SCARLET MEETS MILA

51

Mila

I don't see Scarlet for the remainder of the day. She was whisked off by Harlow and kept away for at least a couple of hours. My heart aches, and I'm left wondering what the woman could have wanted. Fox told me they haven't spoken in years. He mentioned their relationship flatlining and falling into the fiery pits of hell.

Why is she back?

I wish I had the answer, the power, the courage to do something other than tidy her office and put back the things she knocked over in her fit of rage. I've never seen her so furious before, her bulging neck vein and raised voice enough to make me fear her.

I can't fear her. She's hurting, and she's my girlfriend most importantly. It still feels weird to call her that. Everytime I walk through the floor, I have to slap myself and remember she owns this entire fucking building. This is her empire, and that crooked woman is set to destroy it.

"Mila James?" I snap back to reality at the sound of my name. Teddy holds a lady's hand in the distance, he smiles at me with a small wave, and the woman starts toward me. "Hello." She smiles. "Can I have the password?"

"Oh." I stammer. "Jasper."

The woman hands Teddy's palm over and he runs to cuddle my waist. Fox asked me to pick the kids up and take them home. Scarlet won't be back for a few hours, and for the first time ever, the school run is down to me. It's clear Scarlet has many safety measures in place when it comes to Teddy. Handing over a child in return for a password is for sure a new one to add to my list of strange encounters.

"He's had a great day for the most part." The bright eyed teacher beams. "We're just struggling to grasp the whole sharing concept."

He hides his head into my stomach and grumbles. "I didn't know?"

She nods politely. "It's something we're trying to work on. Little mister is very possessive. Her words are delicate and calm. "It's pretty normal for a single parent household. I'd suggest maybe practicing at home?"

"Of course." I laugh anxiously. "Absolutely. We can do that, huh, Ted?" He nods barely.

She reaches for my elbow and smiles. "He's a brilliant boy." She explains, lowering her voice. "I just don't want him to walk the world with no friends. Sharing is a fundamental skill."

I nod back. "Thank you." I press my lips together and smile. "Top of the to do list!"

"Perfect." She looks down at Teddy and scruffs his hair. "See you tomorrow, little man."

The driver opens the door and helps us into the back. Teddy sits quietly, his arms folded and his chin touching his chest. "You ok?" I ask him, tapping his knee with my finger. "You wanna talk about it?"

He shakes his head and scrunches his eyebrows together.

I sigh. "You know. I used to hate sharing." I begin, noticing his brow to twitch. "I used to want everything to myself. I thought that if someone else had my things they'd no longer be mine." He relaxes his face. "It took me a long time to realise that letting people have my things for a little while didn't mean they were gone forever."

"But they don't give them back." He growls, slamming back into his seat. "They keep them."

"Kinda like you huh?" He looks up at me. "They'll give them back eventually. Time is a magical thing. If you were to go and play with something else, you'll have your things back in no time."

He unfolds his arms and fiddles with the laces on his shoes.

I look at him and smile, reaching for his hand that squeezes mine with a sigh. "It's ok to feel upset sometimes." I whisper. "Even Spider-Man gets upset when he has to share."