Page 84 of Open for Negotiation

Chapter 18

Scarlett

Having dinner with a friend is just what I needed on my last night here in Atlanta. Cassidy from Fortress told me she and a couple of the other ladies wanted to make sure I had a nice night here, so that this city didn’t leave a sour taste in my mouth after everything that has happened. I needed that more than I realized.

I was hesitant, at first, but ultimately decided my time was better spent having some delicious food with friendly faces before hopping on that plane tomorrow morning.

The moon is bright in the sky when I step off the train and click my heels down the sidewalk, heading home to my apartment for the last time. I take in the area and all of the memories I’ve made here, trying my best to keep Max far from the forefront of my mind, but no matter how hard I try, all I can see is his face.

He’s in everything. He’s everywhere, and that just solidifies that I’m making the right choice here. I’m too far gone with him, and he has too much baggage, too much drama, and I don’t have the energy or strength for any of it.

It’s unusually chilly for late summer evening in Atlanta, so I cross my arms over my chest, trying my best to shield myself from the cool breeze tickling my skin.

It’s oddly quiet when I reach my block, so when I hear someone call my name, my hair stands up on end and my stomach drop into my feet.

I stop in my tracks and look around, but there’s nothing but traffic lights and the sound of the wind around me.

“Relax, Scarlett.” I say to myself, but I walk just a little bit faster toward my building. No matter how much I relax, I can’t help but feel like someone is watching me.

***

Thirty minutes later, I’m stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around my wet body. I’ve scrubbed myself of makeup, had a good cry in the privacy of my bathroom, and now I’ll call Eden. It’s the “Scarlett is sad” trifecta.

I dial her number, placing it on speaker phone, and prop my phone up on the counter then I wipe my mirror free of fog.

“Hey, you,” she says happily. “How’s it going?”

“Hi,” I respond, patting my face dry. “It’s going all right. I went out for a goodbye dinner with some people from Fortress, now I’m home… just waiting for tomorrow.”

“Are you all packed?”

“I have two suitcases with necessities. The movers will be here tomorrow evening to pack everything else up and get it driven up.”

“If you’d have asked, I would have just gotten a U-Haul and came down to help.”

She’s the best friend I could ever ask for. She’d do anything I ever asked or needed of her.

“I know, but I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“No. I told him not to contact me because it would be easier.”

“And he actually listened to you?” she says, surprised.

“Yeah, he did. He’s a good man who does what people ask of him, much to my chagrin.” I brush out my hair with a wide-toothed comb, then toss it into the waiting makeup bag next to my sink.

“What do you mean?”

“Obviously there is part of me that desperately wants him to call. I want him to beat my door down and tell me that he can’t live without me. That he’d,” I wave my hand, trying to think of what to say, “do anything and everything to show me how much I mean to him.”

“But…”

“But that’s only going to make this harder, because I can’t and won’t deal with all of the Miranda shit. I can’t. She’s shown that she won’t be leaving his life and will do everything she can to sabotage him, including trying to ruin my life. She ruined my career at Fortress, made a complete fool out of me, so… I’m done.” I swallow the knot forming in my throat and snatch my phone from the counter and head out into the hall, turning quickly into my bedroom.

“I need you to really think about this, okay?” Eden says in the tone that tells me she is going to lay some words of wisdom on me. “You seemed happier than I’ve ever seen you in the time that you two were together. What that bitch did to you,” she pauses and exhales sharply, “fucking horrific, and I’d love to give her a piece of my mind, but what if what you have with Max is stronger, bigger, than anything she could do to you?”

My heart leaps forward, wanting to grasp at everything she’s saying to me. My body craves his touch, my lips want his kiss, but my brain knows better.

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