SCARLET MEETS MILA

36

Scarlet

I push my key into the lock and take a deep breath. The smell of fresh pasta and tomato sauce reminding me I haven't eaten in hours. I can hear Harlow in the kitchen, and as I make my way through the hall, I notice her and Teddy to be giggling over a remote control monster truck.

It takes him no longer than five seconds to register my presence, his Dino PJ's covered in chocolate and god knows what else. "Scarlet!" He runs toward me with his hands stretched out. I pick him up onto my chest and squeeze him tight. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby." I scratch the back of his head and swing him from side to side. "You have a good day?"

"Yeah!" He pushes back on my shoulders and looks at me with a beaming smile. "I got two stickers at school today."

"No way!" I gasp. "Did you do good?"

He nods passionately. "I didn't get into trouble and I helped my friend clean his toys away."

I place him on the counter and side eye Harlow now dishing up two bowls of pasta. "I'm proud of you. See, it's not that hard, right?"

He giggles mischievously. "I can do it again." He teases. "I like being naughty."

I cock my brow. "Theodore Ramirez." He hides his mouth with his hands. "We have to be a good boy at school. I don't want to have to speak to your teacher again. Understand?"

"I was only joking." He chuckles. "I said I'll try to be good."

"Mhm." I wink, dragging him onto the floor with a smile. "Go play. I'll be in after I've eaten, ok?"

He scurries away as if his life depends on it, and the bowl of hot pasta being handed across the counter forces me to sit. "This looks amazing." I say, digging my fork between the finely chopped vegetables. "I'm starving."

Harlow sits opposite me, her own bowl stacked high and steaming hot. "Teddy helped," She sighs. "He wanted to eat with you, but you were late."

"I had to stay behind." I defend. "Lake decided to pile on the paperwork after the transfer."

A moment of silence sits between us while we eat. Harlow continues to look at me, but I refuse to hold eye contact in fear it will spark a conversation.

"I made Fox help Mila with her list." Harlow speaks, placing her fork down with a sigh. "She was struggling, and since the other day, she really hasn't been herself."

I swallow hard. "I wonder why."

"It was my fault." Finally, I look up at her. "Not the time, or place." She admits. "It was inappropriate."

"Then why did you do it." Her eyes dip. "Why of all the places in the world, did you decide to kiss me in my office."

She shrugs slowly. "We were yelling at each other. I mean come on, you've been short with me for days now. I don't get it, Scarlet?" I tense my jaw. "I didn't think, and I know we don't really do things like that, but my brain just told me it was the right thing to do."

"I'm not being short with you."

"You are." She jabs quickly. "We had sex the other day and since then, you've been cold and distant."

I push my fork back into my bowl and lean back. I don't want to have this conversation right now. "I have been stressed, Harlow." I huff. "I'm not trying to start a war."

"Scarlet." Harlow taps the counter in front of me and cocks a brow. "Something is going on with you, and for the life of me, I can't figure it out. Can you just enlighten me this once?"

"I don't know." I lie. "There's a tonne of things. Teddy, Mila, work?"

"Teddy is fine." She huffs. "He's pushing buttons, that's what kids do. And Mila too. You don't have to be afraid of your emotions, Scar?"

"Well I am." I drop my forehead into my palms. "I'd rather not have any."

"So it's about Mila?"

I grunt. "Why does it matter. She doesn't like me at the moment. Consider the matter closed."

"The matter has been reopened. Sit down." I remove my hands from the counter, unaware of how she'd caught such a subtle movement. "You and Mila have something really good going on. Why would you walk away from it after one stupid mistake."

"She thinks I'm a hustler." I jerk. "She saw us kissing. Tongue deep after screaming at each other about a fucking document."

"Chill." Harlow snaps. "Just talk to her. Tell her how you really feel and go from there?"

"She knows how I feel." I correct. "That's kind of the problem."

Harlow crinkles her brow. "I'm not understanding."

"Good." I smile. "Because I'm not explaining."