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He waited in the lobby as I took the elevator to my room. It was much more homely and warm, not as extravagant as the last place. A king-sized bed, an ensuite behind a warm wooden door, and a small balcony that overlooked the gardens below; it was cute, and I set my belongings down with a contented sigh, washed my face, applied a little mascara, and headed back down to the lobby. Danny was still there, chatting away to the guy behind the counter about some sort of sports as I approached.
When he caught sight of me, Danny’s whole face lit up, and my heart leaped.
“It’s beautiful,” I said softly. “Thank you for this. I’m sorry I was a bit suspicious. After everything, the last place I was offered put me on the street, so I guess I was wary of a repeat.”
“Makes sense,” Danny agreed. “Think you’ll be able to settle?”
“Definitely. I can’t think how I can repay you.”
“I can.”
“Hm?” I tilted my head slightly, and Danny winked playfully.
“Buy me lunch?”
20
DANNY
Three bites of a taco later and her hangover was cured.
“I’ll be honest, sometimes I feel like a fish out of water. Back home I was so sure I knew who I was, I knew what life had in store for me but…” Scarlett paused to wipe some spicy sauce from the corner of her mouth. “But here? It’s like I’ve found a new part of myself that was just smothered in the town. I don’t blame anything; well, maybe my ex.”
“It’s always the ex,” I chuckled around my own taco. We had taken a walk to a local street vendor for lunch and now, armed with tacos and churros, we were walking in a lazy circle back to her hotel. “People that aren’t good for us end up holding us back, then when we discover new things about ourselves, we get accused of acting out.”
“Is that the therapist talking?” Scarlett winked over her food, and I chuckled.
I walked a little closer and shrugged, my hair losing a few neat strands as the wind picked up around them. “That and experience.”
“I’ve done so many things here I never expected to do. Not just the crazy sex. I had never imagined myself standing up to anyone the way I stood up to Toby.” That was just the start. “It’s like being here, surrounded by people who haven’t watched me grow up, I’m free. There’s no expectation, y’know?”
“Completely. I can’t say I know what that’s like but it can be fun to go against the grain. In the end, when this is all over, you can evaluate and a few of these new traits might stick around. It’s all about bettering yourself, right?”
Scarlett scoffed. “Is that what it is? Is sex with handsome men and arguing with the uber-rich really bettering myself?”
“Maybe.”
“Hm. The version of myself that had left that small town behind wouldn’t be able to believe her eyes.”
I finished my taco in another large mouthful and screwed up the paper while Scarlett worked through her own, deep in thought.
“You know,” she added after a moment. “I need some of that confidence to stick around when dealing with the inheritance. That’s just one hell of a mess.”
I wanted to pry a little more, as the loyalty to Toby still rang in my ears more often than I cared to admit. In truth, I had learned nothing, and I wanted to keep it that way. Scarlett had shown herself to be lovely and she didn’t deserve what Toby was putting her through. If only I could make him see that.
“I think,” I said cautiously, “the best thing you can do is stick to your guns. Your morals are clear, and you know what’s right. That’s all anyone can do in this kind of situation. I can’t pretend to know how it will all end but…” Taking a deep breath, I gently nudged her with a smile. “I think you’ve got this.”
“Really?” Scarlett came to a stop as she finished eating and my eye caught a spot of sauce she had missed. Reaching up, I gently cupped her face and swiped the corner of her mouth with my thumb. A light pink dusted across her cheeks.
“Really.”
And if there was one thing I could do to help, it was set Toby onto the right path and away from this terrible vendetta.
“Thank you.”
Her smile was so happy, so genuine that my heart soared, and I offered her my elbow for the remainder of the walk back to the hotel. Conversation dissolved into less important matters such as the city and new trends in the world, but I didn’t miss how Scarlett leaned into me with every step. By the time we reached the hotel, the pink in her cheeks had turned to a soft red and she met my gaze steadily, even if her body was angled somewhat away.
“Do you want to come up?”
