SCARLETT My hands scramble for the lock without even looking at it as Reed and I enter my bedroom, our lips still locked in a heated session. We land heavily on the bed, and I straddle Reed’s lap, our bodies pressed together in a tight embrace as the world and everything in it fade into the background.In that moment, there are no doubts or insecurities—just the two of us, lost in the intensity of our love for each other. As his tongue swirls around my clumsy one, soft moans escape my lips, and I throw my head back, grabbing onto his shoulder as he leaves my lips and travels down to my neck. Tilting my head to the side to grant him more access, my eyes droop close, my fingers moving of their own accord as they weave in his soft locks, while his lips set my whole body on fire, a fire that intensifies between my legs. He trails the kisses up to my jawline before taking my earlobe in his mouth, his hand now under the towel and I gasp out a moan, my juices soaking his crotch as his tou
SCARLETT Reed and I are lying in each other’s arms, the warmth of his body wrapping around me like a protective shield as his fingers trail along my arm, lulling me into a sense of calm, when suddenly, my stomach rumbles, breaking the spell. Reed's eyes find mine, filled with concern as he asks if I'm hungry, and he leans in to peck me on the lips before I can respond as my gaze meets his.“Yeah, I kind of am,” I admit, feeling a pang of hunger now that it’s been brought to my attention. I explain my mom cooked dinner, but I didn’t eat much because my mind was preoccupied with everything that’s been happening.Reed offers to go across town to our favorite place to get me something to eat, but I decline, feeling guilty about the idea of him making such a trek just for me. I tell him that there are leftovers, and I'll eat them, but he insists, assuring me it's no trouble at all, adding that it's only a twenty-minute drive, and it's only 12:05 am. I can’t help but laugh at how casually
SCARLETT I arrive at church with my mother, and a heavy silence hangs in the air. The hall is packed with mourners, all sitting solemnly as the service for Mr. Sterling begins. My mother left in the morning to help with preparations, and when she returned, we rode together on the transportation that Reed had arranged for me. Reed stands up in the front row, extending his hand to me, and I accept it and take my seat next to him. We grip each other's hands, comforting each other, and then the service begins. Everyone looks in front, and I take that moment to look at Mrs. Sterling, who sits on the opposite side of Reed, along with his grandfather and brothers.She fixes her eyes on the empty coffin resting in the pulpit, and my heart clenches as I try to imagine the emotions she must be experiencing. After Reed informed me that she had invited me to the funeral, he talked about her, how guilty she felt, how she blamed herself, and how she wished she could turn back time and do things
SCARLETT Relief floods through me as I finally slip out of the uncomfortable heels I’d been wearing and slip into my flats. Plopping onto the bed, I look around the room, realizing how much I missed this place. I'm in my old room at the Sterling residence. We are about to have our early dinner, and the house is bustling with activity as everyone gathers downstairs. But I needed to get up here and change into something comfortable. Reed and his brothers are already deep in conversation, their laughter echoing throughout the living area downstairs, as they reminisce about their father over drinks. I get up, but just then, a text comes through my phone from Lexi. She’s confirming the time for our meeting, but I don’t think I’ll be meeting with her today anymore. I text her back, apologizing and canceling. I had no idea I would be invited to dinner when I scheduled an appointment with her. I'll meet her at university on Monday, and we can talk. I understand that she may have been conc
SCARLETT The rain pounds against the car roof as we pull up to our place, and I watch as Reed quickly jumps out, racing around to my side while taking off his jacket. He opens the door and covers me with a jacket to keep me out of the rain. Taking his hand, I step out of the car, and together we sprint to the front door. Reed quickly enters the security code, and we dash inside, shaking off the droplets that cling to our clothing. "This rain is freezing," I exclaim, shivering as I remove the wet jacket, and Reed nods in agreement before suggesting we go straight to bed.It’s just before 8 p.m., and the weight of the day’s revelations hangs heavy in the air. Reed and his entire family are stunned after hearing the detective's news about Gabby, and I can see the anguish in his eyes. We enter the room, and I shiver as the warmth of the space envelops me. The bedrooms have wall and floor heating, so they are warm. Reed pulls out our pajamas, which we quickly change into. When we are f
NARRATOR Scarlett’s car screeches to a stop in front of Lexi’s house, her mind swirling with the hurtful words echoing in her head. After she argued with Reed, she stumbled into the room and collapsed into the bed, fisting the sheets as her world crumbled around her once more. But her phone, which continued to buzz incessantly, caused her to find herself sitting upright on the bed. Despite her initial resolve not to look, she found herself drawn to the screen, unable to resist the urge to read the hurtful comments. The words cut like knives, with some calling her names and others referring to her as trash Reed had picked up from the garbage. The more she read, the more her pain turned to rage. She just made up with Reed after they fought all because of Lexi's big mouth, and not even a day later, she’s done this. Lexi's comments, such as how Reed never loved her and that she was a maid's daughter, fueled her rage. She realized that Lexi was never her friend, because if she wer
