Scarlett was so full of life, making me feel like we were really in love. My heart was racing, and all I wanted was to hold and kiss her again. Honestly, I felt like I could kiss her forever and never get tired of it.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, my thumb tracing small circles on her back. My lips were dry, and I was dying to kiss her again.
But Scarlett, reading my mind, quickly put her hand over my mouth. "No more kissing. You need to go. Ryan will be back soon."
"I don't care about that. I'll be long gone by the time he comes back," I said with a shrug, not feeling threatened by Ryan at all.
If I was just after Scarlett's looks, I would've taken her ages ago. But I couldn't do it as I didn't want people to ruin her reputation, saying she was cheating. I wanted people to see Scarlett with me and think she was amazing, like one of the top beauties at the company, not some cheater.
I figured Scarlett felt the same, which was why she wasn't ready to take things further with me.
"I know you're not afraid of Ryan, but no means no. Grab your suitcase and go," Scarlett insisted.
"Fine, but let's have dinner together one last time." I grabbed my suitcase with one hand and held Scarlett's hand with the other, leading her downstairs.
Scarlett linked her arm with mine, like a wife seeing her husband off.
She said, "But all I made was a salad. I didn't cook anything else or buy any groceries."
"I love whatever you made." As we walked down the stairs, I carried my suitcase in one hand and held onto Scarlett with the other.
"Alright, I'll share my dinner with you."
When we reached the last step, Scarlett jumped down like a playful kid.
The more I looked at her, the more I realized she was different with me than with anyone else, even Ryan. At work, she was a top-notch employee and a team leader. With Ryan, she was the perfect wife.
But with me, she was a mix of everything—sometimes playful, sometimes jealous, sometimes even a bit moody.
I loved this side of Scarlett, though I couldn't figure out which one was the real her.
Watching her from behind, I felt a bit down.
Just then, Scarlett came out of the kitchen with the salad and said sweetly, "Would you grab two plates and forks from the kitchen for me?"
Her voice was so sweet, like strawberry-flavored candy, almost making me forget to breathe.
"Sure." I set my suitcase aside and went to the kitchen, grabbing two plates and shiny forks.
When I brought them to the table, Scarlett took the plates and set them next to the salad bowl. She divided the salad evenly between the plates and placed them in front of us, with the forks beside them.
"Alright, let's eat," Scarlett said, sitting down.I sat across from Scarlett, picked up my fork, and started digging in.
The salad was mostly veggies with some fruit tossed in, all covered in a creamy white dressing.
It was super refreshing, with a nice sweet and tangy kick. Normally, with my workout routine, I wouldn't go for something like this since it didn't pack much protein or nutrients.
But having it once in a while, especially when Scarlett made it, I found it pretty tasty, perfect for the hot weather.
As I ate, I glanced at Scarlett. She was really into her food, carefully picking up a piece of apple with her fork and chewing it slowly.
After a few bites, she moved on to a big leafy green and started munching on that.
Watching her eat really uplifted my spirits, so I ended up sharing half of my plate with her.
"What's up? Not hungry?" Scarlett asked, looking a bit confused.
"I'm almost full. I'll grab something with my colleagues later," I said, resting my hands on the table and smiling at her.
Since Scarlett had opened up about her feelings, I found myself growing increasingly fond of gazing at her, feeling like I could never get tired of it.
She nodded. "Alright, you should have your own life. I can't let my feelings hold you back from making friends."
I appreciated her understanding and smiled, "Thanks for that. I should get going now."
"Okay."
I got up, walked to the living room, and pulled my suitcase towards the door. Just then, Ryan walked in from work.
"David, moving out already?" he asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, I've got everything sorted with the house and my part-time job."
"I thought since we work at the same company, we could live together. It'd be good for us and save some money. But you're leaving after less than a week. I guess I didn't do a good enough job." Ryan patted my shoulder, looking genuinely sorry.
Honestly, if anyone should feel sorry, it was me. "Ryan, don't say that. You and Scarlett have been great to me. I'm not disappearing. I'll come back on weekends when I'm not working."
"Alright, your room will always be here for you."
I nodded, "Okay, I'll head out now."
"I'll walk you out." Ryan offered, reaching for his car keys.
"No need. I'm staying with my colleagues, and after a week, they probably know your car. If you drop me off, they might think I got into the company because of you."
"Alright, be careful on your way." Ryan agreed after a moment.
I wheeled my suitcase to the curb, hailed a taxi, and gave the driver the address John had sent me.
The driver followed the GPS, but the scenery started looking oddly familiar, like I'd been there before.
It wasn't until the driver dropped me off that I realized I was back at the place I had visited and stayed overnight just yesterday.