Killing Game by Felicity Heaton

eternal sunshine. Looking around the streets, he frowned until he spotted what he was searching for and grabbed hold of her hand. Running across the road with her, he held the door to the shop open and flicked his cigarette to the ground before following her in.
    Lily smiled as a blast of hot air hit her in the face, instantly warming her numbed body. Opening her eyes, she saw that he’d dragged her into a little shop full of hats, scarves, gloves and accessories in a multitude of colors and designs.
    “Something warm, missy, you’re not in Kansas anymore.” Cain chuckled.
    She ran her fingers over the rows of hats and gloves.
    As she paused and picked up a little pink striped hat, he arched a brow. Clearly, she was going to need assistance.
    Cain looked down at his one gloved hand and his other bare one. He was about to pull his other glove off when he thought the better of it. Not only would his knuckles complain but he didn’t want Lily to see how bruised his hand was.
    “Earth to Luke Skywalker.” Lily giggled close by.
    He raised his eyes and lowered his hands, frowning at her as he tried to figure out what she was talking about.
    “The one glove... Luke Skywalker?” She giggled again as he gave her a look that said he’d finally understood what she meant and then spun on the spot. “So, what do you think?”
    Cain looked at the pink blob on her head and shook his in the negative.
    Lily pouted.
    After ten minutes of shaking his head, he began to get a headache and decided that she definitely needed help. Looking up at the rows of hats, he smiled as he saw the perfect one. It was a little woolen one in varying stripes of creams and light browns. Cain presented it to her with a flourish.
    Lily smiled before settling it on her head and looking at herself in the mirror. Admittedly, he seemed to know what suited her better than she did. She turned and gave him a wide smile.
    He responded by handing her a pair of matching gloves and wrapping a scarf around her face. Struggling to free herself from the scarf he’d blinded her with, she frowned playfully and then smiled as she spotted something.
    “Won’t be a minute.” She shook the items in her hands, trying to emphasize that she was going to pay for them, and watched him nod and then walk towards the exit.
    Lily grabbed the item she’d been looking at and then walked to the counter.
    Standing outside in the street, Cain’s head fell backwards and he looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set, but the heavens above were still clear as crystal. He watched the seagulls wheeling overhead and frowned, trying to remember what his mother had always said about them coming inland. He frowned as his thoughts were interrupted by something prodding him, and he dropped his eyes back to earth, finding Lily smiling mischievously at him, her round cheeks glowing in the cold.
    Rummaging in her bag, she pulled out a long black scarf and stretched up on her toes as she wrapped it around his neck, making sure he was well protected against the cold, before coming back to rest on her heels.
    “There.” She smiled warmly.
    Cain felt as though he couldn’t breathe as her eyes sparkled at him. The fact that she had shown that she cared about him on some level made his heart race. He silently watched her as she pulled the tags off her new gear and wrapped herself up, smiling all the while.
    “Lily, you didn’t have to.” He ran his fingers over the scarf around his neck and gave her a gentle look as his stomach heated through, the last of his defenses disappearing.
    “I wanted to. You were concerned enough about me getting cold. Besides, it’s nice being able to give something back to you.” She bounced slightly and smiled triumphantly, clearly satisfied with his reaction to her present.
    “Thanks,” he mumbled and nodded towards the next shop, hoping she would return her concentration to shopping so he could return his to attempting to patch up his emotions