Golden Stars / Scarlett Johansson

Chapter 33: Shifting Tides

Y/N walked into the kitchen quietly, her presence barely registering as the sound of conversation and laughter filled the room. The smell of fresh pancakes and coffee hung in the air, and the clinking of cutlery against plates provided a soft backdrop. She paused for a moment, her eyes drawn to Scarlett, who was sitting at the table, feeding Rose. The sight made Y/N's chest tighten slightly—Scarlett's soft laugh as she teased Rose, her fingers gently wiping a stray bit of food from her daughter's cheek.

Y/N frowned, her thoughts swirling. She had wanted to help Scarlett with Rose earlier, but the way she had brushed her off left her feeling confused, almost hurt. She couldn't help but wonder what had changed between them. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Y/N quietly took a seat on the other side of Rose. The little girl beamed at her, her eyes lighting up as Y/N leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Good morning, my little star," Y/N said softly, her voice affectionate.

Rose giggled, clapping her hands, but Y/N caught a glimpse of Scarlett rolling her eyes. The subtle gesture didn't go unnoticed by anyone else at the table either. Chris and Calie exchanged a brief, knowing glance, but neither said anything. Y/N, trying to ignore the strange tension, sat back in her chair and quietly picked at her food, listening to the conversations swirling around her.

Chris and Calie seemed to be deep in discussion about their plans for the upcoming weekend, talking excitedly about possible outings and where they might go. Scarlett occasionally chimed in, her focus mostly on Rose, while Y/N remained silent, her thoughts far away. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Scarlett was acting distant—almost cold—and Y/N didn't understand why.

Once breakfast was finished, Chris clapped his hands together, grinning. "Alright, who's up for a movie?"

Everyone agreed, and they made their way to the living room. Y/N trailed behind, watching as Chris and Calie bickered good-naturedly over which film to watch. In the end, they settled on a romance movie that Calie had picked, something about love and stuff, which Y/N had to admit didn't particularly interest her.

Everyone settled on the couch, and as Y/N approached, she instinctively moved to sit beside Scarlett. But just as she was about to take her seat, Scarlett casually lifted her legs and stretched them across the couch, leaving no space for Y/N to sit. It was subtle, but clear—a silent message. 

Y/N frowned, her heart sinking a little. Without saying a word, she sat down on the floor instead, leaning back against Calie's legs, Cebrus curled up beside her. She tried to focus on the movie, but her mind kept wandering back to Scarlett. Why was she acting like this? Had she done something wrong? The tension gnawed at her, but she stayed quiet, unwilling to stir up any drama in front of everyone else.

As the movie played on, Calie, never one to keep her thoughts to herself, leaned down and whispered in Y/N's ear, her tone amused. "The woman in the movie? She's acting just like Scarlett, don't you think?"

Y/N glanced at her, confused. "Jealous? Of who?" she asked, genuinely not understanding where Calie was coming from.

Calie just shrugged, giving her a knowing smirk but not offering any further explanation. A moment passed before Calie, with a mischievous grin, said out loud for everyone to hear, "Oh, by the way, Y/N's going on another date with Carolina this weekend."

Y/N's eyes widened, and she immediately opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, Scarlett abruptly stood up, her face unreadable. She handed Rose to Chris, her movements almost too smooth, too controlled.

"I'm just going to get a drink from the kitchen," Scarlett announced, her voice neutral, but Y/N caught a hint of something underneath—something she couldn't quite place.

Y/N watched her go, her mind racing. Calie raised an eyebrow at her, clearly enjoying the situation far more than she should. Y/N shot her a look, but Calie just smirked again, her amusement evident.

"Why do you always do this?" Y/N whispered to Calie, shaking her head.

Calie's grin widened. "Because it's fun watching you squirm."

Before Y/N could respond, she felt a soft thud against her head. She blinked, glancing up to see Chris grinning down at her, holding a pillow in his hand.

"Hey, Y/N. Could you grab some chips from the kitchen?" Chris said, far too casually.

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him. She knew exactly what he was doing, but he just smiled innocently, clearly not giving her any choice in the matter. She let out a quiet sigh, pushing herself up off the floor. Cebrus looked up at her, his tail thumping lazily against the carpet, but he didn't move.

"Fine," Y/N muttered, brushing herself off. She shot one last look at Calie, who was practically bursting with amusement, before making her way toward the kitchen.

As she walked, her mind raced. She couldn't help but think about Scarlett's abrupt departure from the living room. Was it really because of what Calie had said? Did Scarlett actually care about her spending time with Carolina? Y/N frowned, her thoughts a jumble of confusion and uncertainty. 

She didn't know what she would say to Scarlett when she got to the kitchen, or if she would say anything at all. Maybe Scarlett was just thirsty, and Y/N was reading too much into everything. But there was something about the way she had left, something in her eyes that Y/N couldn't ignore.

Y/N took a deep breath, her heart pounding slightly as she approached the kitchen.