Chapter 7 – Scarlett
“Here you go,” I said, wearing a polite smile as I served a customer his order.
“Hmm. This smells nice,” he replied, rubbing his hands in glee. “I’m sure it’ll taste even better.”
“It certainly will,” I replied, straightening my spine.
He seized the burger from his plate, took a big bite, and let out a soft sigh. “Hmm. Perfect,” he said with his mouth full. “Just what I needed. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir.” I beamed at him, my lips curling into a grin. “Enjoy.”
With that, I stepped away from his table, delighted by his satisfaction.
I buried myself in work tonight, taking more orders than I ever had, all in an attempt to keep my mind occupied. The meeting with my father had affected me more than I cared to admit. And the more I tried to get him out of my head, the more the sounds of his vigorous coughs echoed in my mind.
He was dying.
I couldn’t understand why he’d ask to see me and then not explain himself at all. I had thousands of questions, but he hadn’t even answered one. He was such a terrible man and an even more horrible father; undeserving of my forgiveness.
Yet, a huge part of me wanted to reconcile with him.
The turmoil within me was threatening to rip my mind to shreds. He hurt me so much that all I wanted to do was hate him. But after what I saw at his place, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. At the end of the day, he was still my flesh and blood.
Although he left me with unanswered questions, a part of me still believed that all would be revealed in due time.
“Hey,” James called softly, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you alright?”
I stopped in my tracks, watching him walk up to me. “Yeah, I’m good. Why?”
He paused for a moment, casting a suspicious glance at me. “Don’t you think you need to slow down a little bit?”
My brows knitted together. “Uh…I’m working, James.”
“I know. I’m just saying that you’re taking on too much.”
I massaged my temples to soothe the ache in my head. “Thanks for the concern.” My lips curled into a faint grin. “But I’m fine. Really.”
Before the night ended, Damon and Audrey also cornered me at different times, both telling me the same thing: to slow down. However, working hard was the only way that I could get my mind off my problems.
It took the manager’s intervention to get me to take things easy. Plus, his approach left me smitten.
I was heading to a table to serve their order when he called out to me from behind.
“Scarlett.” His voice was calm and gentle.
I paused immediately, turning to answer him. “Yes?”
He quietly walked over to me with a look on his face I’d never seen before—charming with a touch of sophistication. “Got a minute?”
My eyes squinted, a hint of confusion flashing across my face. “Um…like right now?”
“Yeah.”
My heart skipped a beat as I wondered what this was all about. I didn’t remember breaking the rules or doing anything bad to get his attention. So, what the hell was going on?
“Okay, lemme just—” I gestured to the table.
“Hey, Audrey!” He flagged her down as she walked past us.
She stopped in her tracks, facing us.
“Take that.” He pointed at the tray in my hand. “And cover table twelve.”
Audrey’s gaze shifted between the two of us for a moment before she nodded. She stepped up to me, took the tray, and then dematerialized without a word.
After she left, I looked right at him and said, “I promise you, whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it.”
His lips curled into a small smile, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners. His neatly trimmed beard caught the light, as did his black hair, styled to perfection. His lean frame towered over me, his head lowered as he gazed down at me.
“What makes you think you did anything?”
“Well, it’s not every day your manager walks up to you mid-shift and asks if you have a minute,” I answered, my voice quiet and polite.
“True.” He let out a soft chuckle. “I just wanted to ask if you’re okay.”
My brows rose reflexively, shocked by the concern simmering beneath the surface. “Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
He was silent for a while before responding.
“When I’m overwhelmed by something, I tend to bury myself in work,” he said, his eyes pinned on me, his voice soft but audible. “Not because I love it, but because it’s the only way I can escape my reality.”
My throat bobbled as I swallowed hard, meeting his gaze.
“You’re running away from something, aren’t you?” he asked.
This man just read me like an open book—I wasn’t sure whether to find that disturbing or intriguing.
“You don’t have to tell me right now,” he added. “We can discuss it over the weekend.”
I furrowed my brows. “The weekend?”
“I’m sorry, I suck at this.” He chuckled lightly. “I haven’t asked a girl out in ages.”
Wait, what?
Is he trying to do what I think he’s trying to do? Is he asking me out right now? What the fuck? Am I ready for this? What should I say?
He curled his lips into a polite smile. “Would you like to hang out with me this weekend?”
Oh, shoot!
Panic set in, and I could feel my heart racing like a friggin’ galloping horse. I hadn’t gone out with anyone in a really, really long time, and I didn’t intend to do so any time soon.
What should I do? Ethan was a good man, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, especially after he revealed he hadn’t done this in a while. I was an introvert and would rather spend the whole weekend in my apartment than go out to have some fun.
I thought about declining his offer, but then I remembered my last conversation with Eva. She’d encouraged me to go out more often and live a little. If she ever found out that I turned down an opportunity to hang out with a guy, she’d kill me.
It hurt when she told me bluntly that I wasn’t living; I was only existing. As painful as that was, it was the truth. My life was boring and gloomy, and I was always so lonely. I woke up every day, repeating the same routine over and over—nothing new ever happened.
She was right when she said I needed more excitement and adventure to spice up my life. So maybe going out with Ethan wasn’t such a bad idea. Trying something new wouldn’t kill me—besides, he wasn’t good at this either.
I let out a soft exhale, letting all my anxiety evaporate. “Where do you have in mind?”
A radiant smile spread across his face, accentuating the relief in his gaze. “I’m not sure,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “Where do you wanna go?”
My heart warmed with affection, and as simple as that question was, it stirred something inside me. I lowered my head, tucking some stray strands behind my ear to mask my flushed cheeks.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I answered, raising my head again. “I don’t go out very often.”
