by Liz Lovelock
Dylan stabs at her last carrot. “Men are useless. Perhaps he’s just busy today.” She shrugs.
“Maybe, but how hard is it to reply to a message? A simple yes or no would suffice. I’m not asking too much, am I?” I say, exasperated.
“No, but you’re sounding like a needy girlfriend.”
Damn, she’s right. I’m not that girl. “Crap. I don’t do the waiting-around thing. What have I become? Well, the ball is in his court. I’m not doing the chasing.” I stab into my steak and cut off another bite-size piece then shove the mouthwatering seasoned beef into my mouth.
“That’s right.” She grabs her glass of soda and holds it up.
I grab mine and raise it to hers. “To not needing men who cause us pain in the end anyway.”
“Agreed.”
We both take a sip of our drinks, the bubbles tickling my nose.
“I bet his smooth talking didn’t help, either. He looks like someone who could woo any girl he wants. I bet he’s ripped under those clothes.”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” An ache settles into a part of my heart. I knew this whole thing was too good to be true. Stop it, Scarlett. You’re over-thinking everything. It was just a weekend, and it’s only been twenty-four hours. Take a chill pill.
“Don’t worry about him, Scarlett. I have no doubt he’ll reach out the moment he can.” Dylan’s voice becomes soft.
“I know. I just can’t help it.”
“I get it. We’ll busy ourselves in work and wait until the end of the day.”
“Okay.”
Lachlan genuinely wanted me. His kisses were fresh, yet warm, and full of possession, like an early spring morning. I came alive and wanted to see where it went.
We finish our meals and head back to work, not that I really want to be there, but if it takes my mind off Lachlan, then I’ll stay all night if I have to. At home, there are only memories of him claiming every part of me with his touch and lips. My bed even smells like his musky aftershave. Nope, not rushing back there tonight.
My ringing phone startles me awake. Where am I? Then my eyes adjust, and I’m still in my office. “Damn, I must have fallen asleep,” I mutter. It’s not the first time something like this has happened.
My eyes fall on my phone. Lachlan’s name shines on it. I race to pick it up and then pause. My gaze goes to my wall clock. It’s midnight.
He’s calling me at midnight after I texted him in the early hours of this morning. He’s about to get a piece of my mind. I hit answer. “You do realize what time it is, don’t you?”
“Oh, thank goodness. Where are you, Scarlett? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” He sounds panicked and out of breath.
“I’m at work,” I respond. The line falls silent for a moment before I say, “Are you a bed-them-and-then-ditch-them kind of guy?”
He sighs. “No, I’m not. Not with you. I’ve had some stuff going on today. It’s been full-on, and I really want to explain it all to you.”
“Sorry, Lachlan. I’m just tired and heading home.”
“Scarlett, please let me explain.”
“Not right now. I understand you have the weight of the world on your shoulders with your career and family, but it’s late—too late to be discussing this at the moment. Have a good night.” I hang up before he can try to convince me to listen to him again. I grab all my belongings and leave. I don’t need this drama in my life. I’ve just walked away from one terrible relationship, and I’m not ready for another one. The weekend was fantastic, almost dreamlike. It just sucks that it was one of the most amazing weekends I’ve had in a long time.
What. A. Day.
I collapse onto the couch and stare at my phone. Scarlett won’t let me explain, and she sounds calm, but there’s an underlying tone. Calling in the middle of the night might not have been a great idea. I sigh. Hopefully, tomorrow she’ll give me the chance to explain and I can make it up to her.
After spending the morning with Child Services and with the assistance of Wyatt, they agreed that Levi is better off with me, especially after seeing what his foster father did to him. I wasn’t leaving until he was coming home with me. We’d then gone out and bought bedding and furniture for his room, so I’m spent. Tomorrow’s practice is going to be grueling. Coach was pissed that I missed training. But once I told him the situation, he told me that I can easily make it up to him in the morning. It’s not the first time I’ve had to do a double to make up for lost time.
A loud thump from the upstairs room brings me to my feet lightning quick. I race up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and stop outside the guest room, which has now been transformed into Levi’s bedroom.
I gently knock on the door. “Levi? Are you all right?”
Seconds pass before he pulls the door open. He’s in some of the fresh new clothes we bought today. “I’m okay. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make such a loud noise. I pulled the drawer in the dresser out too fast, and it fell on the ground.”
I nod. “Are you hungry? Do you need anything?” Levi’s features are tight, and he chews his bottom lip. He’s done this today whenever he got attention.
“I could use something to eat,” he replies in a low voice then quickly averts his eyes.
I step back and gesture for him to lead the way. “Let’s go have some food. I’ve got almost anything you might want. If you’re hungry, you don’t need to ask. You just go and get something from the fridge. All I ask is that you’re open and honest with me.”
“I know. Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.” He comes out of his room, and I catch a glimpse of the drawer, some of his clothes tipped on the floor.
Downstairs, Levi stands inside the walk-in pantry and simply stares while turning in a circle. “Wow! I’ve not seen so much food in forever. At the house, we were restricted with food.” His lip slips between his teeth, and he chews it again.
“What’s one of your favorite meals?” I lean on the doorway and let him make his selection.
