I give her space, but apparently not enough. I'm standing in the office looking at her name on the schedule. The whole week is scratched out.
"Where's Scarlett?" I ask Karianne.
"I think she went to see her parents." She says hesitantly and I know she is lying.
"Is she okay?" I ask.
"Yeah Luke. Just wait for her. She cares about you more than you know. She will be back soon."
"Okay."
I text her on Monday after drinking a twelve pack of beer.
Where ate u? I mis you
Are*
I miss you.
Pleeese come.hoem.
Hlme.
Fuxk.
PLEASE COME HOME!
I need snuggles
Don't you miss me
Please
I'm not proud of my drunken texts. I just miss her. I follow routine: work, home, drink, think about Scarlett.
I move from beer to whiskey by Wednesday.
Stacey won't leave me alone with Scarlett gone and with my mood change she keeps trying to "make me happy".
It's Thursday and I'm a little hung over. Her voice is annoying the fuck out of me but she keeps talking.
"Want to hang out tonight?" She says filing her nails and obnoxiously chewing gum.
"I have plans."
"Break them. Scarlett is MIA." She blows a bubble.
"So."
"So she does this. Then she comes back all sad and weird..." she laughs "or weirder."
"What do you mean she does this?" That sure got my attention.
"She disappears." She says simply.
So Scarlett has disappeared before? Maybe she just goes to see her family? Maybe she is hiding something. Her scarred arms flash through my mind and my heart breaks for the beautiful woman I'm in love with.
"...so come with us." I hear.
"What?" Fuck.
"The bar. Come with us." She says
"I have to pee." I say and stand. I doubt she will follow me there... I hope.
I walk in the cold bathroom and lean against the counter.
Is it stupid that I miss Scarlett this much? I can't stop thinking about her. I can't stop thinking about kissing her.
I'm also worried about her. Something isn't right. I can feel it. All my instincts are yelling to help her, but I don't know where she is or how.
Give her time and stop being crazy. I tell myself.
So I fight the urge to text her and I brave the rest of the day working with Stacey. I successfully dodge her most of the day, luckily.
When I get home, I drink and think about Scarlett then I drink some more.
Then I drunk text her again.
Please come home soon. I'm falling apart without you.
I fall asleep with my phone and an empty bottle of whiskey; dreaming of honey brown eyes.
YOU ARE READING
For Keeps
RomanceLuke wanted to be a soldier for as long as he could remember. Now, after an injury forced him out of the Army, he finds himself in Montana wondering what to do now. Scarlett fled her previous life and wound up in a quiet Montana town. She built up...
