Page 9 of Motion to Dismiss

“Fine.” He groans and puts his phone away. “My car is across the street. I’ll drive you.”

“I’d rather take an Uber.”

He gives me a blank stare.

“You can follow it, if you like, but⁠—”

“We may not be together, Scarlett,” he interrupts me, “but you’re out of your mind if you think I’ll let you get into another man’s car tonight.”

“I’ll request a woman.”

“You’ll agree to come with me or I’ll pick you up and carry you.”

The look in his eyes lets me know he’s dead serious.

“Fine,” I say. “But I’m sitting in the backseat.”

“You’ll sit in the front seat, with me.” He gestures for me to follow him, and I allow myself to oblige.

It’s only a twenty-minute drive, Scarlett. Just twenty minutes.

EMOTIONAL DISTRESS (N.):

SEVERE MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL SUFFERING, SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, OR HUMILIATION, CAUSED BY ANOTHER PERSON'S CONDUCT.

JAMESON

Scarlett doesn’t utter a single word to me for the entire drive.

She keeps her face buried in her phone, refreshing an email inbox that never changes.

Every time I glance at her, she makes it more than clear that she’s going to deny giving me a full view of her beautiful face.

But at every stoplight, under the bright cast of the reds and yellows, I can see a gloss settling over her eyes.

She’s refusing to let me see her cry.

The sight of her hurting makes my chest ache even worse than it did when she left me, and I’m still confused as to why.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCE (N.):

A FACT OR SITUATION THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE OR JUSTIFY A WRONGFUL ACT OR CRIME, BUT LESSENS THE SEVERITY OF THE FAULT, PENALTY, OR DAMAGES.

SCARLETT

“Good evening, Miss.” The valet at the Four Seasons extends a white-gloved hand to me. “Thank you for staying with us this evening.”

I nod and step out, waiting for Jameson to say “Goodbye, Scarlett,” and drive away, but he steps out, too.

Biting my tongue, I walk inside and approach the front desk.

“How may I help you tonight, Miss?” The agent smiles at me.

“I’m checking in,” I say. “Scarlett Winters.”

“Okay, one second.” She taps her keyboard. “Ah. You’ve reserved our penthouse suite for the night. Allow me to grab the keys and your special amenity bag.”

She stoops down and emerges with a gold tote bag and a room key packet.