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I didn’t want her to beg, though.If she wanted me to stay, I’d stay.Maybe this Nick dude really had her freaked out, or perhaps she just didn’t want to be alone.Either way, I was going to be there for her.“I’ll just be right over here if you need me,” I whispered, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.
She smiled then and let go of the grip she had on my arm.
I settled in the love seat she had in the corner of her bedroom.It was the first time I was actually looking around the room and it was so evident this was a teenage girl’s room.The light blue walls were covered with posters from boy bands and a shirtless Justin Timberlake that rested on the wall right over her bed.From the looks of things she hadn’t been back in averylong time.The closet door behind me was closed and splattered all over it were pictures of her and her friends in cheerleader outfits on a football field, in a gymnasium, in this room.There were even a few of her and some guy, a football player it looked like, kissing, laughing, his arm around her, her hand on his chest.Even without her parents and only having her brother to support her, it seemed like she had a good life.
Peering over to Scarlet, it seemed she was sound asleep, so I took my phone out of my pocket and sent a quick text to Damon, telling him what had happened.I didn’t expect an answer back, knowing damn well he was probably with that woman from the bar.
“Night, Scar,” I said, before putting away my phone and closing my eyes.It was a big day tomorrow with Brandon’s memorial service and I needed to get some shut eye.
Chapter Five
Scarlet
Every single part of my body was aching and I had cotton mouth.Jesus, I thought to myself, as I opened my eyes and immediately closed them again at the mere sight of the sun streaming through the closed blinds.I pulled the pillow out from underneath my head and covered my head with it.It smelled like perfume, alcohol, and, ew, puke.I threw it on the other side of the bed and opened my eyes finally.On my nightstand was a glass of water, a napkin, and Advil pill.I got out of bed and tripped over a trash can on the floor as I went to grab the pill and glass of water.“Shit!”I yelled louder than I expected or needed with the pounding headache I had.
I heard footsteps and next thing I knew a shirtless Colt was standing in front of me, pan in hand and barefoot.“What’s wrong?”he asked, also loud.
I flinched at the sound and motioned to the trash can.“I didn’t see that there, is all.”Then I turned things on him.“The better question is, what the hell are you doing in my apartment?”My eyes wandered to his broad, smooth chest, his taut muscles on full display.Was that an eight-pack?He was seriously ripped, a requirement for being in the Army, staying fit and always going to the gym.Heck, Brandon was a gym fanatic.Every morning at five you could find him at the gym.He had a membership at the local one and didn’t waste it for a second.Everyone knew him there, he was a regular.And, if for some reason he couldn’t make it early in the morning, then he made sure he went late at night once I was sleeping.
He smiled.God, I loved the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.It made me want to keep making him smile.I tried to shake the thoughts away.But then I realized why he was smiling as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror by my closet.I had two choices: I could either freak out that this incredibly hot, sexy man was seeing me with my bed head, clothes wrinkled, and a total mess, or I could embrace it and own it.I’ve never been one for letting the man have the upper hand, so I went with the latter.“What?Never seen a girl the morning after she gets drunk?”I popped the pill in my mouth and drank some water.“Well, it isn’t pretty, and I’m sure drunk Colt also isn’t too sexy.”
He chuckled and loosened his grip on the frying pan.“Is sober Colt sexy to you?”
Okay, he stumped me.I had to answer that, no?And the only answer I really had was my brain screaming yes!“I believe I asked you why you were here,” I asked again.Aha, now I didn’t have to answer his question about being sexy.
“You asked me to stay last night,” he said, growing serious.“Said something about Nick never letting you go.”
I cleared my throat, straightened my hair, and began making my way for the adjacent bathroom.“I was drunk, Colt.I really don’t remember much, but I can almost guarantee you that anything I said was probably just the ramblings from a drunken state.”Before closing the door behind me I said, “Thanks for staying, though, that was very nice of you.”
“Sure,” he responded.From the look of his face, though, it didn’t seem like he was buying my explanation.“Hey, you don’t have any food.”
I stood half in and out of the bathroom.“What’d you expect?I just got in yesterday afternoon.What’s with the pan, then?”
“Don’t ask,” he pleaded.“I’m going to stop at the local coffee shop and get us some.”
“Almond milk and sugar, please.”
“You got it.”
When he left, I walked into the bathroom, got undressed and just stood under the water, thinking.I was in deep trouble.I spilled the beans about Nick last night—so not ideal.I just let the man that I was extremely attracted to yesterday afternoon into my apartment to stay the night.Oh, and, for another complication, there was no way I was going to be able to hide it for long.To be honest, it seemed he could already tell I liked him.And then there’s the problem that he’s a vet.There was no way I was going out with a man that was in the Army.I wouldn’t do it.
I let the water continue to wash over me, a lonesome tear falling from my eye, mixing with the water.When Brandon told me he was going off to serve his country, to fight for it, I was terrified.Didn’t think I’d ever see him again.I saw him one time since he’d been deployed.He was on leave for a few days and we hung out, caught up, and just had fun being with one another.But I always knew it was going to end.I told him to be safe and he promised me he would.That was the problem, he made me think that if he promised, then he would come home.I was naïve and foolish to think he had any control over it.
And if I got involved with Colt, I’d be falling for that promise all over again.He would say all the right things and I just wasn’t believing it this time.
“Geez, get a hold of yourself,” I said to myself, “it’s not even like he asked you out.”I just can’t like him, that’s all.Any feelings I have for him have to die right here.
* * *
The morning flew by and the next thing I knew it was time for the memorial service.Colt offered to pick me up, which was very nice, but I needed to do this on my own.After all, he had already done enough, staying with me last night, getting me coffee this morning, and even stopping by the grocery store and fully stocking my fridge with the essentials.His momma definitely raised him right.
I looked at myself one last time in the mirror before leaving and nodded.I decided to wear a black sleeveless halter-neck dress and a pearl necklace that belonged to my mother.She wore them on her wedding day and every formal occasion after that.It was her something old from her mother.I placed my hair in a chignon because it was another balmy day in Miami, doubled with the fact that I wanted to look presentable.
The honking of a horn in close proximity caught my attention.It honked once, twice, and then I got a ding on my phone.It was Colt texting to see if I was ready yet.“I said not to worry about me,” I muttered to myself.
I walked outside and that was when I saw a white Cadillac Escalade parked, the passenger side window opening.“I know you said you were fine, but I’ve got a good read on people, and I didn’t want you to be alone today,” Colt said from the driver’s seat.
I just stood there, hearing his words, taking it all in, but unable to respond as I saw him in his uniform.It reminded me of Brandon and that was another reason I didn’t want Colt picking me up.He was too big of a reminder, and now he was walking from his side of the car to where I was standing by the passenger side.Inching closer to me, I backed away and turned before he could see the tears in my eyes.I sucked in and said, “I forgot something.You go on without me and I’ll make it there myself.Really, it’s okay.”Holding back the tears was becoming more difficult, so I didn’t wait for him to respond and just started walking back in.
