19. Scarlet
NINETEEN
SCARLET
After we clean up from breakfast, I repack my bags, and head for my house with Ellis following behind me.
I don't know if it's because I'm worried he'll make fun of my driving or if it's because I know he used to be a cop.
Either way, I'm hyper-focused with my hands at ten and two, my eyes never leaving the road.
The drive passes quickly, and by the time we make it to my place, I'm excited to see Fefe. It's not often that I spend the night away from her, and I know the little diva will be every bit as excited to see me.
Except when we get out of the car, Ellis stops me before I can go inside. “What's your deal?” I ask.
“I swear to god, you have the situational awareness of a blind koala.”
“Thanks, they’re super cute.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as he nods toward the front door. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure you locked it when we were on the phone last night.”
I follow his line of sight and gasp. “What the fuck.” My pastel pink door looks like it’s been kicked in. “Yeah, no, I definitely didn't leave it like that.” I shiver as an ice-cold ball of dread settles in my stomach.
“You need to let me go in first.”
“What? No way.” I try to push past him, but he grasps my shoulders, holding me in place.
“Do you even hear yourself?” he growls, sounding like an angry caveman. “Someone broke down your door. Sit your ass down and let me check it out first. I’m trying to protect you.”
“I... I don’t want to be alone.” My confession hangs between us, but his hard glare softens.
“Why don't you call Nora and ask her to have Atlas come over?”
I worry my lip between my teeth. “They'll know we lied.”
He nods once. “I think it's time we come clean.”
“Okay.” I swallow roughly.
Ellis backtracks to his truck, only to return with a gun. “Is that necessary?” I ask, a million different worries flitting through my brain. Obviously, he’s trained to use it, but still, I can’t help but fret.
“If whoever kicked in your door is still inside, you bet your sweet ass it's necessary.”
I flinch as goosebumps cover my entire body. “Right. That makes sense.”
He starts toward my house. “Ellis?” I call out to him.
“Yeah, Princess?”
I lick my lips. “Be careful.”
He tips his head my way. “Always.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I watch him walk inside. Once he's out of sight, I move to the far corner of the porch and dial Nora.
“Hey, girl,” she says, clearly surprised to hear from me.
Makes sense, seeing as I'm not big on phone talking. “Hey, um, do you think Atlas could come to my place?”
She hesitates. “I mean, I'm sure he could. Can I ask why?”
“Um, it's a really long story. Ellis is here.”
“Ellis is there.” Those three words hold a boulder’s worth of disbelief.
“Mmhmm.” I nod even though she can't see me.
“Yep, he, uh, asked me to call you.” I rock back on my heels.
“Um, things with my stalker are a lot more serious than I've let on. And it looks like someone kicked down my door last night. Ellis is inside, scoping it out, and told me to call you and ask Atlas to come over.”
“Atlas, I need you to head to Scar’s. Now.” Redirecting her focus to me, she goes on, “I have a million and one questions. But he's on the way.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, emotion clogging my throat.
“No thanks needed. This is what friends do for each other, Scarlet.”
“Right.” I swipe away a rogue tear.
“Hey, you know what? I'm going to stay on the phone with you until he gets here, okay?”
Like an idiot, I nod again, and then hastily tack on. “Thanks, babe.”
“Is it dumb that I’m second guessing the theme for James’s party?” Nora asks, knowing any mention of her son will surely distract me.
“Yes. His party is literally weeks away. You’ve already sent the invitations.”
“I know.” She huffs. “God, I know. But he’s suddenly really into construction, and I saw some invitations online that said I dig being one with an excavator on it.”
“That is cute… but, babe, he won’t even remember it.”
She hums noncommittally before moving on to her the wedding and her upcoming her cake tasting.
I try to be a good friend and listen, but my mind is spinning. Why is this happening to me?
Finally, I hear the sound of Atlas's old truck rumbling as he pulls up. “He's here,” I say, interrupting her.
“Okay, good. If you need anything, I mean anything, Scarlet, you call me.”
“I will. I promise.” It pains me to lie to her, but the absolute last thing I want to do is drag her into my bullshit.
I'm expecting his scorn—or at least annoyance—when he hops out of his truck, but all he looks is concerned. “Are you okay?” he asks, his tone as gruff as ever.
I nod, wringing my hands together.
“Were you here when it happened?”
I roll my lips together and shake my head.
“You forget how to talk?”
“Um, no.” I train my gaze just on his chest. “I was...”
Ellis steps outside. “She was with me.”
“With you?” Atlas's eyes flare wide with surprise. “And you're both alive to tell the tale?”