“I love mac and cheese.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I grabbed a heap of them today; they’re my favorite as well.” I point to where they are sitting on the shelf. Levi grabs one and places it on the countertop. He stands there and stares down at the unopened box.
“What’s up?”
“Are . . . are you able to help me? I’ve never done this before, and I’ve been struggling with reading for a long time now.”
My heart shatters. At fourteen, he should be able to read. What else has he been missing out on?
“Sure, I can help. We can read the box together.” I smile down at Levi, and a small grin touches the corner of his mouth.
No matter what, this kid isn’t going back into the foster care system. I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him under this roof. I don’t care what Wyatt says or how much he’s worried about my reputation. It’s my decision and mine alone.
I’m back outside Levi’s door at five in the morning. He’s going to come with me to practice, and then we’re going to enroll him in a school nearby. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Thoughts of Scarlett mixed with the fear of taking Levi have put unsettling thoughts in my head. What if I’m making the wrong call with him?
An hour later, we’re parked, ready to head into practice. “You’re welcome to use the gym equipment, but please be careful and don’t go running off or doing something you shouldn’t. If there’s anything you need, please come to me. No more trouble,” I say in a stern but friendly voice.
Levi nods. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks, Lachlan.” The kid is practically vibrating as he walks beside me. He’s a huge fan of the team, and this is like a dream come true to him.
“You’ll be coming here daily with me until we get a school figured out.”
Again, Levi nods.
“Okay, let’s do this.” We get out of the car, and I quickly shoot a text message to Scarlett. Hopefully, she answers me.
Lachlan: Hey, beautiful, I jus
t wanted to apologize again for yesterday. It was a crazy day; one I’d like to explain in person. Can I please meet you to talk?
Her response comes back fast, and the hope I was feeling a moment ago evaporates.
Scarlett: I can’t today. I’ve got a few meetings. Sorry.
“So, your plan is to simply ignore him now?” Vivian says through the speaker of my phone.
I shift some papers around my desk before responding. “For now, that’s what I’m doing.” I berate myself again for the thousandth time in the past twenty-four hours.
Vivian groans. “You need to stop being so pig-headed, girl, and I mean that in an I-still-care-about-you-but-you’re-being-stubborn kind of way. Just hear the man out.”
I stop what I’m doing and glance up at my assistant, Lyla, entering my office. She places more paperwork on my desk—a never-ending pile of work. I mouth, Thank you.
She smiles and exits.
“Since when are you the defender of men?” I tease Viv.
“You’re just being hard on him because you’re a jilted lover. You hate all men at the moment.” She isn’t wrong about that.
“I’m not sure. What if it’s just meant to be the weekend, and I read too much into it? He sent me a message this morning asking to explain once again. I told him I’m busy today.”
“Scarlett,” Vivian groans. “You’re making me frustrated. Stop being Negative Nelly and start being Happy Harriot. Talk to him.”
“No, I can’t today. I’ve got too much going on. How is it going with the Craig issue?” I attempt a not so subtle change of subject.
“I see what you’re doing, but I’ll bite this time. Next time, you won’t be so lucky. Now, Craig, has he sent you any more messages?”
“No. That doesn’t make me feel any better, though. It makes me nervous that he was following me.” I scribble my signature on another dotted line and wait for Viv’s response.
“Next time, I’m going to drag his ass to court. He won’t know what hit him.”
We laugh. She always knows how to lighten the mood.
“So, how are you feeling?” she adds.
“I’m okay. I’ll keep going. You know me. Nothing tears me down.”
“That’s not what I meant. This week is something else, and I think you’re avoiding it, like most things at the moment.”
Mom’s birthday.
“You’re right. I am avoiding things, especially Lachlan, but I’ve never forgotten Mom’s birthday.” It’s one of the toughest times of the year. A marble-hard lump forms in my throat, and my eyes burn.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. Glancing up, Lyla comes in again, this time with a large bouquet of flowers.
“These were just delivered,” she says in a sing-song voice and places them on a small open space on my desk. The sweet scent of lilies hits my nose, and it brings a smile to my face.
“Thanks, Lyla.” I rise from my seat to inspect the beauty before me.
Lyla extends her hand, a small white envelope clutched between her fingers. “This is the note. It fell off. Looks like you’re one special lady.” She turns and leaves me to my thoughts that are screaming at me to call and thank Lachlan. Well, I assume that’s who they’re from.
“Who got what? Who’s a special lady?” Vivian’s voice pulls my attention back to our phone call.
“I got some flowers.” I remove the card from the envelope, and I can’t help the cheesy grin plastered on my face.
Scarlett,
I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
Lachlan xx
“They’re from Lachlan,” I say.
“Oh, that’s sweet of him. You should call him.”
“I think I should make him grovel a little more.” I laugh and lean over to inhale the magical scent.
“Stop being mean.”
“Excuse me? You’d do the exact same thing. Don’t even try and deny it,” I throw back at her like a tennis ball. It’s the way our friendship has always been. I love her brutal honesty, though.
“No, you’re probably right. Anyway, I have to get to court. Another divorcee to deal with.”
