Scar Read online

  The shot being fired makes me jump, even though it was expected and I feel a stinging sensation, a thousand times worse than being hit with a paintball pellet. I go down, just as Jay told me to, which actually works as the rubber bullet takes my breath away. Red, synthetic blood runs over my chest and I close my eyes, letting my body become limp. It is pandemonium on the sidewalk. People are running, taking shelter, and sirens are heard in the background. On the cement, with my eyes closed, I relax under the sun and picture my baby. If this is how I die, it sure is the best way to go. I say goodbye to my old life one more time.

  Happily Ever After….

  Trent

  Want to talk about life changing? Try witnessing the love of your life die in front of you. I wanted to kill Jay when he didn’t tell me the plan. After apologizing to Scarlet, only two hours before her hearing, and not even getting the opportunity to say everything I should have, she is shot outside the court house and supposedly dies in front of me. In hindsight, Jay made the best choice, to keep me away; on the other hand, I would have preferred to be in the loop. I lost my shit that day. Suddenly the past no longer mattered and the only thing I could feel was the agonizing pain of losing Scarlet. Underneath her alias was the girl I loved. In the end, it took thinking I lost her for me to realize why she tried so hard to save everyone, and it’s simple. She loved me. She loved her cousin. She loves our daughter. She would rather die than have us feel pain.

  I made the decision to man up. I took Selene to see Scarlet before she was transported to the facility where she would serve her time. Then I took Selene home and showed her my house. We painted her room and picked out all her furniture and decorations. I enrolled her in school, and we used FaceTime to call Aunty Evie every night until she felt comfortable not to. Evita decided to stay in Talum, although she has made some frequent trips back to Florida after a chance run in with Elias when she was helping me move Selene. Jay moved out East to be with Blaise and I was offered his position. In the end, I turned it down because I didn’t want to lose more time with my daughter. Being a single parent was hard enough, still building a relationship with Selene was extra work and I was willing to put the time in. Scarlet wasn’t lying when she told me that she told Selene all about me. Baby girl even had a picture of me she kept by her bedside.

  On our weekends, Selene spends Saturdays with either my parents or Evita while I keep up appearances at Scar. My parents were thrilled to have a granddaughter. Right away, my mom was a martyr for Scarlet and condemned me for being an idiot. They never even met, but my mom is a sucker for a good love story. Every Sunday I take Selene to visit Scar. We get three hours with her every week. Even if Selene is unable to go, I still make the four-hour, roundtrip drive to see her. I miss her. I feel lost and hopeless thinking about the time we’re missing. I apologize so much that eventually Scarlet threatened to ban me from her accepted list unless I stop. My parents have even made a trip to meet Scarlet while she’s been away, and they fell in love with her too.

  For a year and half, we make life work this way. Then the miracle of all miracles happens, good behavior. That’s what Scar calls it; I call it a favor from higher places. And I’ll never tell how. Standing outside the gate, waiting for her to come out, is agony. My insides are screaming with the need to see her and hold her. I made the trip by myself while everyone else is waiting at my house for a surprise party. When I finally see her, my heart stops, just like it did that night on the beach.

  Her hair is cur shorter, just brushing her collarbone, she’s also thinner, but her smile, that smile is everything. Scarlet sees me and runs the rest of the way through the gate and into my arms. I catch her easily, her legs circling my waist, and her arms around my neck. I hold her to me easily, afraid that I might crush her.

  “I missed you,” I tell her, a softness I reserve only for her, lacing my voice.

  “You just saw me six days ago,” she teases, pulling back to look at me. She slides down my body until her feet hit the ground.

  “Six days too long,” I reply, my hands grasping her face and pulling her into me. I don’t get to touch her during visits. Hugs are barely appropriate, and it’s mostly only allowed between parents and children. I haven’t kissed her since that day in the garage. My eyes drop to her lips, loving how soft and pink they are.

  “Trent,” she whispers my name and I snap.

  My lips touch hers hesitantly at first, asking for permission for more. All the need I’ve been holding onto surges into me while I take and take from her. Scarlet whimpers into my mouth, bringing her body closer to mine. I can’t get enough of her. When I pull back, I’m breathing hard, and her face is flushed red. It’s then I hear the catcalls and claps from the people behind us. Laughing, I scoop her up and carry her to where my bike is waiting.

  Once she is on and her helmet secure, I drive us home. The two hours back seems to fly by. Scarlet is fluid on the back of my bike, laughing and squeezing her arms tighter around me. By the time we pull up to my house, a few cars are parked on the road. I keep Scarlet distracted, and manage to get her to the door without acting too weird. Nerves swirl in my gut and my heart squeezes. Taking her hand, I lead her inside.

  “Surprise!” Everyone yells at the same time Selene yells “Mommy!”

  I laugh, and Scarlet jumps back, almost colliding into me. I steady her, just in time to see her smile and tears. She bends to catch Selene who hurls herself into Scarlet’s arms.

