in jail?”
“It will hold no sway over our relationship. Our love in unconditional and timeless. Don’t ever worry about that.”
“And you want to marry a criminal?”
“Actually, I think it’s sexy.”
I chuckled. I was on the verge of tears but she made me laugh. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“You will.”
13
Scarlet
I was able to hold back my tears until we hung up. As soon as I dropped the phone, I walked into Mike’s bedroom and let myself have a good cry. I tried to act like everything was okay even though I had never been more scared in my life. My chest heaved with the sobs that rocked my body. I sat at the foot off the bed and pulled my legs to my chest, my forehead pressed to my knees.
A moment later the door opened and Ryan sat beside me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him, letting me lean against him. He didn’t say anything, and I knew it was because there was nothing that he could say. The situation we were in was frightening. The love of my life could have everything taken away from him. I didn’t know if I could survive if Sean was locked up.
When I finally stopped crying, Ryan kissed me on the forehead. “It’ll be okay, Scar.”
“I hope so.”
“We’ll figure it out. You aren’t alone in this.”
“I know,” I said as I sniffed.
“If they don’t have enough evidence to run a case against him, they probably never will.”
“But they have enough suspicion to keep him.”
“Suspicion won’t keep him locked up forever. I think Sean is going to be okay.”
“I wish that made me feel better.”
He fell silent.
I heard the front door open and close and I knew Mike was home. Ryan and I didn’t move, just holding each other. When Mike came into the bedroom he stared at us for a long time before he sat on my other side, holding my hand in his.
“Thank you doing that,” I whispered.
“Thank you for convincing Sean to give our relationship another chance.”
“Of course.”
We sat together in the dark and said nothing for a long time. Having my family there was enough to chase away the pain for a moment. Janice came into the room and moved next to Ryan. We all sat on the hardwood floor, leaning against the bed.
“Are we going to see Janice’s family?” I asked.
“We don’t have to,” Janice said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yeah. I want to meet your family.”
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “They are all great. Maybe I’m slightly biased, but I think they are wonderful.”
“Well, they raised a wonderful daughter,” Ryan said as he kissed her on the forehead.
She laughed. “If my father knew all the nasty stuff I did with you, he wouldn’t think I was so wonderful.”
Ryan chuckled. “He probably wouldn’t like me much either.”
“They want us to come over. Is that okay?” Janice asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well, we should be going, then,” Janice said.
“Okay,” Ryan said.
We all rose to our feet, got ready, and then took a cab to her parents’ house just at the edge of the city. They lived in a small townhouse right off the road. It was painted blue with white shutters. It was quaint but beautiful.
Ryan stopped before we walked inside. “Did you grow up here?”
“Yep,” Janice said.
Ryan stared but didn’t take a step forward.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. “You’ll be fine, Ryan.” He didn’t look at me while his mind raced. I could practically read his thoughts. “Just be yourself.”
“I’ve never done this before.”
“Like I said, just be yourself.”
“I don’t want to fuck it up.”
“But you don’t want them to love a person you aren’t. So just be normal.”
He sighed. “What do I say?”
“What do you mean?”
“What should I say I do for a living?”
“Ryan, just tell them the truth. The only person who has a problem with your profession
“It will hold no sway over our relationship. Our love in unconditional and timeless. Don’t ever worry about that.”
“And you want to marry a criminal?”
“Actually, I think it’s sexy.”
I chuckled. I was on the verge of tears but she made me laugh. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“You will.”
13
Scarlet
I was able to hold back my tears until we hung up. As soon as I dropped the phone, I walked into Mike’s bedroom and let myself have a good cry. I tried to act like everything was okay even though I had never been more scared in my life. My chest heaved with the sobs that rocked my body. I sat at the foot off the bed and pulled my legs to my chest, my forehead pressed to my knees.
A moment later the door opened and Ryan sat beside me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him, letting me lean against him. He didn’t say anything, and I knew it was because there was nothing that he could say. The situation we were in was frightening. The love of my life could have everything taken away from him. I didn’t know if I could survive if Sean was locked up.
When I finally stopped crying, Ryan kissed me on the forehead. “It’ll be okay, Scar.”
“I hope so.”
“We’ll figure it out. You aren’t alone in this.”
“I know,” I said as I sniffed.
“If they don’t have enough evidence to run a case against him, they probably never will.”
“But they have enough suspicion to keep him.”
“Suspicion won’t keep him locked up forever. I think Sean is going to be okay.”
“I wish that made me feel better.”
He fell silent.
I heard the front door open and close and I knew Mike was home. Ryan and I didn’t move, just holding each other. When Mike came into the bedroom he stared at us for a long time before he sat on my other side, holding my hand in his.
“Thank you doing that,” I whispered.
“Thank you for convincing Sean to give our relationship another chance.”
“Of course.”
We sat together in the dark and said nothing for a long time. Having my family there was enough to chase away the pain for a moment. Janice came into the room and moved next to Ryan. We all sat on the hardwood floor, leaning against the bed.
“Are we going to see Janice’s family?” I asked.
“We don’t have to,” Janice said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yeah. I want to meet your family.”
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “They are all great. Maybe I’m slightly biased, but I think they are wonderful.”
“Well, they raised a wonderful daughter,” Ryan said as he kissed her on the forehead.
She laughed. “If my father knew all the nasty stuff I did with you, he wouldn’t think I was so wonderful.”
Ryan chuckled. “He probably wouldn’t like me much either.”
“They want us to come over. Is that okay?” Janice asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well, we should be going, then,” Janice said.
“Okay,” Ryan said.
We all rose to our feet, got ready, and then took a cab to her parents’ house just at the edge of the city. They lived in a small townhouse right off the road. It was painted blue with white shutters. It was quaint but beautiful.
Ryan stopped before we walked inside. “Did you grow up here?”
“Yep,” Janice said.
Ryan stared but didn’t take a step forward.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. “You’ll be fine, Ryan.” He didn’t look at me while his mind raced. I could practically read his thoughts. “Just be yourself.”
“I’ve never done this before.”
“Like I said, just be yourself.”
“I don’t want to fuck it up.”
“But you don’t want them to love a person you aren’t. So just be normal.”
He sighed. “What do I say?”
“What do you mean?”
“What should I say I do for a living?”
“Ryan, just tell them the truth. The only person who has a problem with your profession
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