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“Not just him.” She tilts her head. “Mason would never forgive you, and that would hurt both of you enough, but Scarlet wouldn’t forgive you either.”
I shake my head, not wanting to think about her. Because losing her would be like losing my purpose. I’m not Lance without Scar. “Nina, I don’t deserve her.”
“Maybe not, but Scar’s the only person who gets to decide that. Telling them won’t change this, Lance. It only brings it all back, for us all.”
I swallow, looking down at her. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Go home,” she tells me, her voice resolute. “You’ve made a lot of mistakes… we all have.” Her eyes pin me. “But don’t let her be one of them.”
I stand in utter disbelief, tears streaming down my cheeks. I step into her, praying she lets me hug her. This woman who, for all her faults, loves the people around her enough to carry their pain. Just to protect them. To protect me. I got her so wrong.
I leave the files.
I leave it all behind me.
Or at least I try to.
Scarlet
“Mr Sullivan… where are you? If this is what you felt when I abandoned you in bed when we first met, then I’m so very sorry, and you can come home now. Point proven.”
“I’m not abandoning you, Scar.”
“Then where are you? The bed was cold when I woke up. And who are these people you’ve sent in? They’re doing everything and won’t let me help. One of the men even told me it was a health and safety risk to have me help carry the chairs back to the house and would breach their contract if I did.” It has Lance’s name written all over it.
“Mason was asked to attend a meeting down in Cornwall tomorrow. I made a last-minute decision to go instead. He needs the time with Nina, and I needed to clear my head for a bit. I left my car in your garage. I’ll move it when I’m back.”
I lie across my bed, still in my towel and smile. “When will you be back?”
“Wednesday. And those men are there for a reason. Humour me, please.”
Three whole days. “Why didn’t you take me with you? Imagine the fun we could have had.”
He chuckles, the sound making my eyes close as it soothes me. “As fucking good as that sounds, Baby Lowell. I needed this. Just a bit of time.”
I worry my lip between my teeth. “Okay.” I swallow. “It’s not… It’s not because I told you I love you, is it?”
“What?” I can hear the pain in his voice. “What… No! Fuck, Scarlet, you have no idea.”
I relax again, trusting his words.
“You’re… you’re everything I….” He sighs, and I picture him scrubbing his hands through his hair. “Give me until Wednesday. Please. I don’t want to have this conversation with you over the phone. You deserve more than that.”
I run my fingers over my lips, wishing he could be home right now. “You took the bike?”
“Yeah.”
I smile, tears unexpectedly filling my eyes. He really does need this. “Okay, then. Wednesday.” I pause. “Ride safe. And call me, yeah? I love you.”
He lets out a heavy sigh, like the weight of the world leaves him in an instant. “I love you, too.”
My jaw is on the floor, and I know I need to pick it up and recover fast. I met the girls at The Elm for breakfast this morning, and Nina arrived in a complete whirlwind.
Yesterday morning after the ball, she went to check in on her friend Joey after his brother passed away unexpectedly last week. When she arrived, she found him in a bad way and decided to stay and help him, but then he tried to kiss her.
“Does Mason know?” Megan gasps.
“Mason knows. That’s why I went to his yesterday.” She looks at me and then drops her eyes. But I catch the sadness in them. “I knew I had to tell him.”
