Short white dress

"Hey, Ember," Emir called as he descended the stairs.

She responded with a simple "Hm."

"Are you done?" he inquired.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'm going to meet my friend. Can you stay at home?" he asked.

Ember replied, "Okay, you go and enjoy," masking her feelings behind a forced smile. 'I know he's not obligated to me. He has his own life, and I can't force him to take me with him,' she thought as she headed toward the stairs. As she was about to place her foot on the first step,

"Oh, right! You didn't have breakfast. Eat something before you leave, okay?" She spoke without making eye contact. 'I don't want to pretend to smile in front of him,' she considered.

He responded with a simple "Okay."

"Okay... so, I'm heading to my room," she said.

As she took a step, Emir unexpectedly grabbed her hand from behind and said, "Let's go together."

She turned to face him. He pulled her closer, and she leaned toward him, her hand on his shoulder. He said, "Go get ready..." After gently kissing her cheek, he whispered in her ear, "Are you happy?" Placing his hand on her waist, he guided her back to the step.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Okay," she mumbled while avoiding his gaze. He responded, "Okay." Looking at his face, she noticed his smile.

Returning to her room, Ember noticed a white dress she had bought the previous day. 'I can wear it... I know it's short, but it's his choice. I want to wear what he likes, and he can see how I look in his choice,' she thought.

When she came downstairs, she saw Emir talking to Nana. He paused and cleared his throat, saying, "We are going out to meet Emir." He paused again, and then continued, "Okay, come back on time. Don't be late."

Emir subtly said, "Dylan," in a low voice that Ember could hear, but Nana could not.

Thinking that he had slipped, Nana replied, "Okay."

The car horn honked, indicating it was time to go.

Ember replied, "Okay." The horn beeped twice.

Emir said, "Come."

As they sat in the back seat, Ember turned her head toward Emir and found him already looking at her. She asked, "What happened? Do I not look good? Do I look weird?"

"Cough! Cough! You look good," he managed to say before turning his face toward the window. A pink blush adorned his cheeks, and Ember couldn't help but be charmed by his adorable behavior.

He asked, "Aren't you feeling uncomfortable in that dress? So, why did you choose to wear it?"

'He's right, but I can't tell him the real reason. I wore this for him,' she thought, responding, "Actually, I wanted to push past my discomfort and try the style of this new place."

He suggested, "If you're uncomfortable, you can change."

"No! It's okay. I'm actually quite liking it," she said with newfound confidence.

He acknowledged, "Okay, if you like it... let's go." In Emir's mind, he continued, 'If you go out wearing this, all the men in the restaurant won't be able to take their eyes off you. I need to be cautious at the restaurant. Yes, Dylan, you need to protect your girl— no, no, not my girl. She's, my friend. Ugh, Dylan, what are you thinking?'