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Chapter Thirty
Scarlett
I blew a strand of hair from my eyes as I glanced into the oven. The pie was almost ready. Chad had left half an hour ago to pick up Bella, and I’d stayed behind to preside over the baking process. I’d made pecan pie, and the timing was perfect. I couldn't wait to see Bella's face when she noticed it.
While I waited on the pie, I checked my email.Oh, for fuck’s sake.Simon had sent yet another one.
Stop your communication with Mark. Completely. Remember the car lease? It’s in both our names. If you continue talking shit about me, I’ll just stop paying it. See how you deal with that. You can’t handle jack shit.
I reread it a few times, growing angrier by the second. How petty could he be? I didn’t give two shits about the car lease. If he stopped making the payments, he’d just lose the car. I moved across the country and started my life with nothing, and he thought he could intimidate me with a freaking car lease?
Clearly I couldn’t hide my head in the sand. He would just continue to berate me and put me down.
I needed to confront him. But it wasn’t going to happen today because the front door opened just then.
"Scarlett!" Bella exclaimed, running up to me.
My heart instantly filled with joy. I lowered myself onto my knees and hugged her tightly.
"It smells good," she told me.
"I made pecan pie for you."
"Can I eat some?"
"It's going to be ready to eat in about half an hour."
Bella looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Twenty minutes."
I jerked my head back, looking over at Chad in surprise. He was a couple steps behind Bella.
He shrugged. "She knows how to negotiate, and I don't even think she learned it from me."
"No, Uncle Xander taught me,” she explained. “He said it’s a good skill to survive in the family."
Chad's eyes bulged. "I'm going to have a word with Xander."
"So, Bella," I said, "your dad said you were missing your Hedwig curtains."
"Yes." She nodded. "Mom doesn't want to put any in her house. Says it ruins the aesthe-something."
"Aesthetic," I finished.
"Exactly."
I frowned. That was interesting but none of my business. I was going to spoil this girl rotten when we were together.
I looked at Chad, who nodded lightly, and then turned to Bella. "So, Bella, since it's only lunchtime, I was wondering what you think about watching aHarry Pottermovie with your dad as well."
"Oh my God, yes!" she exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.
"Why don't you pick your favorite, and we'll watch it?"
"He has to start with the first one," she said in a voice that clearly indicated she wanted to add aduh. "Otherwise, he won't understand anything."
Chad tried to hold back laughter but couldn't. He managed to pass it off as a cough, though. The man had skills. I had to learn that from him.
"All right, then. We'll watch the first one," I said.
