𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇 | Evansson¹

Chapter 16

Here's chapter sixteen!:))

]|I{•------» CHAPTER SIXTEEN «------•}I|[

"Can I go inside?"

Chris nodded his head before closing the gate and walking into his house with Scarlett fidgeting beside him.

"Is she asleep?" If there was an award for hiding what you feel, Scarlett would have been the winner because the way she asked that question and how she tried to keep her composure was one of the most unforgettable things she'd ever done.

Chris smiled as he glanced at her over his shoulder. "Fast asleep. She must have been tired of playing games with her cousins lately. I mean, who wouldn't be? She's the eldest, and five-year-olds are annoying enough to tire anyone out with all the running around the house."

He even added some sarcasm to his tone, but he knew that she knew it was his way of keeping everything serene and usual.

"Yeah, no doubt. She was knocked out not just once but countless times when her sister asked her to play hide and seek."

Scarlett almost giggled at the thought, but she wasn't at his house for nothing. She was there for something important. She had a purpose, so she took a deep breath and asked him, "How is she?"

Those words alone reminded Chris of Scarlett crying over the past days. He knew her well enough to see even the slightest change in her feelings and actions.

"She's doing great. She likes to paint, draw, and even sing. And I won't deny the fact that she misses her sister every single day. She's a really good singer, you know? And I now know her favorite song." Chris said happily, his blue eyes dancing under the dim lights of the house.

"Really? What is it?" Scarlett asked, giggling.

Chris shrugged. "All Too Well, by, uh, Taylor Swift."

Scarlett smiled and looked Chris in the eye, studying him. She wanted to hug him and tell him how sorry she was, but it wasn't the right time. Perhaps the thought of embracing him would lead to something they wouldn't like.

She just smiled, though it was the same smile no more. Her eyes were still on him, but the feeling in her heart was unbearable and inevitable. If a minute passed, she'd be on the verge of a breakdown.

She knew the atmosphere wasn't good when Chris had his hands in his pockets or on his waist. She knew him well enough too.

"How are you? How have you been doing?" She finally got the courage to ask, even though she could feel the tears brimming in her eyes.

She had no one, nothing. The person she wanted to spend her whole life with wasn't there, wasn't willing to be by her side. And now this man in front of her seemed like he didn't want to see her. She could even feel his direct gaze on her, but she didn't care.

"I'm good, doing great as usual," was his nonchalant answer.

She nodded her head, and before she could even think of what she was supposed to say next, Chris asked her the very same question. "How about you?"

The concern was still in his tone, though it was nothing but a forced affection for Scarlett.

"I—uh, I'm good, actually. Just haven't gotten much sleep." She even tried putting sarcasm in her voice, but it didn't work. He still wasn't convinced that she was doing great.

I miss you. I need you. I love you so much that it hurts to see how differently you're treating me now. The back of her mind screamed, but she quickly shoved it away.