Page 1 of Saving Scarlett

Chapter 1

The Survivor

“Scar, wake up.”

Hearing my friend Ashley’s voice, my eyes fluttered open, my neck cramping as I tried to lift my head. The chair beneath me was not fit for sleeping. “What time is it?”

Not answering right away, she moved across my office and opened the shades, the sun nearly blinding me. “It’s eight in the morning. Damn, Scar. Did you stay here all night?”

“Huh? Eight…“ My words trailed off as I got ahold of my senses. There was a reason I’d slept at my bookstore, Tangled in the Pages, but not one I was willing to share, not even with her. “I worked late trying to get inventory done and food prep for the store before morning shift, but I hadn’t intended to sleep here.”

Shaking her head, Ashley placed a cup of coffee in my hand. “Do you want to go home and change? Maybe put some ice on that. How in the hell did you do that to yourself?”

When she pointed at my face, I lost all ability to breathe, my lungs seizing as images of what had happened the day before flooded into my head—the beating he’d given me—again. I lifted my fingers to my cheek, touching the area where my eye was swollen. Grinning, I feigned embarrassment. No one knew my shameful secret. “Oh. Yeah. I took a book to the eye last night. I must not have pushed it all the way onto the shelf.”

Ashley turned a side eye in my direction. “You know I’ll help you with inventory. All you have to do is ask. Especially since you seem to keep getting more and more clumsy these days. How old are you again? Eighty?”

Huffing a laugh, I took a deep sip of the coffee, closing my eyes as it fed my caffeine addiction. “I’m thirty and I was just tired. That’s what I get for working so late every night, but I can’t seem to help myself. This place is my dream, after all.”

While I dug in my purse for headache medication, she left my office and began working on the opening procedures.

Once Ashley put the money into the register, she returned to me, looking more closely at my injury. I hissed as she touched it, even though her hand was gentle.

“You may need to have that looked at in case you have a concussion. And go home at night, Scar. Work can wait until the next morning.”

I grinned and nodded. There was so much I wanted to tell my friend but couldn’t, or at least, wouldn’t. “I’ll go home and take a shower. Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone? Can I bring you back something to eat?”

With a shake of her head, she all but shoved me toward the door. “We have pastries here. I’ll be fine. Now go and get yourself presentable and put on lots of concealer.”

When I got in my car, I checked my phone and was relieved to have no messages. My husband, Joshua, knew I was at the store and had not called to check up on me. I wasn’t surprised. He’d probably gone straight to his mistress the moment I’d left the house. All I hoped was that he wasn’t home when I got there.

Sucking in a breath as my reality threatened to pour fresh tears out of my bruised eye, I turned up the radio, hoping the music could drown out the thoughts running through my head, all of them telling me to run away.

Since no one was home when I arrived at my house, I took a quick shower and packed an overnight bag, just in case I fell asleep in my bookstore again. It didn’t have a bed, but it was still a safe place where I could hide out when I needed to.

By the time I made it back to Tangled in the Pages, my bookstore and coffee shop combo was in full swing. Ashley was taking orders while another employee, Jack, was preparing the food and drinks. Ashley looked up at me as the bell jingled over the door, her eyes telling me they were swamped and needed help. It was the exact reason I had been hesitant to leave in the first place.

Tossing my bags in my office and locking the door, I returned to the front of the store and took over register duty so Ashley could help Jack. With the holidays coming, it was our busiest time of year, which made me wonder if I needed to hire a few more employees to help during the rushes. I’d only had the store for a few years, so it was still a new adventure for me.

I moved to the counter, pouring fresh coffee and greeting customers with practiced ease. The familiar routine calmed my frayed nerves, allowing me to push aside the lingering fear and anxiety. I was safe there in my space, surrounded by the things and people I loved.

“The usual?” I asked an older gentleman, Henry, who came in every morning. He nodded, eyes crinkling behind wire-rimmed glasses.

“You’re a lifesaver, cher.” His voice was warm, full of affection. “Don’t know what I’d do without my morning coffee and chat.”

“You’d find another coffee shop,” I teased, sliding his coffee across the counter and waving away his attempt to pay. “On the house today, Henry. You deserve it.”

“Well, aren’t you a sweetheart.” Smile deepening, he patted my hand before moving to the chair by the window and burying himself in the newspaper I always set aside for him.

Bumping my shoulder, Ashley nodded at the few customers waiting to be served. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I drew in a steadying breath, meeting her concerned gaze. “I’m okay. Just tired.”

“I’m here if you need anything.” Her brown eyes were warm, full of affection. She’d been with me since the beginning. “Always.”

“I know.” I smiled, small but genuinely. “Thank you. For everything.”

Smiling, she nudged me again. “Anytime. Now come on, time to get back to work!”

---