13 Asher #3
I grab a couple bags of snacks, two bottles of water, and Scarlett’s favorite candy before heading back upstairs.
By the time I push open her bedroom door again, she’s already curled up beneath the blankets with the TV on low.
The second she sees me, she smiles softly.
“There you are.”
God, I could get addicted to hearing that. I grab the duffle from outside the door and carry everything inside before locking the bedroom door behind me. Scarlett raises an eyebrow.
“You locking me in here now, Knight?”
“Nah,” I say while tossing the bag near the dresser. “Locking everyone else out.” That earns me a quiet laugh.
I climb into bed beside her and immediately pull her against my side. She melts into me instantly like she belongs there, which she absolutely does. Game of Thrones is still paused on the screen while she steals some candy from the bag in my lap.
“You know,” she says thoughtfully, “for someone who claims he’s never watched TV before, you’re getting very emotionally invested in this show.”
“I am not emotionally invested.” She tilts her head up to look at me.
“You looked genuinely offended when Ned Stark died.”
“He had honor.” I argue and she bursts out laughing.
“You’re impossible.”
Before I can answer, loud pounding suddenly rattles the bedroom door.
“Asher!” Harper yells dramatically from the hallway. “Why the hell is the door locked?!”
Scarlett immediately starts laughing into my chest. I sigh loudly toward the ceiling.
“Because we’re resting!”
“Resting my ass!” Harper shouts back. “You guys are in there doing disgusting things while I’m emotionally suffering alone!”
“You’re not emotionally suffering,” Scarlett calls out between laughs.
“The hell I’m not! Roman stole the last piece of garlic bread earlier!”
“That sounds like a you problem.” I yell back. There’s another aggressive knock.
“We had a long day,” Scarlett calls out through her laughter.
“Oh my God, you’re defending him now too? This is getting sickening.” I shake my head while Scarlett hides her smile against me.
“Go bother Roman,” I yell toward the door.
“I tried. He threatened to throw me in the pool.”
“Do you want me to text Declan to come help him?” I ask.
“Wow. Rude.” There’s another knock before Harper gasps loudly.
“Wait… are you guys watching the next episode without me?!”
Scarlett immediately looks guilty.
“We were gonna come get you after!”
“LIARS!” Harper shouts. “You replaced me already!”
“You literally live ten minutes away and have been basically living here for a week” I deadpan.
“And yet somehow I still feel abandoned.”
Scarlett is laughing so hard now she’s practically shaking. “You’re so dramatic,” she calls out.
“I learned from the best,” Harper says proudly.
A second later another voice cuts through the hallway.
“Harper.”
“What?” she snaps instantly.
“Leave the lovebirds alone.” Roman scolds.
“I was emotionally bonding with Scarlett.”
“You were harassing them through a locked door.”
“I was checking on her!”
“By screaming?”
“It felt supportive.”
Scarlett buries her face in my chest laughing while I try not to smile. Then there’s sudden shuffling outside the door.
“Roman Knight put me down right now!”
“Nope.”
“You cannot just carry me away every time I annoy you!”
“Actually,” Roman says calmly, “I can.”
“Scarlett!” Harper yells dramatically as her voice starts fading down the hallway. “Your boyfriend’s family is kidnapping me!”
“She’ll survive! Go back to resting.” Roman calls back.
“I hate you!”
“That’s not what your texts said last night, baby.”
“Oh my God shut up!”
Their arguing slowly fades farther down the hall until the house finally goes quiet again. Scarlett wipes tears from laughing so hard before settling back against my chest with a soft sigh.
“I really love them,” she murmurs.
Not built from blood or obligation, but from loyalty, protection, and people choosing each other anyway.
I tighten my arm around Scarlett and pull her closer against my side.
She curls into me instantly, one hand resting lightly against my chest while the soft glow of the television flickers across the dark room.
Outside the bedroom windows the sky slowly darkens, the woods beyond the property swallowed by night.
But for once, none of it feels threatening.
For once there are no nightmares, no screaming, and no fear clawing at her.
She just feels like warmth and safe in my arms.
Scarlett’s eyes begin drifting shut halfway through the episode, exhaustion finally winning the fight.
“You falling asleep on me, Red?” I murmur quietly against the top of her head.
“Mmm… maybe,” she whispers sleepily. I smile softly and press a kiss into her hair.
“Get some sleep, baby.” Within minutes her breathing evens out completely.
I keep the TV playing low while my fingers trace absent patterns along her arm, my own eyes growing heavier the longer I hold her.
The last thing I remember before sleep finally drags me under is the weight of her in my arms and the terrifying realization that if anything ever happened to this girl…
I would burn the entire fucking world to the ground.