Ella had never purchased so many outfits at one time in her entire life. Anything she even remotely took an interest in, Tim insisted she get. There were so many bags of clothes sitting on the floor near her bed, it would take her at least an hour to put them all away. But she was so grateful to have a cousin who loved her so much and wanted to make her happy.
He’d asked several questions while they were shopping, including about her friend that had brought her the phone and smuggled out her dress. Ella had been vague. She just told him it was someone she’d met who was concerned about her. He’d asked where they’d met since she hadn’t gone out since she’d arrived back in California except for at the party, and she’d done her best to change the subject but finally admitted she’d met the person at the party. He’d asked if it was a guy, and she’d said she didn’t want to talk about it, which told him it was.