“That makes the two of us,” he answered amidst chuckles. “I’ll figure something out, and um…I’ll text you.”
“Mm-hmm.” I nodded, lips pursed, fingers tapping absently on my apron.
He held my gaze a while longer before quietly walking away. “Oh, one more thing.” He stopped in his tracks, turning to face me. “Congratulations on your final exams.”
I beamed at him. “Thank you.”
Ethan gave a curt nod, then turned around and left.
I let out a soft sigh after holding my breath for so long.
“I take it back,” Damon said, materializing beside me. “You’re not allergic to fun.” His lips curved into a mischievous grin.
“Hey, what was that about?” Audrey approached us, casually flexing her thumb toward Ethan.
“Ethan asked Lettie out on a date, and she said yes,” Damon answered, tapping my shoulder.
“What? That’s good news!” Audrey laughed, spreading out her arms.
I bowed my head in shame, rubbing my eyes with my fingers. “Don’t you guys think you’re exaggerating a bit? I mean, it’s not even a date.”
“Of course, it is,” said Audrey.
“What’s going on here?” James joined the conversation. “Are you guys having a meeting without me?”
“Ethan asked Lettie out on a date, and she said yes,” Damon and Audrey chorused.
“Oh, my God,” I murmured under my breath, knowing James would make a big fuss about it.
His brows shot up in disbelief. “Shut the front door!” He lifted me off the ground. “Damn, girl, finally!”
“Put me down.” I giggled as he spun me around twice.
While these crazy folks of mine were busy helping me plan my date, my eyes were fixed on the space across from me. I didn’t realize how charming and sweet Ethan was until now. He wasn’t the most handsome man in the room. But he was an amazing person.
How come I’d never noticed him this whole time?
He locked eyes with me and beamed that charming smile that melted my heart like ice cream. Maybe Eva was right after all—maybe all I needed was some excitement in my life. I wasn’t sure where this thing would lead, but I sure loved how it made me feel alive again.
I was never going to look at Ethan the same way again, because now it felt like a veil had been lifted from my face. I saw him differently, in a way I never had, and there was no going back.
All through the night, we shot hidden glances at each other as I worked. To celebrate my upcoming date with Ethan, Damon and the others decided to ease my stress by refusing to let me work as hard as before. I didn’t like the idea, but those stubborn mules were unrelenting.
Later, after closing hours, Ethan offered to walk me home, but I politely declined his offer, saying he’d made my night already. He asked if I was sure, that he didn’t mind at all, but I insisted that I would be fine on my own.
I saw the reluctance in his eyes; however, he respected my decision in the end.
“Call me when you get home,” he said.
I nodded. “I will.”
“Good night, Scarlett.” He beamed at me.
“Good night, Ethan,” I replied in the same soft tone.
And with that, we both went our separate ways.
The city was quiet at this ungodly hour as I strolled down the lonely streets, heels clicking against the pavement. My hands were buried in the pockets of my leather jacket, the moonlight silvering everything in its path.
I had my headphones strapped on while descending the gentle slope. The gentle breeze was cool against my skin, the music in my ears silencing the world around me.
This was my street, and I’d been walking down this path every night for the past few years now. The neighborhood was peaceful, and I’d never had any reason to fear for my safety. Never.
I thought tonight would be just like every other night—that I would tread this lonely road in the cover of darkness and still return home safe and sound.
I was wrong.
At first, it was just a feeling, a prickle at the back of my neck—like a signal—one that I chose to ignore. Then it transformed to something more sinister, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being followed.
I could’ve ignored it too until I heard the sound of a twig snapping behind me. I took off my headphones and turned around—to my surprise, there was no one there. My eyes squinted, a whisper wondering whether or not I had heard what I thought I heard.
I clasped the headphones back on and continued my journey. However, I didn’t walk for long before I heard footsteps behind me. I thought it was just some random person walking the same path as me. But soon enough, I realized that every time I took a turn, this figure would follow me.
To test my theory, I stopped in my tracks, hoping they’d move past me.
They didn’t.
I picked up my pace again, and they did the same, the footsteps pounding against the pavement.
I stopped abruptly, and so did the footsteps behind me.
What the fuck?
At this point, my heart began hammering in my chest, and I was too afraid to look back. So, I kept going, gradually increasing my pace. To my shock, the faster I moved, the heavier and closer their footsteps became.
Holy shit!
Somehow, I summoned the courage to glance over my shoulder, and that’s when I saw two hefty figures rushing to catch up with me.
My heart sank into my stomach, and without thinking twice, I bolted. I could hear the heavy footsteps as they chased after me. I flicked off my heels and ran barefoot, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Help!” I screamed. “Somebody, help!”
No answer.
The only sound other than my voice was their footsteps catching up behind me.
I had no idea who those guys were or what they wanted from me, but I wasn’t going to slow down at all.
The wind brushed against my face as I ran like my life depended on it—because it did.
Running was much easier after I ditched the heels, and although shards of glass and other sharp objects on the pavement pierced my feet, I refused to slow down.
I screamed when a black van screeched to a halt in front of me. Two masked men hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed me by the arm. Reflexively, I kicked one in the nuts and scratched the other in the face. My nails dug into his flesh, peeling off as much skin as I could.
However, before I could take two more steps forward, a huge hand covered my mouth and nose from behind. I inhaled the intoxicating scent from the cloth, and within seconds, my vision blurred. My legs turned to jelly, my body felt weak, and the world around me began to swirl.
My kidnappers’ voices echoed in my ears as my hands fell to my sides, and I was whisked into the air.
I struggled to stay awake, but my eyes fluttered closed—out like a light.