The Set Up

Chapter Eight

Scarlett's POV

I stumbled out of the orphanage and meandered back to the path we'd trudged on our way here to keep from getting more snow in my boots.

"When I asked if you had sisters, and you said 'something like that'..." Raven trailed off. I stopped, turning to see all four women - Riley, Peyton, Raven, and Vanessa - staring at me with similar looks. I sighed deeply, my breath coming out in a big misty cloud that billowed into the air.

"That was easier than explaining the whole truth," I murmured, looking up into the bright sky that'd just started to release big, fat flakes of snow. I closed my eyes and let the freezing cold envelope me for a moment. My nose and cheeks started to burn with the icy chill, the sensation reminding me of the sting I'd experienced years ago. Sometimes I welcomed the pain because it was familiar. Sometimes...sometimes I wished I was back there. With him. Eric. Not because I missed him. Damn, I hated him. I despised him. There weren't enough words in the dictionary to describe the loathing I felt for that man. But...I almost think it was easier then. I didn't have to wonder as much.

The torture stopped being so psychological towards the end. The beatings were like clockwork after a while. He was predictable, in a lot of ways. I hated myself more than him for even having those kinds of thoughts. My therapist told me it was normal to think that way every once in a while. That way of life had been my normal for so long.

No, I didn't miss him. And I certainly didn't miss the woman I was when I was with him. Cowardly, timid, meek.

"Scarlett?" Riley called loudly, pulling me from my thoughts and causing my head to snap back to look at her. I blinked a few times and brushed the snow off my face. I cleared my throat, realizing by their worried faces that they'd been trying to speak to me for probably a few minutes now while I was lost in my head.

"Sorry, I got lost for a moment there," I murmured while tapping my temple, pulling the edge of my bottom lip into my mouth and nibbling at it.

"Let's get inside. It's freezing out here," Vanessa commented before starting towards the pack house again. Her hand came to rest against the back of my arm, gently propelling me forward along with her. We all stomped the snow off ourselves at the door before removing our coats and gloves. Upon entering the kitchen, we came face to face with Jackie, who was happily munching away at her plate of French toast while scrolling through her cell phone.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed as she caught sight of all of us, a thick glob of syrup dripping down off her fork and onto the front of her pajama shirt in the process. I laughed before leaning against the counter across from her.

"Your mornings are getting later and later," I teased with a snicker. She just shrugged and popped her last bite of breakfast into her mouth as the rest of the girls laughed at her expense, chewing happily as I rolled my eyes.

"So, how was the orphanage?" she asked after swallowing her bite, causing the tension in the room to rise again to awkward levels. I knew she could feel it, but chose not to comment.

"A little worse for wear, but nothing that can't be fixed up. A kid I used to live with and care for back in a pack in North Dakota is here," I said, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Holy crap, what a small world," she pondered off-handedly before side-eyeing the other women in the room. I knew they still wanted to ask their questions about my own days in the foster system if the looks they were sporting were any indication.

"You were amazing with those kids," Peyton began, a look of complete sincerity in her eyes.

"Well, I know what they're going through. I've been there before," I murmured, looking away to the window and watching the snow continue to fall outside.