SCARLET MEETS MILA

34

"You look sad." Maisie digs her new set of colouring pencils into a picture of a sleeping otter, her tongue poking through her lips as if it will help her to stay inside of the lines. "Did you cry today?"

I shake my head and smile. "I'm not sad. And no, I didn't cry today." I lie. "I'm just super tired. Scarlet needed a lot of help with her models."

She shuffles on her knees and reaches for a slice of pizza. "That's ok." She mumbles between bites. "I had a hard day too. I got a boyfriend and did two spelling tests."

Willow chuckles. "I thought we talked about boyfriends."

"I'm not waiting until I'm twenty to have a boyfriend." She folds her arms grumpily, a small smile creeping through the false anger. "Mila has a girlfriend. I have a boyfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend." I reply, trying my best not to alert Maisie to my open wound.

She glares at me. "Yes you do. Scarlet told me she likes you more than a friend and you hang out a lot." Willow cocks a brow and looks at me subtly. "If you like someone more than a friend that means you are in love."

I swallow hard. "She said that?"

Maisie nods furiously. "Yes. When we had dinner at her house the other day."

"Ok kiddo." Willow interjects. "I think that's a wrap. Come on, let's go to bed."

I pull the blanket over my thighs on the couch and kiss Maisie goodnight. Tears begin to swell in my eyes for the third time today, and the mention of Scarlet's name has me throwing my head back against the pillow behind.

My phone buzzes beside my leg. I know it's her. Since getting home, she has called me five times. I don't answer. Instead, I close my eyes and try to stop myself from having another breakdown.

"You need a drink?" Willow returns and walks into the kitchen. "I bought beer."

"Fuck it." I huff. "Why not."

"Good answer." The cold bottle slides into my hand before Willow tucks herself in at the other end of the couch. "It's a good tool for the broken hearted."

"I'm not broken hearted."

Willow scoffs. "Give it up." She snarls. "You've had it bad for her from the moment you met her. I mean, come on. You let her make you dinner and give you head before a night of spooning in her thousand dollar sheets."

I roll my eyes. "Not helping." I grunt. "Today sucked, and if it wasn't for the paycheque, I'd be out of there for good."

"You don't mean that, though. Do you?" I look up at her with hot cheeks. "You wouldn't leave if she was paying you less than a dime."

I chew my lower lip, my heart sinking. "Probably not."

"Look." Willow sits up straight. "Whoever this Harlow woman is. I'm sure she's just an old habit. Like a friends with benefits type thing that she's struggling to break." I sip the beer in my hand. "Scarlet likes you, I can tell. Why not just hear her out?"

"She kissed me in her office and then an hour later kissed Harlow." I explain. "Harlow had her pinned to the wall and they were really going for it."

Willow sighs. "I just think there has to be more to it than this." She muses. "Why would she admit to liking you and wanting to see you more if she also had something with Harlow?"

I shrug. "Some people don't like the monogamous thing. Maybe she wants both."

Willow ponders on my statement with a shaking head. "I don't agree." She points. "Something weird is happening. You mentioned them being catty before you left, maybe it was a rage kiss."