NARRATOR Reed slams the door behind him, the sound echoing throughout the room like a gunshot. He leans heavily against it, his entire body trembling from the force of his emotions. Tears stream down his cheeks uncontrollably, and his breath comes in ragged gasps. He's exhausted and emotionally drained, and all he wants is for the voices in his head to stop and the rage to subside, even just for a moment.But the feelings he’s fought so hard to suppress refuse to stay buried. Guilt claws at him, a relentless monster whispering in his ear, reminding him of the choice he made—to prioritize his relationship with Scarlett over his father. Scarlett who has now betrayed him once more.And then there’s the resentment—the bitter taste of it lingering on his tongue. He harbors resentment for his relationship, his mother, and Gabby, the woman who tore his father away from him through her selfish actions. He had shut everything down, but the voices have returned, and he can not escape them or
SCARLETTI turn to my side, pulling the sheets over my head hearing the intercom. I hope Reed gets it quickly, but it soon becomes clear that he isn’t going to. Sitting up in bed, I rub my eyes, which are beyond sore from crying, and my whole body aches from lying in bed all day.I couldn’t bring myself to get up and go to campus today. I can’t ever go back there again, not after the hateful messages that have been flooding my phone, calling me all sorts of nasty things. I can’t ever show my face to the outside world again.I cried so much when I logged into Instagram to find horrible pictures mocking me. The voice note that had been circulating mysteriously disappeared the same night, and I think Reed did something about it, but the harassing messages don't seem like they will be stopping soon, despite it being no more.The intercom rings again, pulling me from my thoughts and I press the answer button and ask who it is, but I see the person before they respond and freeze. Ace? What
SEVEN MONTHS LATER SCARLETT “Are you ready?” Reed asks as he enters the room, and I tell him I am. We are about to go to his parents' house for lunch with his family. However, I would be lying if I said I was not tired. Reed's parents ended up giving their marriage a second chance, and they renewed their wedding vows two days ago. My body is still recovering from the after-party. Colette wanted to wait until baby Emme was born, which was three months ago. The ceremony was beautiful, and I’m thrilled for them; they deserve all the happiness in the world, especially with everything they have both overcome. Reed and I are celebrating another special occasion today. Elena and her goons were sentenced this morning, thanks to Reed's assistance in pursuing her. Elena was sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter, while her accomplices received fifteen years. I think they deserve more, especially Elena, but I am glad they did not get away. Jolene is also overjoyed with the c
SCARLETT"We have arrived, Mom," I say, unable to hide my excitement, and I can tell Mom is relieved. We blindfolded her, and I know she was eager to get to the destination. The car comes to a halt, and Reed steps out to assist Mom. He and I hold her hands as we guide her to the spot where she will have a clear view of the house. We stop, and Reed asks her if she’s ready."I am," she replies, her voice steady but curious. Reed removes the blindfold, and I let out a small scream of excitement next to her."Welcome to your new home," he says, and Mom looks at him in confusion before turning to me."What is this?" she asks, and I cannot contain my excitement as I tell her it is her new home. "Reed bought it for you," I add, and she stands rigid at my words, her eyes widening. She looks back at Reed, her voice a whisper. "What is Scarlett talking about?"Reed repeats, "The house is a gift, from both of us." Mom takes another look at the house before shaking her head."I cannot accept this
SCARLETTWe all look at Milo as he ends the phone call with his father. Reed asks what he said, and Milo’s next words surprise us. His father left. He says he had to go somewhere, and we should continue with dinner. We had already done so, but we were simply sitting around the table, waiting for him to return. Now it’s clear he won’t be returning, so we get up. It is late, and Reed and I need to get home, so we say goodnight to Milo and Lj. Reed then takes out his phone to check on his mother; she should have arrived by now. She answers quickly, and Reed looks at me and says she is upstairs. He helps me up, and we leave, thanking the staff member who enters to clear everything as we go.Reed knocks, and his mother opens the door, already in her robe but my eyes widen, taking in her expression. She looks like she has been crying, even though she tries to put on a smile for us.We hug, and Reed asks when she got home. It’s around the time Luke came to get Mr. Sterling. We see clothes o
