“Much better,” I say, my tonesofter. “Wouldn’t want you to have wrinkles.”
“What about work?” she asks.
“Work?” Why is she worried about work? Doesn’t she knowI’lltake care of her?
“Yeah, you know.” She adds another shirt to the suitcase. “Our jobs.”
“Oh, Petal.” I shake my head. “Your only job will be raising our kids. I’ll provide for you.”
“Kids?” She whips around to face me so quickly her legs tangle inherdress,and she pitches sideways.
Ever the gentleman, I dart forward tocatchher, holding her trembling body close to mine. “Of course. A boy and a girl.” I press my nose to her hair and inhale, breathing in hersweet citrussy scent.
“Um.”She’stense in my arms, not melting into me like she should.Why is she not melting?
“Um, what?” My voice snaps out, making her flinch.
“This just all seems so... fast.”
“Fast?”Ishout as I shove her away from me, sending her crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and tulle. “I’vebeenwaitingyears. Literal years, Scarlet.It’snot my fault you never noticed me.”
I stare down at her as she cowers on the floor. Something dark inside of me delights at seeing her fear.“Whydidn’t you ever notice me?” Iroar,slammingmyhands downonto the small table.
“I’m sorry,” she cries. “Clint, p-please, I’m sorry.”
The sight of her glassy eyes and tear-stained cheeks soothes the monster raging inside of me, and I rush to her, bundling her up into my arms. “It’sokay, Petal.Everything’sgoing to be okay now. But we need to get on the road soon.”
“Can I, um, can I ask where we’re going?”sheasks, leaning away from me. Idon’tlike thatshe’sleaning away. She should lean in.
I tighten my arms, leaving her zero wiggle room. “That’s for me to know.”
“Right. Oh-okay.” She nods, and I release her.
“I just need to get a few things in order.” I stomp over to my bedside table and fling open the drawer. “Somethingold, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.”
“Oh god.” She sniffles, her right hand shooting up to her throat. “Clint, where’s all of my stuff? My necklace?”
“You don’t need those things anymore.” My lip curls as I think about her scrubs and sneakers.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why don’t I need my phone...” She looks down at her bare feet. “My shoes.” She touches her throat again. “My necklace.”
Ijust barely stifle my eye roll. “If you must know, your phone is smashed on the side of the interstate. Your clothes are in a dumpster. Anything you need,Iwillprovidefor you. Now, let me focus, Scarlet.”
“Here’sthenew,” I mutter, ignoring her as I set thelace wedding garter on my bed. “Borrowedand blue.” Iaddthebracelet I nicked from Cara beside it, the blue gemstones sparkling even in the low lighting. “Old...” Iscratchmy head. “Old...”How did I forgetold?
“M-my necklace!” Scarlet practically shouts. “It’sold. It was... my mom’s. She passed it down to me.That’swhy... why I asked about it.”
My sweet, precious, perfect Petal. Always so in tune with my needs. “It’s in the kitchen. I’ll retrieve it.”
Igrab the necklace from the kitchen counter,fingering the delicate wing of the butterfly.It’sfitting for her, really. “Turn around and lift your hair.”
She sucks inshuddering breath before giving me her back.
“Your hair. Lift it.”