“Ha ha. Funny,” I say, wrapping my arms around myself.
Ellis just shakes his head and turns to me. “I don't think you should go inside.”
“What?” I’m instantly on high alert. “Why?”
“Scarlet, please listen to me just this once and stay outside.”
“Absolutely not. This is my home. And I need to check on Fefe.”
“You mean the rodent in the pink cage? She's fine.”
“Do not disrespect the fluff,” I grumble, relief flooding my system. “But I still want to see her with my own eyes.”
“I understand, but I really don't think you should.”
“I appreciate all you're trying to do, but I didn't ask what you thought.” I square my shoulders and lift my chin. “I'm going in.”
“Stubborn ass woman,” Ellis mutters under his breath. “Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you.” He turns to Atlas. “You think you can call the cops?”
I freeze in place. “The cops? I figured we'd just go by the police department like last time.”
“What in the hell do you mean by like last time?” Atlas glares at us through slitted eyes. “Y'all have a lot to explain.”
Ellis glances down at his feet, guilt clearly written across his face. “Yeah, man. We do. But let's take care of this first, yeah?”
Atlas grunts but agrees. “Guess I'm calling the cops.”
I shoulder past Ellis, hell-bent on seeing everything he doesn't want me to.
“Scar...” He heaves out a resigned sigh and steps out of my way. “At least let me come with you.”
How bad could it really be? “Fine.”
I stop short the second I cross the threshold.
It’s so much worse than anything I ever could have imagined.
The meal from last night has been tossed all over my kitchen.
It's smeared across the table, the wall, and the floor.
My couch is flipped on its side, and my throw pillows are scattered around the room.
My TV screen is shattered, like someone beat it with a baseball bat.
Unsteady and shaking, I venture in further. “Who would do this? I croak, trying like hell not to cry.
Ellis squeezes my shoulder, offering me silent comfort before adding, “I don't know, Princess, but we're damn sure gonna figure it out. Have you seen enough?”
In all honesty, I have. In my heart of hearts, I know no good will come from me venturing into the bedroom. But my own morbid curiosity outweighs my fear. “I can handle it.”
I step into my bedroom and double over as the sight I'm met with hits me like a freight train.
My mattress is shredded. Blankets and pillows, too. My clothes are tossed all around the room, most destroyed.
But it’s the big, dripping red letters on the wall that truly stop me in my tracks.
I didn’t take you for a whore, Petal. Don’t you know? You belong to me.
“Fuck.” My heart beats wildly in my chest as I sway on my feet.
“Hey,” Ellis says, stepping up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. My head lolls back onto his shoulder as he instructs me. “Just breathe, deep breaths, like this.” He inhales deeply and holds it, before releasing it slowly. “In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
“Ellis,” I whimper, wishing like hell I could crawl into a deep, dark hole and never come out.
“I've got you.” He runs his hand up and down my arms.
“What do I do?” I cry, shaking out of his hold and glancing around the room.
The only thing untouched is Fefe's cage. She pops her head up at the sound of my voice, juking happily when she sees me. “It's okay, pretty girl.” I lift the hem of my shirt and wipe my tears, only for fresh ones to take their place. “We’ll figure this out.”
I want nothing more than to take her out and hold her, but my hands are shaking so hard, I worry I’ll drop her.
I’ve had Fefe about a year or so—I bought her in the aftermath of everything that happened with Nora—and while obviously a ferret can’t be an official emotional support animal, she soothes me in a way nothing else does.
“You're goddamn right we are,” Ellis agrees. “But for now, try not to touch anything. The cops will want to catalog everything.”
“What am I going to do?” My voice sounds frantic even to my own ears. “Where am I going to stay? My mom's out of town and—”
Ellis spins me to face him and thumps his fist against his chest. “You’ll stay with me.”
“I can't.” I’m sure he’s only offering to be nice or out of some misguided sense of chivalry. “I can't impose on you like that.”
“You're not imposing.” He’s trying to hide it, but I can hear the exasperation in his voice and see it in the tight line of his mouth.
“We’ll kill each other.”
He narrows his eyes in annoyance, but I don’t miss the way his lips twitch in amusement.
“You're staying with me, and that’s final.” I try to argue but he presses his index finger to my lips.
“You staying with anyone else puts them at risk. Staying at a hotel is not safe enough. The way I see it is, I’m your only option. ”
“How do you figure?” I put my hands on my hips as I glower at him.
“Simple, because if this motherfucker steps a foot on my property, it will be the last thing he ever does. I will end him. With zero hesitation.”