want to," Jade said cutting him off.

"What about your clothes?" Harry asked and she shook her head.

"I already got all I need. The girls joined me in shopping. It was so much fun. Now hush and follow me," Jade ordered and Harry shook his head as he did as she asked.

He followed her through the mall, watching as she picked out outdoor outfits he would need for their vacation, her eyes lighting up with each new find.

The next few hours were a whirlwind.  Jade, seemingly possessed by an uncharacteristic shopping frenzy, dragged him from store to store, pulling clothes from racks, insisting he try them on, refusing to let him escape with anything resembling his usual attire.

He found himself bewilderedly holding out floral patterned and vintage shirts, trying on pants and shorts he wasn\'t sure he would ever buy for himself, and debating the merits of different sunglasses and hats. Every time he tried to voice his hesitation, Jade would playfully shut him down.

And what struck him the most was how she seemed to know his brands of choice. That told him how observant she was and how much she paid attention to his wardrobe.

The initial bewilderment gradually gave way to amusement. He found himself laughing as she critiqued his fashion choices, her playful commentary chasing away the shadows lurking at the back of his mind.  The playful banter and her infectious enthusiasm gradually brightened him and he found himself laughing more easily now.