Golden Stars / Scarlett Johansson

Chapter 33: Cold Edges

Y/N walked into the kitchen, the air feeling heavier than it should. Scarlett stood by the counter, her back to the doorway, staring blankly at the floor with a glass of water in her hand. The kitchen was eerily quiet, and the only sound was the soft trickle of water running from the faucet. Y/N swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten as she headed toward the shelf to grab the chips.

She could feel Scarlett's gaze on her—heavy, unsettling. As she reached up to get the chips, she heard Scarlett let out a quiet comment, her tone indifferent, almost condescending.

"Guess you'll be busy with Carolina this weekend. Must be nice."

Y/N frowned, the words stinging more than they should. She paused, her hand halfway to the shelf, but she didn't respond. Instead, she kept her eyes forward, pretending to focus on finding the chips, though her mind raced. Why is she acting like this?

The silence stretched painfully, and Y/N couldn't find the bowl she needed. She sighed, her movements a bit more frantic, her frustration growing. Scarlett, watching her struggle, let out a quiet huff, stepping closer. Without a word, she pushed Y/N aside—not roughly, but enough to make a point.

"Move," Scarlett muttered, her voice low as she opened the cabinet.

Y/N stepped back, a mix of confusion and hurt washing over her. As Scarlett reached for the bowl, she arched her back slightly, causing Y/N's eyes to drift to the curve of her hips, unintentionally landing on her ass. Y/N quickly looked away, feeling a wave of embarrassment crawl up her neck. But when Scarlett straightened up, holding the bowl in her hands, she wore a mocking smile.

"What's the matter?" Scarlett asked, shoving the bowl into Y/N's chest a little harder than necessary. "Distracted?"

The closeness between them was palpable, their bodies inches apart, Y/N's taller frame towering just a bit over Scarlett's 5'5" height. Y/N stood frozen for a moment, feeling Scarlett's breath on her face, but Scarlett's expression remained cold, almost smug, as if daring Y/N to say something.

Y/N swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks heat up. She wanted to say something, anything, but words failed her. Scarlett turned away, muttering something under her breath as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Maybe that's what you deserve."

Y/N's brow furrowed. She heard the words, quiet but clear. They clung to her like thorns. Her father's voice echoed in her mind, bitter and cruel: 'You deserve nothing. You're the reason your mother is dead.'

For a moment, she was back in that hospital room, her father staring at her with hollow eyes, his voice dripping with resentment. The weight of that memory pressed against her chest like a heavy stone, suffocating. 

She shook her head, trying to shake the thought away. She couldn't deal with that right now. Scarlett had already left the room, and Y/N quickly gathered the chips, her hands moving faster than her mind. She grabbed a smaller bowl and filled it with special chips for Rose, her heart racing for reasons she couldn't quite understand. 

When she returned to the living room, Chris and Calie were already sprawled on the couch, deep into the movie. Y/N handed the chips to Chris, who immediately started eating, and placed the smaller bowl of chips near Rose. Scarlett, sitting on the couch, reached out and took the bowl from Y/N without even looking at her. 

Y/N sighed softly, feeling the weight of Scarlett's coldness settle over her like a blanket of ice. She sat back on the floor near Cebrus, trying to focus on the movie, but her mind was elsewhere. The flicker of the screen reflected off her eyes, but she didn't register any of it.

All she could think about was Scarlett's behavior. The way she had brushed her off earlier, the way she seemed distant and cold now. What had changed? Was it really because of Carolina? And if so, why did Scarlett even care? Y/N replayed the moments over and over in her head, trying to make sense of it all. Her thoughts spiraled, looping back to her father's words—the ones that haunted her in the quietest of moments. 

'You deserve nothing. You're the reason your mother is dead.'

That voice, that cutting accusation, had shaped so much of who she was. It was why she always felt like she had to prove herself, why she hesitated to open up fully to anyone. She feared being close, feared losing people again, like she had lost her mother. Like she had lost her father, who gave her his heart.

The sudden flick of light broke her from her thoughts. The movie was over. Chris got up, stretching, while Calie nudged Y/N with her foot.

"You okay?" Calie asked, her voice casual but laced with concern.

Y/N blinked, quickly shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, though the lie sat heavy on her tongue.

She stood up abruptly. Her mind was a mess, her heart heavier than ever. "I, uh... I just remembered something," she said quickly, glancing around. "I've got somewhere I need to be."

Chris and Calie both started grumbling, clearly disappointed that she was leaving so soon, but Y/N barely registered their protests. Her gaze flicked to Scarlett, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow, her expression unreadable. The weight of Scarlett's stare was almost unbearable, but Y/N tried to ignore it as she walked toward the door.

"Cebrus!" Y/N called out, her voice a little louder than necessary as she grabbed her jacket from the rack. The dog trotted over immediately, wagging his tail, but even Cebrus seemed to sense the tension in the room.

Y/N slipped on her jacket, her fingers fumbling slightly as she reached for the door. She could feel Scarlett's eyes on her the entire time, but she didn't dare look back. She didn't trust herself to meet that gaze, not when her emotions were swirling so wildly inside her.

With a quiet sigh, Y/N opened the door and stepped outside, the cool air hitting her like a wave of clarity, but it wasn't enough to ease the storm brewing inside her.