As the words "How are you here...?" escaped Scarletts lips, a flood of memories surged through her. Jamie Fraser, the boy who had grown up with her, the friend who had vanished after her marriage, the one she never expected to see again, especially not in such a wretched state.
Scarlett longed to flee, to escape the humiliation that stained her cheeks red, but before she could take a step, her hand was grasped firmly, and she found herself enveloped in Jamies embrace.
Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she buried it in his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart against her own. "Hero to the rescue, are you?" The man who had chased her huffed, his voice laced with both annoyance and a hint of mockery.
"Leave," Jamie commanded, his voice steely and unyielding. The sound echoed through the night, and with it, the world around them fell silent.
"You better watch out..." the man muttered before stomping away, his footsteps fading into the darkness.
Scarletts heart, which had been racing, finally began to slow. Her legs, no longer able to support her, buckled, and she would have collapsed if not for Jamies arms around her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft and full of concern.
Scarlett could only shake her head, the events of the night overwhelming her. She was hot, so unbearably hot, and she clawed at the blankets that felt like they were suffocating her.
"Please dont go," she whispered, clutching at Jamies hand and pressing it against her cheek. It was cool, a stark contrast to her burning skin.
"Im here," Jamie reassured her, his arms tightening around her.
But Scarletts mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She called out for Edward in her delirium, the name a plea for the safety and comfort that now seemed so far out of reach.
Jamies body tensed at the sound of another mans name on her lips, but he held her close, his embrace a silent promise that he wouldnt let her fall.
"Please, dont," Scarlett whimpered, her consciousness ebbing and flowing like the tide.
Jamie paused, his hand brushing away the tears that streaked her cheeks. "Ive got you," he murmured, pulling the blankets back up over her trembling form.
The sound of running water filled the room as Jamie retreated to the bathroom, the water running for what felt like hours to Scarlett.
When morning came, Scarlett slipped away without a word, her body heavy with exhaustion and her heart laden with sorrow. The suns rays were warm on her face as she walked home, a stark contrast to the chill that had settled within her.
She had been manipulated like a pawn by the heavens, used and then cast aside, left to mock her own misery.
With no money and no means of getting home, it took her until noon to reach the familiar door of her house,Sweat soaked my clothes. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, hesitating.
The door swung open to reveal Edwards dark, stormy eyes. Her hand, which had been raised to strike him, froze in mid-air.
Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Edward said nothing, his silence a cold, impenetrable wall between them. Scarlett pushed past him, her heart pounding with a dread she couldnt name.
Could it be that he had brought that woman into their home?
Her mind felt as if it would snap, the tension in her body reaching its breaking point.
In the living room stood a man in a tailored suit, his presence a mixture of relief and a new weight on her already burdened heart. She swayed on her feet, barely staying upright as the world around her seemed to spin out of control.