“Mine.”
Forty-One
Rory
In the earlylight of morning, something is different about Scarlett.
I don’t know exactly what. Just that her eyes are softer. Warm like honey, and unguarded.
Strands of golden brown hair tickle my chest as she brushes her lips against me, and her fingers dig into my back.
“Still hate me?” she asks.
It’s a loaded question if I ever heard one. She wants to talk, and I do too, but not until it’s really over.
Until her past is wiped clean.
Storm saves me from answering when she bursts in without knocking and leans against the door frame.
“Aw, well isn’t this just the cutest thing I ever did see.”
She’s clearly back on the mend and feeling like herself again, as her eyes rake over my naked chest before she winks at Scarlett.
“Did you need something?” Scarlett snaps.
“I want to play with my toys now.”
“Fine,” Scarlett groans and then looks at me. “Can she go play?”
“You’ll have to find Alexei,” I tell her. “He’ll let you in. And supervise.”
“I don’t need any supervision,” Storm scoffs.
I don’t bother to argue with her because I already gave Alexei the rundown, and he knows the drill. He’ll make sure they’re still alive when Scarlett is ready for them.
“No tattoos,” Scarlett tells her before she slips out the door.
“Tattoos are for the living.” Storm winks and disappears down the hallway, humming a happy tune.
“Do I even want to know where you found her?” I ask Scarlett.
“Why?” she snipes. “You want another mental case to save since you failed with this one?”
I kiss her because fuck she’s hot when she gets all worked up like this.
“Are ye jealous?” I murmur against her lips. “My little green eyed monster.”
“She keeps looking at you and I know you know it.”
“So what would ye like me to do?” I laugh. “Cut out her eyes?”
Scarlett doesn’t answer, and I can see her struggling with these new feelings. Jealousy is probably as foreign to her as the issue of trust.
“Satan.” I grab her by the shoulders and haul her towards me. “Get your arse over here.”
She lays her head against my chest and sighs. When my fingers tangle in her hair, her eyes flutter shut, and within a few moments, she’s back to sleep.
We lay there like that until the afternoon when there’s really no more putting it off.
