Wilting Roses (Formerly known as Arranged)

Looking for Shelter

Chapter Thirty Six

Shouting erupted everywhere. She stood front and center in the Heart's large manor. Her eyes lowered to the ground starring into the patterns of the large rug before her. Her heart was thumping hard inside her chest as she clutched her arms around her body.

"How could this have happened, explain to me what went on?"

"Did Dathan hurt you?"

"How dare you accuse my son?"

"This is getting out of control!"

"Look at her face, who else could have done this!"

The shouting was overwhelming Scarlett as she felt tears pour from her eyes. Her sister's were too shocked to scream or intervene. Both parents argued like never before. Things of the past came out and soon pushing came to shove.

Scarlett wiped at her tears filled with anger and pain. She didn't want to stand there another minute listening to everyone shout and accuse one another. She retreated then, her feet moving away from the living room to seek where he was. Her feet moved quickly and she reached the door to where he was. Gently closing it she looked to the large bed. Dathan was still not moving, his eyes remained closed and now all trace of dark and marred taint of smoke had been cleaned off his face.

Dabbing away at her tears she quietly neared his bed and took a seat at the foot. She watched as the thick burgundy drapes casted a shadow over his face allowing a little light to spill through.

"I thought you'd never come." He said. His voice was but a whisper as Scarlett tried to smile through the pain.

"I'm here," she replied, nearing his side. Dathan reached a hand for her own and she grasped it, squeezing as hard as she could.

"Do they still argue?" he asked,

"When last I left, yes." She muttered.

"Scarlett, I will never forgive myself for arriving too late." He said, his chest heaving to breathe.

"Please, find your rest, do not worry about me. I'm still here because of you." She tried to smile.

"I don't know what I would have done had you died in that fire." He confessed, his fingers pressing down tighter to her hand.

Feeling bold Scarlett crawled to his side and laid her head on his shoulder being careful not to press too hard on him. His arm wrapped around her and she sighed feeling the warmth of him seep into her skin.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better now that I am here." She whispered, not wanting to speak of the actions that had occurred. Closing her eyes she tried to stop her mind from remembering those horrible memories. Scarlett swallowed and felt her throat shut as she felt tears slip from her eyes. She didn't want to weep over what had occurred but regardless the pain was raw and evident.

"I know this might seems a bit odd to ask, but what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?" Dathan asked.

Scarlett insisted they leave the topic for another time, when both felt they were ready to have a sit and be at peace. It seemed however that Dathan had other thoughts in mind. Scarlett felt her heart accelerate to see the plea in his eyes. She gently slipped from his arms then and took a seat on the bed. She was nervous and simply not prepared for this conversation.

"I am listening." He whispered, his hand reaching out to grasp her arm.

With a nervous smile she turned to look at him and reached out to caress his cheek. It was then that Scarlett spilled the truth and was honest and open with the entire charade his father had made her present before him. It wasn't hard to read the hurt in his eyes as she forced her gaze away and finally stood from the bed.

"Forgive me, I had to know." She lastly said.

"You allowed my father to use you to lie to me." He said. His face turned from her and Scarlett felt her heart shatter.

"One can make themselves the illusion that they feel a certain way, but then everything suddenly shatters and the ugly truth stands before you making you realize how wrong you were." She argued.

"How could you not see how much I longed for you?" he asked, trying to sit up in bed.

"At times I did, but I was overruled by old memories and how you had given your word to never see me more than just a means to gather a property to increase your value." She explained.

Dathan furrowed his brow and gently covered his face; trying hard to mask is frustration.

"You must understand that it was hard for me to believe that you actually loved me, for me. I didn't expect you to fall in love with me so quickly," she admits sitting up.

The guilt was eating away at her in that moment, making her feel naked and exposed. Dathan could not reply, he simply stared at her in disbelief. In between all that silence Scarlett could hear the unspoken words of her ex-husband. She needed to go. It was then that Scarlett wrapped her arms around her body and held on tightly for fear that she would fall apart.

With quiet steps she made her way towards the door, never once turning to look in his direction. Everything was silent as she reached the living room are, finding the place vacant. Gathering a blanket they had supplied her for warmth she gathered the thick cover and wrapped it around her shoulders. Everything was collapsing over her as she stood there watching the first of the snowflakes descend down to the earth. Winter was finally here.

She needed to escape; to go somewhere where she could feel at ease. Marching towards the front door, Scarlett shivered from the cold as she hurried to the stables where she met up with a coach rider by luck. She asked to be taken away and he in returned obeyed her plea. Covering her head with the soft blue blanket she huddled inside the carriage and awaited to be taken away.

When the hard tug came Scarlett let her tears fall and it was then that she finally wept, alone. When she felt the coach driver had gone on forever she tapped the top of the roof and it came to a halt. Descending, Scarlett looked at her surroundings and let out a loud sigh. A cloud of cold smoke formed before her as she looked to the long dirt road that led in the direction of her old home.

"Is everything alright ma'am?" the coach rider asked.

Scarlett looked to the old man and pressed a small smile to her lips. Worry was etched all over his face as he gave her a look of uncertainty. "Please, return home, night will be upon us soon." She said.

"Forgive me madam, but I feel a bit insecure to leave you on your own." He said, his gaze trying to avoid the bruises and cuts on her face.

"I will be alright, if anyone asks tell them I have gone to seek a peace of mind." She said.

The coach rider said no more as he turned to climb back unto his carriage. He stared down at Scarlett once again before slapping the reigns with a hard tug and making the horses move forward.

Scarlett looked to the sky and then to the dirt road. Gathering her dress she was determined to reach the only place that had ever brought her some peace.