Scout: Devil's Rose #11

Chapter 2: Violet Monroe

"Vi, are you coming out tonight with Clara and me?" my best friend and roommate Harper Sheppard calls out to me.

She's been trying to get me to go out to one of the many Grove Heights clubs for a few weeks now, but I haven't been able to do it.

I haven't told her anything, she thinks her boyfriend just dumped her and ran off because he was tired of her, so I'm not surprised that she can, but I'm not in the right headspace for that.

I mean, yes, what Harper thinks of her ex is awful. If that was what actually happened, I would feel terrible. I do feel terrible but for different reasons. But she's tough.

She woke up one day to find all his shit gone from her bedroom, and she brushed him off in about forty-eight hours before getting off her ass and getting shit done. I want to be like her when I grow up.

But even the thought of being a club right now does not sound at all fun. She can tell something is off with me. As my best friend of three and a half years now, it would be odd if she didn't know that something was wrong.

That's partly why she's pushing me to get out. She doesn't know how bad it was though. She has no idea what her ex did to me. That's not her fault at all. That's on me and what I have chosen not to say. I sort of wish I had the courage to say something.

I wish that I could just be like, I know you mean well, but fuck, I'm going through a traumatic event in my head over and over again and I don't know what to do. Please, stop pushing me to go out where men are.

I just don't want to burden her with something that already happened and that she had no control over. I don't want her to blame herself.

"I'm not sure if I want to," I say back to her, stirring my pound of angel hair pasta into the boiling hot water.

I feel her soft hand land on my shoulder, and I turn towards her, keeping the steaming pasta fork away from her.

"Are you okay, girly?" Harper asks me softly, "You've been acting different lately, and I want to make sure that you're alright."

"I'm just trying to handle something, and it's making me tired," I answer extremely vaguely.

She can tell that she can't ask me straight about it but also can tell that it could be drawn out of me if I'm willing.

"Do you want to talk to me about it?" she questions.

"It would take all night."

"And that's totally okay, babe. Clara and I can go out another day."

"I would prefer it happen while we go for a walk or something. And it's too cold out right now."

"Okay. Well, tomorrow is a Sunday, so I don't have work and neither do you. So, if it's nice out, we can go to Sunburst Woodlands."

Sunburst is our favorite place to walk and decompress. She knows me well.

She pats my cheek with her warm hand, double-checks that I don't want to go out, and when she gets confirmation that I want to stay in for the night, she skips out of the door.

As she shuts it behind her I can hear Clara (last name Bailey) scream Harper's name, and the sound of their heels as they run toward each other. I smile as I mix the pasta once again, grateful to have them as friends, grateful that they love and care for me even if I'm more of a homebody than they are.

I turn on the TV and head to Netflix, like most normal adults in the world on a Saturday night. I turn on Derry Girls because it's the best show on this planet and settle onto my couch. I sip on my red wine as I finish my first bowl (one of many) of pasta.

One episode turns into another. I get a text from Harper that she's going to be staying at Clara and her girlfriend's for the night instead of coming home to the apartment. She's such a goofball. My goofball though.

After cleaning up my plates and dirty dishes, I take a shower and change into a hoodie and sweatpants before sitting back down on the couch to finish another season or two of Derry Girls.

These are how most of my nights go, and I can't say that I hate that. I'm either doing this or reading a good book or painting. I used to go out more, but I can't find myself wanting to recently.

I'm tired and frankly just not interested. I think it partly has to do with what happened with Harper's ex-boyfriend, but it also lacks the fun that it used to. I feel like that's more of a me problem than anything.

At around midnight, closer to one, my phone begins to ring, jolting me out of my blurry-eyed stare at the TV.

"Hello," I answer it, my voice sort of groggy.

"Oh, hi. Usually, people don't answer their phones to strangers at this time of night."

It's definitely a man on the other hand. Or just a woman with an incredibly deep voice.

With the red wine buzz, I definitely don't need a sexy voice in my ear.

"Gonna be honest, I didn't even check if I knew the person."

"You probably should. What if it's some weirdo on the other end?"

"Are you calling yourself out?" I tease, feeling the effects of the wine more than I need at this moment.

"Never said I was a weirdo."

"Okay, well. Can I help you with something?" I question, now very curious as to why this random man has called me at one in the morning.

"I'm not sure if you want to talk about what I have to ask you about right now. Usually why I leave a message this late, so people can dwell on it before calling me back."

"Just tell me. Too late now," I demand and yet joke at the same time.

"It's about Kai Madison."

I haven't heard his name in a while. I can barely say it to myself.

"How do you know him?" I croak out.

"I know what he may have done to you. I'm part of his investigation for his capture," the man says directly, no longer keeping anything secret from me.

"Who do you work for?"

"Devil's Rose MC."

"You guys are on this?"

"A fellow member of ours was also affected by his decisions. And we would like him to face the appropriate consequences."

"Why do you need anything from me?"

"Because all information we can gather on him is important. Also because a friend of yours dated him, you might have more to give us than anyone else."

He pauses, giving me space to reply in whatever form that may be. But I just keep breathing into the phone. My whole body suspended from moving.

"Look, Violet, whatever you decide to do about my call is up to you fully. I'm not going to push you to do anything further in telling me anything or contacting me. It's your decision to make.

"If you do decide to share whatever information, which I personally would appreciate, you can call me at this same number or stop by the Devil's Rose bar on Main Street in Westmoor. Also, this is my cell, so you can text me at this number too. I'm not here to open old wounds-"

"They aren't old wounds. It happened a week ago. And then he ditched town."

I don't know why I told him anything. I don't know his name. I don't know anything about the guy on the opposite end of the call, I just knew I needed to get it out.

"I would prefer to tell you the rest in person," I confide.

"Okay, sure. Where?"

"Oakwood Meadow. Near the fountain in the center. Noon tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"You didn't even have to check anything?"

"This is more important than anything else that could be happening in my life."

I take a deep breath, oddly comforted by him.