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To my surprise, Hanson stands first. Josephine follows. My dad is the last to rise, but he does. I glance at Oliver.Go ahead, he mouths. Me and my dad trail after Scarlett’s parents down the hallway.
“We named her Elizabeth,” I tell him quietly, as we walk down the hallway. My father is often unpredictable. I don’t want his response to the revelation—positive or negative—to color the first meeting. “231,” I tell Josephine and Hanson when we near Scarlett’s room. They enter. I hear Josephine exclaiming. My father and I linger outside.
He squeezes my shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Crew. Your mother would be too.”
Then he heads inside. I’m left standing in the hallway, crying for the second time today.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
SCARLETT
Crew is acting strange. He came home distracted, but on time, missing Sophie and Nadia’s visit by only a few minutes. Pet Teddy and kissed Elizabeth before they went to bed, but it was autopilot. The same actions he does every night when he returns from work.
I watch him check his phone in the mirror’s reflection. Glance out the window. I set down the tube of lipstick.
“You know…we don’t have to do this tonight.”
That jerks him out of his reverie. Crew glances over, looking surprised. And confused. “What? Why?”
“It’s been a long day. And you seem…I don’t know, out of it. We can reschedule.”
His eyebrows rise and a touch of amusement reaches his lips. “Reschedule? It’s our anniversary.”
“I know, but it’s just a date. Our track record with annual holidays or celebrations or whatever isn’t great. And shouldn’t we celebrate our marriage every day, not just the day we got married?”
A full-blown smirk is his response to that comment. “Who knew you were such a romantic, Red?”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up. I’m serious.”
“I am too. So finish getting ready so we can go to dinner.”
“Hungry?”
“Yeah.” He slips his phone away, studying me with the expression of a sinner, not a saint. “Fordessert. I’ll be downstairs.”
We’ve fooled around like horny teenagers since Elizabeth was born, but sex hasn’t happened. And if someone had told me at my wedding a year ago I’d be leaving my newborn daughter at home to go to an anniversary dinner with Crew Kensington with full confidence we were in a monogamous relationship, I would have laughed in their face.
Yet here we are.
I spray on a perfume, grab a pair of Louboutins from the closet, and head downstairs. My mom has made herself comfortable on the couch. Her enthusiasm toward being a grandmother is nearly as surprising as the state of my relationship with Crew. I was mainly raised by nannies. But my mother dotes on Elizabeth every chance she gets. Even my father has surprised me on occasion, asking to hold her or offering up a genuine smile when he sees her. He’s not here tonight, and I don’t ask why. My parents’ relationship isn’t for me to control or judge. Most importantly, it has no bearing on my marriage.
Crew is leaning against the wall next to the elevator, staring off into space. He straightens when he sees me coming, his blue gaze darkening with lust.
I smirk at him before greeting my mother. “Hi, Mom.”
She smiles as she looks me over. “You look beautiful, Scarlett.”
“Thank you. Do you need anything before we go?”
“No, no.” She waves a hand toward the entryway. “You two have a lovely evening. If Elizabeth wakes up, I’ll be here.”
“Okay.” I hesitate for a few seconds, even though she’s already turned back to the book open on her lap. Then, I walk over to Crew.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Ready,” I confirm as we step into the elevator.
“How was work?” he asks.