  “Momma! I’m so happy you’re here. Now I can show you my room and Daddy’s room and my turtle!” Selene rattles on, and Scarlet eats it up. I love watching them interact. I love seeing my girls together, finally able to be a family again.

  Scarlet walks farther into the room, Selene still fastened around her neck. My mom rushes forward to hug her, followed by Evita. Scarlet makes her way around the room, to my dad and brother, to Jay and Blaise, and finally to Elias who reached out when he saw the news. We got together and have been hanging out ever since, just like old times.

  “Thank you everyone,” Scarlet says and another round of tears start. She sets Selene down again.

  “There’s food too Momma,” Selene tells her and we all laugh. “And I helped Daddy make the banner.”

  “You did, huh? Where?” Scarlet twists to get a better look and the room goes silent.

  My heart hammers in my chest while her back is to me. I drop to one knee and wait.

  WILL YOU MARRY ME?

  Is plastered above the food table.

  Scarlet whips back around to face me, her mouth dropping open.

  “Surprise,” I chuckle lightly, and take her hand. “Scar, I can’t begin to tell you what you mean to me. We took a long road to get here, but I will never regret anytime that I’ve spent with you. Even when I was mad, I loved you. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. You’re brave, kind, you love fiercely, and you have pushed me to be a better version of myself. I love you. I never want to be apart from you again. Will you marry me?”

  Scarlet leans down and wraps her arms around my neck. “Yes,” she says into my shoulder, when I lift her up off the ground. Everyone claps and cheers, but we’re in our own moment.

  “I love you, too,” she tells me, and I smile.

  Eventually, we eat and mingle. My parents are the last to leave, since my mom insists on helping cleanup. Scarlet puts Selene to bed and excuses herself to go shower after. I’m about ready to kick my parents out. My dad gets the hint before my mom, but when she does, they hustle out. I lock up the doors before jogging up the stairs.

  The shower is still running when I step into the bathroom. The mirror is fogged, and I feel the heat from the water from out here. I slip out of my clothes easily and open the shower door.

  “You scared me,” Scarlet laughs and holds a hand across her body. I smirk at her shyness. Although, it has been over a year since I’ve seen her naked, or touched her in anyway sexual.

  I eye her up, and watch a blush creep over her skin. The air smel
ls like coconut and I realize how much I’ve missed that every day, and that I never want to miss it again. Her eyes find mine while I step in to join her. The ring on her finger catches my attention, and I grip her hand, kissing over it.

  “That was quite the surprise.” She raises a brow.

  “I don’t want to spend another day without you,” I tell her. Scarlet’s face softens.

  “I love you,” she answers, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.

  My lips drop to Scarlet’s, breathing her in with every push and pull. My heart surges in my chest, and everything else falls into place. This was meant to be. She was always meant to be mine just as I was meant to be hers. We did take a long way to get here, but we have a lot of life ahead of us.

  “You know what else we should add, besides the wedding,” I ask, pulling back and enjoying the way her eyes flutter open slowly. It takes her brain a moment to remember what I’m saying. I smirk.

  “Huh?” she responds, looking confused.

  I grin and lean down to her ear. “I think we need to make another baby. Selene is lonely.”

  Scarlet laughs, pushing me back. “I think you need to wait.”

  She moves around the shower and gets out, gripping her towel tightly around her and sticks her tongue out. Laughing, I waste no time in following after her, and catching her in our room. No matter how much she tries to run, I’ll find her. One of these days, she’ll trust I know what’s best for us. I foresee a long future ahead of us and it all starts now.

  The End

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  #ONE

  Saylor

  “I don’t think anyone is coming,” my best friend, Oaklynn, whispers next to me, while gripping my hand tightly between hers. My eyes scan the room one more time, taking in the pastel pink, lilac purple and teal balloons, the gold confetti over the tables, and the three-tiered strawberry cake with pink whipped frosting that sits uncut. An angry flush covers my cheeks, and I swallow the painful lump in my throat.

  “Let’s wait a little longer,” I tell her, hating the way my voice wavers with indecision.

  “Say,” she starts to argue, then slams her perfectly pink glossed lips closed, when she sees the sheen of tears in my eyes. It’s my seventeenth birthday, and we’ve been planning this party for the past eleven months. Oaklynn had pulled extra volunteer hours at her mom’s charity, so her mom would call and make the reservation for us. I had stashed away the majority of my allowance each week, foregoing movies, nights out with friends, and the perfect pair of Versace Medusa high heels in order to pay the cost to rent the top floor party room at one of New York’s upscale restaurants. I was not leaving before midnight, even if no one else showed up.

  “Nash said he was on his way,” I remind her gently, while running my free hand over the plum, crushed-velvet skirt of my dress. Of course, that was over two hours ago when my on-again, off-again boyfriend had texted me. Turning my phone over in my hand, I check the screen again. No messages and no missed calls. It suddenly felt like all the blood was rushing to my head, and it hurt to breathe, which only makes me grip Oaklynn’s hand tighter. I’m fully aware of the questioning and lingering gazes of the minimal staff that were assigned to this party tonight. They’ve stayed diligently in the background, but I can hear the murmurs.