SCARLETT“I’m sorry,” Reed says, holding me, and I sob in his arms after reading the letter Lexi wrote to me. In the letter, she expressed her regrets. She said she never meant to hurt me or Reed. Even though she said she never meant to hurt Reed or me, she admitted that she had unintentionally hurt us and that in the end, it did not matter what her intentions were. I struggled to finish it and broke down in tears. It still feels surreal, the wound is still raw, and I am not sure how I will face her mother without crumbling. Reed wipes my tears as we pull away from the hug, and I tell him I am ready to go now, and that I called Ollie to let her know we were on our way. She is going with us. We head out and Reed opens the car door for me, and I slide inside and take a deep breath, knowing I have to be strong for Lexi’s family. I cannot be the one falling apart. I spoke to Mom before we left Reed's house, and she told me that Lexi's mom couldn't speak to them the last time they went
SCARLETT“It’s not your fault, Scarlett. Mom holds me in her arms as I cry, saying, "You did not know this was going to happen," but we both know it would not have happened if I had not been upset with Lexi. I can’t believe she’s gone, and my heart is bleeding. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself. Reed tried to stop me, but I didn’t listen and looked up the story online and read about how Lexi was bullied to the point of having an accident.She did not have an Ace like I did to tell everyone to leave her alone, and she might have had if I had not turned my back on her. I was frustrated and hurt by her actions, but I did not want her to die, and no one deserves to go through what she did. Furthermore, it no longer matters how angry I was with her or what she did. All of this pales in comparison to her life, and despite Reed and Mom's constant reminders about the baby and the negative effects of stress on my health, I find myself powerless to stop it.I do not want any
NARRATOR Reed finishes the call with Larken, and just then, Milo appears and tells him that their grandfather is ready to leave, but Reed has one more thing to do, so he tells Milo he will catch them in the car and sprints back inside. He takes the stairs two at a time, racing to let Scarlett know he will be back soon, but just as he reaches the top, he hears a frantic and urgent voice—Scarlett's mother's."Scarlett! Scarlett!"Hearing the same voice, his parents burst out of their room. They all rush towards the sound, their hearts racing and dread curling in their stomachs as they realize it is coming from Scarlett's old bedroom.Reed's chest tightens as he approaches the doorway, his parents trailing him as he enters. The scene is chaotic. Scarlett lies on the floor, convulsing violently, her mother kneeling beside her, tears streaming down her cheeks.The room tilts as Reed stares in horror, his mother gasping, her hand flying to her mouth. He sprints toward Scarlett, but his mo
SCARLETTI walk out of the room, stretching, and bump into Mrs. Sterling in the hallway, coming from the guest room. She smiles and asks how I slept, and I tell her that I slept well even though I did not get much sleep. We went to bed in the early hours of the morning, and Reed and his brothers were quite drunk by then. I smile when I think about them. I am happy for them, and it is still surreal that Mr. Sterling is back. Mrs. Sterling says she’s heading to the kitchen to make breakfast, and it’s the first time I hear her mention cooking. I smile at her, and she blushes, trying not to show that she's blushing, as she invites me to join her, which I do, wondering if Reed is still sleeping. He and his brothers went to sleep with their father, which is why Mrs. Sterling is coming out of the guest room. As if she can read my mind, she confirms that she just checked on them, and they are all still sleeping, so I happily join her downstairs. When we enter the kitchen, we find my mom i
SCARLETT“Hey, how did it go?” I softly ask Reed as he enters the room after checking on his father, and he collapses onto the bed, looking completely defeated. I wrap my arms around him, asking again how it went, and he pulls back and looks me in the face with a sad expression that makes my heart lurch. "He lost his memories," he says, prompting me to inquire about his meaning. Mr. Sterling didn't appear to be a person who had no memories, and Reed clarifies that his father doesn't recall the past twenty years of his life. “He doesn’t remember me or my mother,” Reed adds, and my heart clenches. “I’m sorry, Reed,” I say, and we share a hug. He takes a deep breath in the embrace before saying, “He doesn’t deserve this. His life has been hard enough, putting up with a wife who hated him, and now this. It’s like he can’t catch a break, Scarlett,” he continues, and I pull back from the hug, cupping his face. “I’m so sorry,” I say again before adding that maybe it’s because of the traum
SCARLETT Mr. Sterling narrates a chilling story, his voice laced with emotion as he describes waking up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by people who intended to harvest his organs. His voice falters at times, and he turns to William for assistance with the details he cannot recall. William steps in, filling the gaps, his own voice heavy with the weight of the ordeal. But as Mr. Sterling speaks, it becomes clear he’s not well. He is pale, his hands tremble slightly, and his words occasionally sound strained. He admits he doesn’t know how he survived the shooting or where the organ harvesters found him. All he knows is that he woke up with William, who risked everything to help him escape. The specifics blur together, but it’s clear how traumatic the experience was. However, those details don’t matter much right now. What matters is that he's here. He's alive. His gaze lingers on Reed, and he smiles emotionally every time their eyes meet. Reed, overwhelmed, can only smile back t