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Scooping up her clothes from the floor, she said, “You can see yourself out.” Then she walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance.
CHAPTER 37
Scarlett
Irushed upstairs, my vision blurred by the tears stinging my eyes. Slamming the bathroom door behind me, I leaned against it, gasping for air as the emotions threatened to overwhelm me completely.Get it together. I blinked rapidly, willing the tears back as I dumped my clothes on the floor and turned the shower on, waiting impatiently for the water to heat up.
Stepping under the hot spray, I tilted my head back and let the water wash over me. The warmth seeped into my tense muscles, but it did fuck all to soothe the ache in my chest. My plan to get Rhett to fuck all this angst out of me had absolutely backfired. Now I owed him an apology for being rude. Jesus, why was I such a head case?
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears still slipped out, mingling with the water streaming down my face.
My shoulders shook with the effort of holding back the sobs. I couldn’t let go, couldn’t give in. If I started crying for real, I was terrified I might drown in the deluge of hurt and never stop. No matter how hard I tried not to think about Veronica’s texts,or Laura’s face when she looked at my baby picture, my mind just wouldn’t let it go. It was an endless fucking circle I couldn’t break out of.
Pressing my palms against the tiled wall, I focused on taking deep, shuddering breaths until the urge to break down passed. Well, passed enough for me to feel like I wasn’t about to totally unravel.
After an eternity, I finally turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping myself in a plush towel. I avoided looking at my reflection in the foggy mirror as I dried off and put on my robe. I could only imagine how wrecked I looked right now.
Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, my robe clinging to my damp skin, I stopped dead still. What the fuck was Rhett doing, sitting on the edge of my bed? He was meant to be far away from here, on the road to Raleigh. Not sitting there looking so sweet and hot and concerned. Oh god, the way my heart leaped, the way I wanted, so badly, to just throw myself at him. But I couldn’t do that. I had to stay strong. So instead of giving him the apology I knew he deserved, I snapped, “What the fuck are you doing here? I told you to see yourself out.” I couldn’t hide the rawness in my voice.
Rhett simply shrugged; his expression infuriatingly calm. “I didn’t think you should be by yourself.”
I scoffed, tightening the robe around me like armor. “I’m fine.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
His dark eyes bored into me, stripping away every flimsy defense. “You’re a fucking liar, is what you are.”
I flinched at his blunt words, the truth in them stinging more than I wanted to admit. Turning away, I busied myself withrummaging through my dresser, desperate to avoid his piercing gaze. “I don’t need you here playing therapist, Rhett. Just go.”
But he didn’t move. Of course, he didn’t - Rhett Rivers never did anything he didn’t want to. I could feel the weight of his stare boring into my back as I clutched a worn t-shirt to my chest like a lifeline.
“Talk to me, Scarlett.” His voice was low, the commanding edge softened by an undercurrent of concern that made my throat tighten.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting against the tide of emotions battering me from the inside. “I can’t...” My voice cracked, betraying me.
In an instant, Rhett was there, his strong arms wrapping around me from behind. I stiffened, every instinct screaming at me to push him away, to rebuild the crumbling walls. But I was so goddamn tired of being strong all the time.
“I’m just so tired.”
“I know.”
Oh god, his voice was so soft, so sweet. “I’m sick of pretending I’m strong.”
His hands were gentle on my shoulders when he turned me around and pressed a kiss into my hair. “You’re the strongest person I know. But even strong people have to drop the load every now and then. So just let go. I’ve got you.”
That was all it took. With a shuddering exhale, I leaned into his solid warmth, letting the dam break while he held me close. The sobs I had been choking back tore from my chest in ragged gaspsas the tears I had been desperately holding back for far too long streamed down my cheeks.
His arms tightened around me, a steady anchor in the storm raging inside me. I had no idea how long we stayed like that, with me crying until I was utterly spent, pouring out all the hurt and confusion and anger that had been weighing me down.
When the sobs finally subsided into occasional hiccupping breaths, I felt hollowed out, drained in a way that went bone-deep. Rhett didn’t say a word. He just held me, one hand gently stroking my damp hair. I should have felt embarrassed, ashamed at having such a complete emotional breakdown in front of him. But I couldn’t find it in me to care. Not when his solid presence was the only thing keeping me together.
Gently, he helped me get dressed, then guided me over to the bed and I didn’t protest, my limbs heavy with exhaustion. I sank onto the soft mattress, watching through half-lidded eyes as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to me. A tiny part of me wondered if I should question this. Put up some token resistance. But the rest of me was too wrung out. And too desperate to feel his body next to mine, to just breathe him in, if I was being completely honest.
Rhett gathered me into his arms again, tucking my head beneath his chin. I melted against him with a weary sigh, my eyes drifting shut as the lingering ache in my chest finally began to ease. His fingers traced soothing patterns along my back and shoulder as he murmured softly, “Just sleep now, my girl. I’ve got you.”
Those words shouldn’t have meant anything coming from Rhett Rivers. And yet, lying there in his arms, I felt an unfamiliar sense of safety steal over me. I knew I should fight it, resist theinexplicable solace he offered. But I was too bone-tired to put up that battle tonight.
So instead, I let the tension seep from my body, let the steady beating of Rhett’s heartbeat lull me. For once, I didn’t try to analyze or make sense of anything. I simply surrendered to the escape of sleep, with the feel of his arms around me.
CHAPTER 38