  “The staff need to leave,” Oaklynn says, leaning closer to me. “The manager needs to cut them from their shift if no one is coming.”

  A lone tear falls down my perfectly contoured cheek, and I wipe it away furiously. My chest heaves because I know what I need to do. “Okay,” I tell her, signaling that we will leave. I don’t want to hold people up or keep them away from their families. I’m not a brat, and despite the designer label I wear on the outside, I would rather die than be the cliché rich girl from the Upper East Side. But, as I make this decision, I swear I hear my heart crack in my chest for yet another time this week.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she tells me, pulling my frozen body into hers, hugging me tightly. I want to believe her, but the horror of the past few days crashes into me all over again.

  “I can’t believe he didn’t come.” The words fall from my lips, as I swallow down another surge of anger.

  “Nash is an asshole, Saylor. His mommy probably told him he couldn’t come after all the publicity.” She waves her hands around. “You can do so much better than him, girl.” I nod, knowing she’s right. Nash Aimsworth is an enigma at Trinity Prepatory, our elite private school, in Manhattan. He’s lusted after by girls, while guys are dying to be in his group of buddies. Nash plays sports, and he is in the top of his class academically. Ivy League schools have been showing an interest in him since his sophomore year. He’s the classic boy every society mom wants their daughters to date. He’ll grow up to own one of the most lucrative companies in the world, and he carries all this on his plate with a crooked smile and a hidden, cunning gleam in his eye. He’s a senior while I’m a junior, and every girl in school has told me how lucky I was to have caught his eye on my first day. That was last year, and, since then, nothing with Nash has been quite the fairytale that the female population likes to think it is.

  We often go back and forth on if we’re a couple or not. We went to parties on the weekends and often spent time at his parent’s club. I didn’t need a grand gesture, but if we’re together, I’d like to know we aren’t seeing other people. Nash is gorgeous. I know it, and he knows it. His thick dark hair is always styled perfectly, and his deep brown gaze glitters with mischief. He may have been trying to get my attention the first time I saw him, but he also had two of the most popular girls in the senior class draped all over his body, feeling up his sculpted arms, which were thanks to his years of playing football. Of course, he was also the all-star quarterback of the school, and his influential family had just donated the money for a brand-new stadium. Everything I had seen and knew about him screamed egotistical manwhore. I should have known better, but I had been intrigued by the confidence he has. He carries himself in a way that doesn’t allow others to look down on him. For a girl who was changing schools and didn’t have many friends, I was lacking that confidence in myself. I thought I could be the one to change his playboy ways and I stupidly ignored the red flags that had been waving in my face.

  For the first few months at my new school, I had been known as “new money.” I learned quickly that it was not a friendly endearment from my peers. I didn’t grow up wealthy and privileged. I had not been in class with them since they were wearing golden diapers at their elite preschool. My family was new to having money. This made me an outsider -- someone who was in the running to achieve a scholarship or place on a team that they had already spent years working toward. I was a target because I was someone who didn’t understand the hierarchy that ruled from inside the academy; the fact that the older the money, the higher up the food chain a person sat.

  Oaklynn had done her best to shield me, to warn me and protect me, but she could only be in one place at a time. Monopoly money was shoved in my locke
r on a daily basis. Within my first week there, my regular underwear had been exchanged for a sparkling G-string during gym class, and I was constantly asked if it was my mom or I who had been prostituted to help further my dad’s career. One kid, who excelled in technology classes, went out of his way to produce my face in a porn flick. He swore up and down that that was how I earned my tuition. Yeah, kids are cruel. The kids at Trinity Prep, though, took things to a whole new level.

  It wasn’t until I caved and started going on dates with Nash that the outright bullying stopped. Once in a while, I would still hear bitch or whore muttered under people’s breaths in passing. I guess as much as they loved Nash, they also feared him. I clung to him and the little bit of protection dating him offered. In the beginning, he was different. I thought I knew who he was from all the time we spent together outside of school. In the end, though, I found out he wasn’t the world’s greatest boyfriend, and I wasn’t proud of myself for the way I used his name to survive last year in high school.

  At the beginning of this year, everything was manageable. No more pranks occurred. The name calling stopped, and I was making friends. So, I guess I was lucky Nash liked me. My past and the fact that my family hadn’t always been wealthy had never been an issue for Nash. His mother, maybe, and maybe that was why he kept dating me. My lips pucker at the sour thought. At this point, I know for sure he isn’t coming. He probably is at home or with his friends, instead of being here for me on a night like this. A night when my whole world was crumbling around me, and I needed the two people who I thought were on my side despite my family issues, to be here.

  “Are there any news crews out there?” I ask timidly. The last thing my family needs is another headline this week.

  Oaklynn peers over the balcony and shakes her head. “Not yet, the room was under my mom’s name, so they probably don’t know the party was for you.”