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“It’s not that fucking easy, Scarlett,” he growled. “I might not want your used cunt back, but you still owe me for the shit you put me through, and I ain’t a forgiving person, you feel me?”
His grip tightened and I gasped as the small bones in my wrist ground together.
“Shane get off me,” I snapped, trying to pull free but he was bigger and stronger. Thoughts of the baby flashed through my mind, and I raised my voice. “Get off me!”
“It’s simple, you either give me what you owe or I’m going to take it, you understand me? Your rich friends and that new rich brother? I’m getting it one way or the other?—.”
“Excuse me!”
The sharp voice of a store clerk interrupted Shane’s threat and he stepped back half an inch. It was enough room for me to pull away from the shelves. The basket slid from my fingers then I turned and sprinted away down the aisle. At last glance, the clerk had positioned himself between me and Shane, giving me the time to escape the store and run down the street.
I didn’t stop running until I reached the lane leading to my cottage. There, I stumbled to a stop, panting desperately as my body trembled like a leaf from head to toe.
Shane’s rambling had been unclear as to what exactly he wanted or what he felt he was owed but the threat? That was crystal. He was unstable. I was at a loss after a week of crying my eyes out. There was money in my account, a baby in my belly that I had no idea what to do with, and a crazy ex who likely still had keys to my place.
What the fuck was I going to do?
Gravel crunched underfoot as I trudged up the lane, huddling into my jacket against the chill of the February evening air. Maybe I could stay with Lily tonight and come up with some kind of plan.
Enough feeling sorry for myself, enough taking shit from scumbags like Shane. I had to make a plan.
One that wouldn’t result in heartbreak if I was lucky.
As luck would have it, I didn’t get a chance to make that plan.
Rounding the hedge to my gate, I came face to face with my cottage and stopped in my tracks, stunned to silence with my mouth agape.
Lucas, Sebastian, and Danny stood in the garden, surrounded by a sea of gold-tipped rose petals that filled the entire garden and spread all the way up to the front door. They each had a rose in their hand. Sebastian cleared his throat, and Lucas nervously smoothed his hair down, while Danny smiled softly.
“Scarlett,” Sebastian said in his smooth, calm voice. “We need to talk. Please?”
31
SCARLETT
“You’re here.”
I stared dumbfounded, my mind short-circuiting to silence as I faced them.
“Scarlett. “Lucas stepped forward. “I know this is... maybe out of bounds because you haven’t returned any of our calls or texts, but we had to come and see you. We couldn’t leave things like that.”
“Please,” Danny added. “Just hear us out. Please, let us explain.”
“Then, if you want to end things, we will honor that. Of course, we will.” Sebastian shifted his stance as he spoke.
I eyed all three of them, and then my gaze flickered to the petals on the ground. There had to be thousands, more than really.
“How… how did you get the petals?” I asked. It was the only thing my mind could latch onto so soon after that interaction with Shane.
“Lily,” Lucas said. “We went to see her. She’s uh…” He chuckled softly. “She has a lot of fire.”
They had gone to Lily, and she hadn’t told me? An influx of emotions overwhelmed me in that moment, but the loudest was the softness that always seemed to rise to the surface in times of pain. Whatever they said to Lily had to have been good if she gave them the petals. So, maybe it was worth hearing them out.
It couldn’t get any worse, right?
“Okay,” I nodded. “Fine. I’ll listen.”
Three sets of shoulders dropped in relief as I moved past them and up the steps. It was impossible to avoid the petals and a few clung to my shoes as I let myself in. Then I herded the three of them into the lounge and closed the door. Habit almost had me offering them drinks or something to eat, but thanks to Shane, there was nothing in the house.
