Page 79 of Shadows Within
I’m not offended. Most people know who I am. He’s looking out for Scarlett and that means something to me. The fact that he knows who I am and still came out here to threaten me shows me that he’s willing to protect her, and that’s all I need to know.
“You protect her in there, I’ve got her out here.” I say, just loud enough for him to hear me.
He stares at me long and hard, like he doesn’t know whether he should trust me. He doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he looks around the lot and walks back inside. We aren’t enemies—we’re playing the same game, for the same person.
I know that Ricco and Scarlett have a good bond. He’s been there for her through some of the darkest times in her life. I respect him for that. He’s lucky that conversation went the way it did, it was off to a rocky start when he leaned against my car. I guess I can forgive him for it.
Not long after Ricco goes inside, Scarlett pushes the exit door open. She has her gym bag in one hand, and her car keys in the other.
Her rosy cheeks are flushed, and her hair is pulled back out of her face. She has no idea how beautiful she is.
It’s just about winter and there’s no snow on the ground yet, but she only has a sweater on.She’s going to catch a damn cold.She scans the parking lot, like she’s looking for someone. When she crosses the lot toward her car, her head moves from side to side, and it looks like she’s biting the inside of her cheek. At this rate, I don’t know how she hasn’t noticed me.What is she looking for? Or worse, who is she looking for? I must know.
I slowly get out of the car and quietly shut the door. She unlocks her door as I come up behind her.
“Who are you looking for, Angel?” I whisper in her ear.
She jumps and turns around. Once she realizes it’s me, she hits me with the bag in her hand.
“You idiot!” She yells in a high pitch tone.
“What? You were looking for someone, I figured it was me.”It wasn't, but I’m not going to be the jealous boyfriend.
“I wasn’t… I was just making sure no one was coming.” She looks to the side.Doesn’t she know anything about lying.Trust is shown by keeping eye contact, but not too harsh, or else it looks like you’re trying too hard. Just enough and with a smile. That usually shows that someone is trustworthy. I add teaching her this to the long list of things I have to show her.
I don’t say anything, I just raise my eyebrow. By now, she must know that I know she’s lying. Her face turns my new favourite colour.Scarlett red.
“You were looking for someone, who was it.” Just about all the patience I have has gone out the window.I’m going to go from nonchalant to serial killer boyfriend in about two seconds.“Scarlett.” I warn.
“I didn’t want to worry you.” She looks to the ground.
“Worry me with what? What happened?” My heart beats faster. A million different scenarios run through my head before she tells me what happened.
“I got a note on my windshield. The other day, Sophia and I were talking in the parking lot on campus, and when I walked back to my car there was a note. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Where is it?” It comes out a bit abrasive, but I need to see it.
“It’s in my glove box, just let me get it.” She reaches in across the driver’s seat, opens the compartment, and pulls out the note.
I look at it, trying to decipher the handwriting. At first, I wonder if it’s Dad’s writing. Luckily for him, it’s not.
“Was there anyone around when you saw it?”
“No, I looked through the lot and didn’t see anyone.”
“When was this?” My tone is short.
“A couple days ago.”
“When, exactly, Scarlett?”
“I don’t know Callum, um, two days ago?” She expects comfort that I can’t give her right now.
“And you didn’t tell me?” I look away.I can’t give in, not when her safety is at risk.
“No Callum, I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want this reaction. I didn’t want you to get upset. I know that we both have a lot going on and I didn’t want to add to it.”
“What do we both have going on?” I know what she’s been up to, but she can’t know about all that I’ve done.
