Paradise Is Here

Music To My Ears (Scarlett Johansson IV)

☁︎

Eden's POV

I swear to god, trying to carry Scarlett while she's drunk is not an easy task. As I was leading her to my apartment she wouldn't walk normally, like she had lost her sense of walking. I get that she's drunk, but lord, does it feel like I'm teaching a baby how to walk.

"I am never letting you have shots anymore." I gently set her on my bed and she, without a thought, just flopped onto the bed.

"Your bed is sooo comfy!" Scarlett exclaimed while she rolled around. I giggled at her drunken state, then I remembered that I should probably prepare for a small bucket, medicine and a glass of water for her, so I did that and placed the essential items at the places they needed to be.

Suddenly, Scarlett began grunting in an annoyed tone, "What is it?" I asked.

"It's too...hot." That made sense since she just took at least 15 shots and she's also wearing a leather jacket. I opened my drawer and took out a pair of oversized t-shirts and shorts, each for the both of us.

"Okay, sit up." Since Scarlett was too drunk to pull herself up I had to make her sit. Nothing came across my head when I took off her leather jacket and heeled boots, until it was time to remove her top and trousers. I could feel my hands run cold and all the heat from them came rushing up to my face.

Oh come on, I've seen my other closest girl friends in their undergarments, a few times naked too! So this is nothing!

I started with her pants and through the process of undoing Scarlett's pants I could hear my own heartbeat thumping so loudly that it felt like I had my own ears against my chest. Once I couldn't take it anymore, I shut my eyes and ripped it right off of her legs and swiftly put on her shorts, then faced-palmed myself with both hands.

I can't do that again! I can't! I felt like I was going to have a heart attack! No! Let's just leave her shirt on, she looks comfortable enough in her own shirt. Wait......her bra though. I know she wouldn't be as comfortable with the bra still on her....Oh damn it!

Scarlett looked like she was laying back down on the bed, so I have to make this quick. I stared at her for a moment before taking a deep breath, slipping my hands under her shirt and reaching for her bra hooks on her back.

Unhooking her bra took me a little more effort than I anticipated and given Scarlett's state she had mistaken what I was doing for a hug. She wrapped her hands around me, pulling me closer to her and rested her head on my shoulder.

Once I finally undone her bra, I slowly slipped it out of her shirt then gathered all her clothes and placed it on a chair and as for me, I went into the bathroom and did my nightly routine, changing into the oversized t-shirt and shorts I chose earlier.

When I got back to my room I realised that moments like I wished I had a spare room or gotten a new apartment, "Should I just sleep on the couch or...Oh, what if she all of a sudden needs to puke? Yeah, I think I'll just stay with her."

As I sat down on my bed I glanced over at the clock, 11:45pm. I hadn't realised how late it had gotten, good thing I don't have work tomorrow. I pulled the cover over Scarlett's shoulder before setting myself in it.

Just after I had closed my eyes I heard Scarlett's voice, "Hey". I reopened my eyes, her eyes were slightly opened and just mindlessly staring at my shirt, "It got me curious about what Arnold said earlier..."

"Did Arnold mention something to you when I was gone?"

"No, you were there...everyone was there." I frowned as I was trying to figure out what she was trying to say and if it was the alcohol speaking, but she seems like she's sober now. "I saw the tension between you and your bandmates when Arnold said...'Except for one'. I'm curious as to what he meant by that."

"Oh...that." Now I understood what she was trying to say. I debated for a moment whether to tell her now or not. It's not that I don't trust her, I trust her completely. However, it's a topic I don't normally share with anyone and haven't told anyone except for those people who were with me at the time of events.

Well, since she asked might as well tell it. Besides, she might not even remember what I'm about to tell her, but let's see.

"We used to have one more bandmate back then, his name was Sylvester, Ves for short." I paused for a second as memories of him began coming back to me, "He was boyfriend and our relationship was...something. We were on and off, we'd argue one second then makeup the next, but then...we were all so young, we kept changing. Especially me, I was going through many phases, trying to figure myself out."

"Why did he leave the band?" Scarlett asked and a very specific moment emerged from the depths of my mind.

"Um...3 years in a relationship with him, it felt so...tiring...I wanted to end it right before moving away to Australia for university because if I didn't end it then...we'd just drift away from the long distance relationship and if I were to admit then we were in a toxic relationship, things weren't going as smoothly anymore, things were getting aggressive and I really wanted things to be over."

"And then?"

"Right after I had announced to everyone that I'll be leaving for university I pulled Ves outside and admitted everything I had been feeling...He didn't take it kindly...He began yelling things out and I...I" the terror I had felt that night still had its weigh on me making me feel uneasy.

A warm hand rested gently on my arm, "You're okay now. You're safe." Scarlett reassured me which calmed me down.

"Ves yelled so many things that it overwhelmed me so much I didn't see him raise his hand, striking it across my face...He slapped me so hard that I immediately fell on the floor. Next thing I knew I heard several footsteps, the door opened and I saw Dylan's shoes...Then a huge fight happened between Dylan and Ves." I took a moment of break then sighed, "In the end, I blacked out and found myself at the backroom couch where we all usually hang out when we wanted privacy and...that was that. We never saw Sylvester after that night..."

When I finally reached the end of my story I looked at Scarlett and surprise-surprise! She had fallen asleep, "Expected." I chuckled, after telling that whole unpleasant experience everything felt a little lighter now. I haven't really gotten the chance to talk it over with the others because I had to go to Australia the next day.

It was also the reason why I don't have too many friends aside from my bandmates and Arnold, and why most of the relationships I had previously been in didn't last long because I was afraid that the same thing would happen again. I had my guards up too high for anyone to reach.

However...

Why do I feel like Scarlett is trying to knock it down rather than climb over it?