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"Chad?" she murmured when I entered the bedroom. "Who was that?"
I cleared my throat. “Simon.”
She opened her eyes wide. "Oh my God, no. What did he want?"
"To talk to you. I put him in his place."
She shook her head. "Chad, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that."
I sat on the edge of the bed next to her. "Has he been in contact?"
"He's been going on and on about how I'm ruining his life. He thinks it’s my fault that he’s at odds with the kitchen team."
"Why didn't you tell me? This is wrong."
She shrugged. "I just try to ignore it. I haven't even replied to any of his threats."
My eyes bulged. I was doing all I could to stay calm. "He threatened you?"
"Just a petty thing, really. Both our names are on the lease of his car. Somehow he thought he could intimidate me into... I'm not even sure what." She shrugged again. "But Simon doesn't always have a reason for the things he does. He just likes to make other people feel like shit for sport."
I moved closer to her. "Listen to me." Cupping her face, I caressed her chin. "You are mine. I'll protect you. I’ll shield you from everyone. Never keep things from me, okay?" I smiled.
She raised a brow. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?”
I went to the medicine cabinet and grabbed a package of Tylenol. I also found a cloth and doused it in ice-cold water. When I returned, Scarlett’s eyes were open, but she was clearly sleepy. She’d lain down on the mattress.
"Come on, beautiful. Sit up so you can take the Tylenol. It really helps. And I got this too," I said, holding up the cool washcloth.
"Oh, thank you."
"I’ll put it on your forehead and—" I paused as she gulped down water with her Tylenol, then put the glass on the nightstand. "—when it gets warm, I'll change it."
"I could do that," she said.
I stared at her. "No, sugar. You’ll go to sleep, and I’ll take care of you."
She parted her lips. "But why?" she murmured.
"Because I love you, woman," I blurted.
Her eyes widened.
Fuck my life.That was not how I’d planned to declare myself.
"Oh, for God's sake," I groaned.
"What?"
"I'd planned to spoil you properly this evening while I told you how I felt about you. This is not at all what I envisioned."
For the first time since I found her in the kitchen, Scarlett smiled. It lit up her whole face. "You want to stay up and put cold cloths on my forehead. I can't imagine anything more romantic."
I frowned, leaning in to kiss her. She softened against me.
"I do so fucking love you."
"I love you more," she murmured, her voice catching.
