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She looks like a woman who needs the protection of Alphas.
If she would just give us the chance to show her we’re meant to be hers, she’d see it’s not a weakness to need something.
I let the mop lean against the wall by the doorframe, and then I move past Scarlett to open the door to the lounge.
She straightens up and nods before she steps into the room ahead of me, arms still folded across the front of her favorite band’s T-shirt. I’m more of a classic rock guy myself, but I don’t think that would impress her too much so I’m not going to try talking music with her.
“Oh my God,” she murmurs, moving straight past the leather sofas to the row of vending machines at the other end of the room. “This is so cool.”
“They were Scout’s idea,” I admit. “They work without money. You just need to punch in the number of whatever you want.”
She glances back at me. “Don’t tempt me. I skipped breakfast.”
“Seriously, take whatever you want. We can’t have you fainting on us.”
“I promise not to faint,” she tells me. “Scout’s honor.”
Now, she sounds a little more like herself.
I let go of the door and it closes quietly as I approach the machines.
She’s in front of the candy machine, so I go straight to where she is and punch in the code for a packet of M&Ms. They drop into the slot, and I move around her to grab them.
I offer them to her.
She smiles at me. “You didn’t just get those for yourself?”
I shrug. “I figured if you’re not going to choose, I’ll just empty the machines punching in all the codes until I work out what you like.”
She takes the M&M’s, her cheeks flushing lightly. “Don’t do that. I’ll eat something, I promise.”
I have never seen Scarlett blush before. Nothing ever seems to get to her like that.
Something’s definitely going on with her today.
I hope to hell it’s the realization that we belong to her.
“Well, I’ll feel a whole lot better if you eat some chips and have something to drink, too.”
She nods slowly, before she breaks her gaze from me and moves to the next machine.
She picks a plain salted bag of chips, and a bottle of water from the drink selection.
I grab a water and a bag of M&Ms, just picking something so she won’t have to eat on her own once we’re sitting down. She looks around and her gaze fixes on the ridiculously huge TV that’s mounted onto the wall, her eyes widening as she takes it in.
“Wow,” she murmurs. “That is one insane set-up you have there.”
“Is it really that much bigger than yours?” I ask, remembering the 50-inch screen I saw in their rental house’s living room the last time they had a party that we were actually invited to, thanks to Cleo.
“Are you kidding? This is way bigger. And that TV was Karma’s doing, by the way. I was perfectly fine with something less … flashy.”
She follows me to the sofas and sits down on the one opposite me, her gaze still moving around the room a little. She’s not totally comfortable around me, obviously.
“So, how’ve you been?” I ask, drawing her attention back to me.
She shrugs, putting the chips and candy by her side. “Same old Scarlett, different day.”
“Not quite,” I let slip, making her blink.
