Page 30 of House of Scarlett
I freeze, unsure of what to say to her.
“Let me give you some unsolicited advice, young man. Take damn good care of her. She won’t want to admit she needs help, but she will.”
“That’s absolutely my plan, ma’am. Thank you.”
“Good. Also, if you try anything weird, I’ll have security drag you out.”
“I just don’t want her to wake up alone,” I say honestly.
“Not just falling ... you’re already in love. That’s cute.” She shakes her head and walks out the door before I can pick my jaw up off the floor.
What the fuck did she say? “You’re already in love. That’s cute?”
I stare at the door, like I expect her to walk back in and explain herself, but I’m left in the dark with new questions weighing on my mind.
Does Scarlett always have to deal with people thinking they know more about her personal life than she does? Is this something I’ll have to get used to? And even more so—
What am I going to do now?
Seventeen
Scarlett
When I wake up,Flynn is slumped in the chair next to my bed, wearing her leather pants, leather jacket, and her hair is back in a tight braid. Instantly, a caption for the sight pops into my head.Innocent Badass. I take a mental picture for my files before reaching out for the water to soothe my parched throat.
As soon as I move, her eyes flick open.
“You’re awake!”
“And you look like you left, raced cars, and sneaked back in without me being the wiser ... except your black leather look is giving you away.”
Flynn tilts her head to the side with a sleepy smile. “Don’t worry, you weren’t alone for a single second.”
I blink at her in confusion. “Did you pay a nurse to sit with me all night? You know they have other patients to deal with, so they really shouldn’t do that.”
Her smile turns smug. “No, of course not. Legend stayed with you. I doubt he fell asleep on the job either, unlike me.”
My entire body jerks forward, and thankfully, the twinges of yesterday aren’t as intense today. “Gabriel came back? How? What? Why?”
“Hey, whoa. Chill out. No sudden movements, remember? Relax.”
I scan the room, searching for traces of him. “You just told me someone watched me sleep without my knowledge, so chilling out isn’t really on the agenda for this morning, Flynn. What the hell?”
She rolls her eyes, and I’m reminded that she is, indeed, twenty years old. “You didn’t even know, and if I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t be freaking out right now, so chill out. Be happy I told you. Be happy he was all gung ho for the job and would’ve stayed around the clock if I hadn’t told him I had it covered.”
Two weeks ago, he told me to go, and it crushed me. Now ... I’m terrified to believe what’s happening. But his words from last night are still fresh in my mind, and my heart.
“I wish I could take it all back ... You probably don’t believe me and you shouldn’t. Words aren’t enough. I know that, but I’ll show you.”
“He told me he’d show me,” I whisper.
Flynn leans closer to me. “What?”
“Gabriel said he wished he could take back what he did. That words weren’t enough. That he’d have to show me.”
Flynn slaps a hand over her chest in the vicinity of her heart. “That’s so fucking sweet. Oh my God. I totally made the right call.”
“I still can’t believe you did that.”
