Chapter 71 Days Without You

Chapter 71 Days Without You
By the time I leave the warehouse, both sleeves of my black shirt are soaked with blood, and the front is splattered like some fucked-up expensive abstract painting.
I don’t feel guilt; I feel satisfaction as I head towards my car.
I deliberately drove myself tonight instead of calling Elias because doesn’t need to see this side of me.
I change into the spare shirt I brought in the back seat of the car, wiping my hands clean before buttoning it up.

Buck hauls Jay’s unconscious body out of the warehouse and shoves him into the black minivan like a sack of garbage. He glances in my direction, gives me a single professional nod, then slams the door shut.
He’s taking him back to jail. For now.
Jay hasn’t been to court yet, which made this little detour remarkably easy to arrange.
Once Buck drives off, I pull out of the dimly lit lot and head back toward the city. I’ll also be suing that hotel for gross negligence.

Jay should never have been able to get anywhere near that garage. Heads will roll for that.
When I finally step into the penthouse, the silence welcomes me again.
It’s been three days since Scarlett left, and the absence of her is everywhere. The place feels cold. The usual warmth she brought is gone.
Sleeping alone in our bed has been hell. The sheets still smell like her, and it's hard being there, so most times, I just take the couch.

I’m honoring her request for space, even if it’s slowly driving me insane.
Muttering a curse, I go straight to my home office instead of heading to the bedroom.
I drop into the leather chair and lean back, staring at the ceiling. My head keeps replaying the way Scarlett looked at me when Jay spilled everything.
The shock in her eyes.
I can't blame her for asking for space. Which is why I'm giving it to her.
But I won’t pretend it doesn’t feel like she took half of me with her when she walked out.

For a moment, I'm tempted to watch her again. Old habits die hard. Right?
But then, I made a promise to her. So I have to keep it.
My jaw tightens.
It's been three days.
I wonder how much longer she’ll need. And how much longer I can stand staying away.
Leaning back in my chair, I stare at the dark screens of my systems, feeling the temptation creep in again.
Stubbornly, I force it down.

My eyes sweep across the room and land on the framed photograph on the shelf. The three of us. Scarlett smiling beside me, her hand resting on my mother’s arm in the hospital bed during that one time at the hospital.
My chest squeezes so tightly it hurts.
I already lost my mother.
I can’t lose Scarlett too.
If she walks away for good, my whole life is going to fucking fall apart.

I run a hand through my hair and immediately wince. My knuckles are still raw and badly bruised from the punches I gave Jay. The pain feels like a worthy price to pay, though.
That bastard deserved every single hit for what he tried to do to us.
Getting up from the chair I walk over to the cabinet, pulling out the first aid kit.
I sit on the edge of the desk and silently start cleaning the cuts, hissing through my teeth as the antiseptic burns.
Scarlett must never find out I beat him.

Her empathetic heart would probably make her feel sorry for him, even though the asshole deserved far worse. She’d look at me with those brown, disappointed eyes and scold me for losing control.
For being the kind of dangerous man Jay tried to paint me as.
Screw this ‘space’ thing. The silence in this penthouse feels like it’s slowly killing me.

I finish cleaning up my hand and exhale loudly.
“Come back to me, baby,” I whisper into the empty room. “Please.”

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“You used to stalk her?” Laura’s voice exploded through the phone, sharp with disbelief and anger. “Jesus Christ, Lawrence. You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
I let out a tired breath, pinching the bridge of my nose as I pace toward the kitchen. “I didn’t call you so you could remind me what a fuck-up I am, Laura. Can you just… reach out to her? Let me know if she’s okay?”
“I’m in freaking London.”

“I know,” I mutter, opening the fridge absentmindedly even though I'm not hungry. “But you two have gotten close, right? She likes you. Trusts you.”
Laura sighs heavily on the other end. “Why don’t you just go check on her yourself? You’re literally in the same city.”
I stop in front of the counter. “Did you miss the part where she asked for space? I’m trying to respect that.”
A bitter laugh crackles through the line. “Since when do you do what you’re told? Especially when it comes to her?”
I fall quiet.

“Look,” she continues, her voice softening a little, “I get that you’re trying to do the right thing for once. But there are other ways to show her you’re thinking about her without smothering her. Send her something. Flowers, food, and one of those ridiculously expensive gifts you love throwing around. Just remind her you’re still here. Without crossing the line she drew.”
I stare down, my chest hurting at the thought of losing Scarlett forever.
“I don’t want to push her further away,” I admit quietly. “She’s already hurting because of me. Because of what I did.”

Laura is silent for a moment.
“Then give her time,” she says gently. “But don’t disappear completely either. Women like Scarlett don’t want to be smothered, but they also don’t want to feel forgotten.”
I let out a breath, gripping the edge of the counter.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” She pauses, then adds in a lighter tone, “By the way, I’m seeing someone.”
I blink, caught off guard. “You’re what?”
“You heard me,” she said, and I can hear the small smile in her voice. “His name is Daniel. He’s a doctor.”

“Thought you were attracted to the bad guys?” I tease, and Laura guffaws over the phone.
“Heck no. Daniel’s the sweetest. He doesn’t own half the city or hack into people’s lives.”
“Nice jab.” I mutter dryly, and she laughs shortly.
“I can't even believe you're dating again," I say, still surprised. “It's been how many years now? Three? Four? A century?”
“Haha, very funny," Laura ventures flatly.
“Anyway, I'm happy for you, loser,” I say, shaking my head as a small smile spreads across my face. “Just be careful, yeah?”

“I will if you promise not to go dig into Daniel's background.”
I chuckle. “Unfortunately, I won't be making any more promises. He's dating my sister; he's subject to scrutiny.”
She sighs. “Whatever.”
The line grows quiet briefly. “Fix whatever is going on between you and Scarlett, okay? She's a good woman. And you're a good man.” Her voice is soft. “You deserve each other.”

“Thanks,” I reply quietly. “And I will.”
“Now go send her something nice and stop torturing yourself.”
The call ends, and once again, the penthouse grows silent.
I stand there for a short moment, staring at my phone before opening the Louis Vuitton app.
Oh well, here goes. I muse.
At least, it feels like I'm finally doing something instead of waiting around.
It feels like a step in the right direction.
A promising one.