“Good luck with that. I’ll talk to you later.”
I drop back down into my seat, and I’m left to the silence of my office. I should really get away from all this stress for a while. After everything with Craig, and now Lachlan, I just want to escape. Running away is much easier than dealing with it.
I grab my phone and laptop and stuff them into my bag. “Lyla,” I call out my door.
“Yes, Scarlett?”
“I’m heading out of town for a couple of days. Could you hold all my calls and rebook all my appointments that I have this week for next week? And please, take these flowers home. I won’t be home to look after them.” I push them in her direction.
Her eyes dance from me to the lilies then back to me. “Is everything all right?” Lyla’s worried gaze holds mine.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just need some time. I’ll be at my house in the Hamptons if there’s an emergency. Thank you, and I’m sorry to dump this all on you right now.”
“That’s okay. I’ve got this. Go. Take the time you need.” She leaves, and I’m out the door in a matter of seconds. This is what I need. Some time away from the rush of the busy city, to recharge the batteries, and then I can come back and take on Lachlan. And hopefully, Craig will leave me alone.
I send a quick message to Vivian and Dylan.
Scarlett: Just letting you both know I’m heading to my house in the Hamptons for a couple of days. I just need some quiet. I’m going to shut off my phone as soon as I get there, so don’t stress when you don’t hear from me.
Chewing my bottom lip, I contemplate sending Lachlan a message. I can’t always be annoyed.
Scarlett: Thanks for the flowers. I’m heading away for a couple of days. We’ll talk when I get back.
I hit send and release a big breath. This is what I need. A break.
After a mad dash home to collect some clothes and toiletries, the drive to the Hamptons is somewhat therapeutic. Loud music, no phone calls, and a semi-clear mind. Lachlan likes to weave his way into my thoughts, though. Who wouldn’t think about him? No matter how hard I try, he’s always at the forefront of my mind.
What is it he wants to talk to me about?
All questions I thought I could answer, but now I’m not so sure. He’s a big-time football player and could have anyone he wants. Then, there’s my messed-up divorce with Craig who can’t seem to take no for an answer. What a crap show.
I lower my car window and inhale the thick sea air. The last time I was here, Craig and I were celebrating our one-year anniversary. Yeah, and look at how that turned out. More failure on my part.
I turn into the driveway and climb out, a swell of calm settles within me as waves crash against the shore on the other side of the house.
“This is perfect.” I unload all my stuff and carry it inside, and I’m greeted with a brightly lit living room and a view of the deep-blue ocean through glass doors.
I check my phone before I turn it off and find a number of messages and missed calls. Thank you to the person who invented the silent function on phones.
Dylan: Hope you have fun. Call me or maybe I can just come to you if you want? You know I could use a holiday. I’m sick of looking at men’s sacks. LOL
Vivian: Have fun. Give me a call later.
Theo: Where did you run off to? I rang your office and you weren’t there. Did big-time football dude whisk you away for a romantic week? Lucky you. Oh, and Dad is on the hunt for you. Good luck with that.
Dad: Ring me.
Lachlan: Did you like the flowers? Please talk to me, Scarlett. Let me explain.
Just when I think I can settle in for a calm couple of days, I’ve got to deal with Dad now. I hit his name, and he answers on the second ring.
“Where are you?”
“Well, hello to you, too. I’m taking some time away.”
&n
bsp; “Have you been accessing the family money?”
I roll my eyes at the stupid question. “You really think I need to access that money? I haven’t touched any of it. Why? What’s going on?”
There is some tapping on a keyboard from his end, then he says, “I’ve just noticed some small transactions I can’t seem to account for. They’re not high amounts, but all added up, they come to almost twenty thousand.”
“WHAT?” I yell. “Wow, that’s a hell of a lot. You know me, Dad, I’d ring you if I needed to access any of that money. Maybe change all the passwords and get new cards and all that. Freeze the account as well.”
“I’ve just done that, and I’ve got the police looking into it.”
“That’s good. I promise you I haven’t touched it.”
“Okay. Thank you. Now tell me about this man you left the charity event with. Theo has made me aware of Craig and his manipulations. I want you to know that I wasn’t a part of any of it. If you’d just sat down and talked to me instead of growling at me every time I asked something, we could have possibly avoided this animosity between us.”
If I’d been standing up, I’d have fallen over at Dad’s admission. I laugh. “Do I get a please with that?” I’m surprised Dad isn’t being his usual hard self right now.
“Please.” I’m sure he says it between gritted teeth.
“I’m not seeing him in an official capacity, just so you know. We met some years ago and have just caught up recently again,” I lie, not wanting to admit the truth of our relationship to my father.
Things are silent for a moment. “Okay, well, I’ve heard good things about him. Just don’t rush into things.” He almost sounds sincere.
“Uh, thanks. I don’t plan to, but you never know what the future holds.”
“That I understand. Well, I’ve got to get back to work. Bye.”
“Bye.” I hang up and stare down at my phone. I send a quick text to Theo.
Scarlett: I honestly don’t think it was our father I just spoke to. The angry-robot mode was switched off. He asked about Lachlan and even told me not to rush into things. Has the world flipped upside down?