Intertwined

Chapter Seven

The Bahamas was amazing. Scarlet dreaded coming home. She had been back for an hour and hadn't bothered to let anyone know she was back. She spent the last week of her life accepting that Stone was going back to his ex-wife. She was single and okay with that. That was what she told herself every day. Although she was sad she truly was okay with that. Sometimes a person's purpose was the point of knowing them more than anything. Stone had forever changed her. He was the glue she needed to help put herself back together. That she would be forever grateful for. 

Scarlet placed an order through Instacart and called to have her laundry picked up. She wanted to bring order and freshness to her apartment. She spent her Sunday afternoon cleaning and listening to music. After receiving her groceries she took a shower and started dinner. She was in her zone prepping her salad ingredients when there was knock at her door. She had a feeling it was Stone. Kindred spent her entire Sunday at church. Nobody else came to her place.

She opened her door expectantly but it wasn't Stone. It was young man holding a huge teddy bear and a bouquet of sunflowers. Scarlet grabbed her wallet to tip the guy and accept her gifts. "Hoping vacation was kind to you. I miss you and cant wait to see you, Baby." It was from Stone. Scarlet refused to read into the card. She texted thanking him for the flowers and bear. Almost as quickly as she sent the text there was another knock at the door. This time it was an edible arrangement. She couldn't help but smile. That would make the perfect dessert. She pulled the steaks out of the over just before yet another knock came at the door. She wondered what else Stone could have sent her.

She opened the door once again. Stone stood there with the most charming smile. It was contagious. She couldn't help but to smile back as she stepped aside to welcome him into her place. She hugged him lightly without trying to enjoy it too much. She wasn't going to play games and end up going from the girlfriend to the side chick. "I was about to have dinner. Hungry?" she asked as she put the flowers in a vase on the center of her dinging room table. He nodded the affirmative as she grabbed the dishes out the cabinet. They worked together silently making plates and setting the table.

"How was vacation?" Stone asked breaking the silence. Scarlet smiled as a dozen memories raced into her mind. "It was much needed and very beautiful. I cant wait to go back." She paused for a second. "I'm actually trying to decide between Thanksgiving and Christmas." She was tired of spending her holidays home, alone and sad. It was time to lean into the benefits that came with being in her thirties, successful and kid free. She could pick up and go. It was time for her to start filling up her passport and seeing more of the world. The look of concern on his face brought her back to the moment. "Dang, no time for me on the holidays? Got me feeling like a hoe ass nigga." Stone finally understood how Carmine probably felt over the years. The only time she got to see him on holidays were at family functions where someone else in the family had invited her or it would have been too obvious something was going on by not inviting her.

"That's not the case Stone. I just don't want to be presumptuous. I also don't want to spend all my holidays alone in this apartment. Kindred has a big family. She is always gone for the holidays. I am always welcome but I am tired of always being the honorary family member. You have a family of your own and children to spend the holidays with. They are right around the corner. Will we be at that level by the time they come? Will we even be together still by the time they come?" Scarlet looked at him waiting for answers. "Carmine told me this was happening and I refused to believe her." He grabbed Scarlet's hand.

"I hope we are still together for the coming holidays and many more to follow after that." He looked into her eyes but nothing in them said she was sold on his hopes. "My ex-wife did express a desire to put our family back together. I will admit I didn't give her an answer. I wanted to really think about the choice I was making and make sure it was the right thing. More than that I was astounded by finding out she was living in a shelter with our children. I pulled some strings and got her moved. I got her a car and a nanny to help with the kids. I haven't given her an answer because I don't know how to tell her I don't want to get back with her." There was finally a slight glint of life in Scarlet's eyes.

"When Ruby left I had to fight to see my kids. I had to go through third parties to pick up my kids. I had to submit requests to the court if I wanted my kids for something outside of my court ordered time. She let me come put the kids to bed. She lets me pick them up throughout the week and spend time with them. I wont lie I am scared to lose that." He looked sad. Scarlet braced herself for the break up line she was expecting. "I feel horrible and selfish Scar but I want to be with you. I have to just hope that now that she isn't mad she wont change up on me when she find out that I don't want to get back together." Scarlet exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding. She freely smiled for the first time that night.

"I wont deny being surprised or elated Stone, but I don't want to be the cause of any hardships you go through with your children." Scarlet shared. Hearing everything made it hard to be happy he wanted to choose her. "You're not. I already told you that during my marriage I cheated. Often. My ex is a lovely woman. She just isn't the woman for me. At the root of all my cheating was a desire for something or someone different than who she was. It's not fair to be with someone knowing in the end they aren't what you want or need in your life. She deserves the chance to find the man that thinks she is everything he wants and need." Scarlet nodded unable to disagree with that statement.

"So what now?" Scarlet asked. "I am going to have a talk with her tomorrow. I invited her to brunch. I am going to just be honest with her. Hope that everything doesn't go to shit." Scarlet nodded but that wasn't what she wanted to know. She wanted a more clear defined line of what was happening with them. "As for us," he began as if knowing what she was thinking. "I want us to continue to build and grow closer. I want you to meet my kids. I want to spend holidays together. Everything I want out of life I want to have it with you." Scarlet felt her pulse quicken. She always wanted to hear something like that from a man. She dreamed of being the chosen one.

They retired to her living room to talk about the last week of their lives. It was hard to keep the conversation flowing because Stone's phone kept going off. Scarlet wondered if it was work or family. Her wonders were cut short when Stone announced he had to go. Something was going on with his children that required his presence. Scarlet saw him out and went back into her home to replay the conversation they just had. She couldn't help but to wonder how much of a pain the ass the former Mrs. Stone was about to be. She knew she would probably reach a point where she had to decide to either fall back or fight for her man. Something inside of her told her his ex-wife was going to put up a fight. She had waited many years for a man like Stone. She lusted many months over Stone. He was hers. Only way she was walking away was if he got her fucked up. One thing she would never tolerate again was bullshit. Not even from Stone.