Take This To Heart

Scarlett had been dreaming about James when her phone began to ring beside her head. Groggily, she picked it up and looked at the caller ID. She felt her heart flip a bit when the name James flashed on the screen.

"James? Why are you calling? It's like three in the morning?" Scarlett giggled. She had expected James to just want to talk to her, she would never have expected what came next.

"Can you meet me at the old abandoned kids park?" Scarlett noticed that James sounded very urgent.

"Yeah, sure I guess. When do you want to meet me?" Scarlett rubbed at her eyes tiredly. She didn't really want to venture out into the night alone.

"As soon as you can? I'll actually just start walking to your house. I don't want you to be walking around alone in the night. Bye." James said quickly before Scarlett heard the dial tone in her ear. She just stared at the phone confusedly for a few seconds.

Her room was dark. Scarlett stumbled out of her bed and fumbled for her light switch. Big mistake. The light turned on and she was blinded. She could hardly open her eyes. She felt around blindly on her floor for the jeans she had discarded carelessly earlier in the night.

When her eyes adjusted to the light Scarlett was able to find a shirt. She grabbed a blue Hollister shirt and a plain black sweater before hurrying out of the house.

The night was really warm and Scarlett decided she didn't really need the sweater. She draped on the railing of the steps. The moon was shining brightly along with the stars when she started walking. She could see a shadowy figure in the distance, when the figure began to run to her she knew it was James.

"Hey." James smiled and pulled her into a hug. She loved the feel of his tall frame enclosing her tiny one.

When James held her Scarlett felt safe, loved. She could stay in his arms forever. They seemed to fit together so perfectly. Her read rested on his chest and his arms wrapped so fully around her. She felt like nothing bad could touch her when she was in his arms. His body heat felt amazing and the breathing movements of chest soothed her as they slightly moved her head back and forth.

"So, why did you want to meet me so late?" Scarlett looked up into his green eyes. They weren't exactly sparkling.

One thing she had learned about James was that his eyes really were the window to his soul. If he was mad, they shone, when he was happy they sparkled, when he was sad or confused, they became clouded. Scarlett couldn't believe she could already read his emotions.

"Something...bad happened." James said slowly as he nuzzled his face in her hair. Scarlett closed her eyes and embraced the sensation.

"What?" Scarlett asked detachedly. She didn't think anything bad could ever happen again with him in her life.

"I caught my asshole of a dad cheating on my mom. I hate him Scarlett. I hate him so much." James whispered.

Scarlett didn't have to look at James to know what his eyes would look like. They would be moist with tears he wouldn't let fall. James would never let a tear fall, it would break everything he had strived for in his reputation. His tears would build up inside him and explode forth in anger one day. He was a dam waiting to burst. Scarlett wanted to tell him that sometimes it was okay for him to cry. But she knew he still wouldn't let them fall. They would remain forever unshed.

"Oh James, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Just tell your mom. She'll deal with it. It's not your responsibility." Scarlett said as she looked in his eyes. She reached her hand up and brushed his hair lightly from his forehead.

"It is my responsibility. My mom is blind to him. I have to do it myself. I have to get rid of him." James eyes clouded over, and Scarlett felt her heart jar with a stab of fear.

"And how exactly do you plan to get rid of him?" Scarlett asked. She really didn't know how James would go about getting rid of his father.

"Well there are knives, guns, bombs. So many weapons out there these days." James shrugged and Scarlett felt the pang of fear strike her once again.

"James oh my god! You can't kill your dad! You'll go to jail! Or worse!" Scarlett gasped and hugged him even more tightly to herself. She didn't want to lose him for something as terrible as murder. He couldn't leave her like that. He couldn't ruin his life like that.

"You don't know my dad Scarlett. He needs to be taken care of. It's the only solution. Either that or get rid of him some other way." James shrugged uselessly. Scarlett could feel tears pricking her eyes.

"Don't think like that. Come on. I'm not letting you go home. You're sleeping at my house." Scarlett smiled and grabbed his hand.

She knew having him in her room was a big risk, but nothing would happen. She just didn't want him anywhere near his dad, or Parker. James needed someone to discourage him from his crazy thoughts and if anyone could do that Scarlett knew it would be her.