Page 17 of Choosing Scarlet

Instead, I turn back to the laptop in front of me. My inbox is filled with unread messages, and near the top sits a new email from Mr. Clarkson. He claims to have found another property that he’s certain I’ll be interested in. I almost laugh at the thought. Working with him once was already more than enough. The last thing I need is another drawn-out project that tests my patience.

I take a slow breath, rubbing my temple. That’s when my phone vibrates on the desk. The name that flashes on the screen makes my stomach twist.

My father.

It takes me a moment to react. When was the last time we spoke? A few months ago, maybe longer. I’ve done my best to avoid him, and he’s never been one to reach out unless he has a reason. If he’s calling now, it’s because he wants something.

I might as well get it over with. I’m already in a foul mood.

“Hello,” I say as I pick the damn phone up.

“Knox, son, it’s good to hear your voice again,” comes his reply. I’m not sure I’d call it good. Our relationship has been strained for years, ever since my mother died. Or more accurately, since the day I saw him in public with another woman just six weeks after her funeral. That woman is now his fiancée.

“Right. What do you need?”

He laughs softly on the other end. “Straight to the point, as always. I just wanted to check in and see how you’ve been.”

“Well enough,” I say. I don’t bother asking how he’s doing. I already know it would lead to another long speech about his life that I don’t want to hear. “Why are you calling?”

“I have good news for you. I’ve spoken to Senator Gale … you remember him, right? I’ve mentioned him before. We golf together.” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from sighing. I don’t care. “Anyway,” he continues, “we had dinner yesterday, and he told me his daughter is coming to town. She’s a bright young woman studying law at Harvard. Lovely, too. I’m sure you’d like her.”

Every muscle in my body tightens. I can already see where this is going, and my irritation grows heavier with every word that leaves his mouth.

“So,” he says, sounding far too pleased with himself, “I’ve gone ahead and arranged a lunch for you two next Sunday. Two p.m. I’ll handle the reservation; you just need to show up. With connections like this, Knox, you could have a who⁠—”

“Stop,” I cut in sharply.

“Knox, don’t be childish. Yes, the hotels are doing well, but⁠—”

“Stop!” I snap, my voice rising before I can control it. My fist hits the desk, hard enough to make everything on it rattle.

The sound wakes Milly. She lifts her head and looks at me with wide, uncertain eyes, still pressed against the corner of the room. The guilt hits immediately—first for scaring her, then for letting my father get under my skin at all.

“You’ve been out of my life for years,” I say quietly. “Don’t try to force your way back into it by setting me up with strangers. I’m not interested in dating, and I’m definitely not interested in marrying anyone. So do us both a favor and stop trying.” There’s silence on the other end of the line, but I don’t wait for him to answer. “Frankly,” I add, my voice low, “you can go to hell.” I hang up before he can say anything else.

For a long moment, I sit there, my pulse still pounding in my ears. The anger doesn’t fade right away; it burns, sharp and bitter, until I finally understand what’s really behind it.

For the first time in a very long while, I’ve lied to him. It’s not that I don’t want to date. It’s that I don’t want anyone but Scarlet. I’m already in too deep, and I have no idea how to pull myself out.

SCARLET

What in the world is even happening?

That’s the only question circling in my mind as I stare down at our birth charts again. Scorpio and Gemini. Not the most perfect match, but there’s enough common ground for things to work. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. That’s what I wanted to believe.

I sink back into my sofa with a small, tired sigh, trying to push away the thoughts that won’t stop tearing me apart. I want to understand where everything went wrong. The weekend started so well. We went out for dinner, we slept together, and that night I slept better than I had in years. I didn’t even know my body could feel that calm. The second morning came, though, something in him shifted. His warmth was replaced by something distant, like he quietly built a wall in the few hours I had been asleep.

I have no idea what caused it or how to break through it.

My chest tightens.

Did I do something wrong? Say something off? Did I make him uncomfortable without realizing it? It didn’t feel that way. Knox is pretty transparent with his emotions; he wears them openly. If something had bothered him, I’m sure I would’ve caught it.

Jessie warned me. I can practically hear her voice in my head now, telling me that this was just a catastrophe waiting to happen … so did I step into territory I already knew could scorch me?

The back of my eyes stings at the thought. For some reason, I convinced myself that things with him would be different, that I would be the exception and this story would somehow end another way. It’s the trap so many girls fall into, thinking they’re the one person who can rewrite the pattern and be the exception to the rule … only to end up exactly where they swore they’d never be.

A single tear threatens to fall, but I wipe it away before it escapes. I refuse to cry over a man.