Cherry
three
"Shh! You'll wake them." Scarlett hushed with a drunken smile. Her breath smelled of cheap beer and cigarettes, but in this moment, he didn't care.
They had brought Nathan, Bree and Aiden up to the cabin with them for the weekend. Aiden stole his brothers ID to buy beer and Bree raided her dad's weed stash. They partied late into the night until they passed out and it was only Scarlett and Roman awake in a drunken state.
"I saved this joint." She says as she reaches behind her ear. She giggles before using a match to light it. She takes a long drag before handing it to Roman. He inhales too fast and coughs which earns him a snicker. He shoots a glare in Scarlett's direction. Her smile fades, her eyes fill with a look he's unfamiliar with. A look of lust and wanting. She brushes her finger tips against his cheek, pulling his face close and pressing her soft lips to his.
"Where are you going?" Taylor asks. Her tired eyes peek from under the duvet.
"I was going to get some coffee and breakfast from The Ol' Brew. Thought you might need it to help with that hangover." Roman says and she smiles softly. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you when I get back."
"Okay." She says and pulls the duvet back over her face before rolling over.
He stands outside the cafe, contemplating one last time what he might say. But as he enters through the large oak doors and see her sitting with a mug of coffee in her hand gazing out the window, his thoughts get lost. A small smile spreads across her lips as he approaches.
"Hi." She says, adjusting her posture. "Uh, do you want something?" She asks, gesturing to the menu.
Roman shakes his head no. "I told Taylor I'd bring her something."
Scarlett's smile slowly fades. "Does she know you're meeting me?"
He hesitates a moment before answering, "Yes." He pulls out the chair across from Scarlett and sits.
"How was your Thanksgiving?"
"It was good." Roman says. Scarlett studies his face for a moment, trying to understand what he is feeling in this moment, but she can't.
"I know you don't want me here." She starts, glancing at her empty mug. "I know I've been gone for a long time, but I've grown a lot in that time. And I'm sure that you have too... Okay, I know I'm rambling. I don't think I made a mistake going to New York, I'm happy I made that decision. I am sorry that I didn't...that I just didn't tell you I was having doubts."
"Why are you telling me this now? You've had years! You didn't once think to pick up the phone, or email or, fuck, even write a letter?"
"I did. I wrote a letter, a few actually, I just couldn't bring myself to send them." Scarlett says digging through her purse. "I knew you were hurt. I didn't think I would ever come back here, and I just thought it would be so much easier for you to get by if you just hated me." She holds a stack of envelopes tied neatly with a bow, staring down at it before handing it over to Roman. "They read more like a diary than a letter, and I understand if you don't read them at all. I know you're engaged and you seem really happy. It's not my intention to ruin that, you deserve to be happy. But the look on your face when you saw me at the market..." She tucks a stray piece of her behind her ear. "I just don't want you to hate me forever. "
Roman stares at the letters in his hands. Scarlett stands from the table. She gives him a brief smile before walking away, leaving him alone with the letters. He wishes he was strong enough to rip it into a million little pieces, or burn it to ashes, but he's not. He needs to know what she has to say. He stuffs the envelopes into his back pocket.
~
"Please tell me there's a low fat lemon scone for me in that bag." Taylor says from where she's sat on their bed. Roman smiles and tosses her the paper bag. "Ugh, you know me so well." She says, digging into the bag.
"I'm gonna take a shower. Think you'll make it on your own?" He teases, and Taylor nods while biting into her tasty pastry.
Roman ducks into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He turns on the water, pulls the letter from his pocket, and takes a seat on the closed toilet. He takes a deep breathe before untying the bow. He opens the top letter, setting the rest on the bathroom counter. He begins to read the neat script.
March 5th, 2010
Ro,
I know you are mad at me, and I wish I could tell you the truth to make you feel differently.
I'm on the plane now, traveling thousands of miles across the country. Soon I'll arrive in New York and will get settled in with my Aunt Lindsey.
I know you think I left because of you, and I wish it was easy to tell you that's not the case. But it's so hard. It's just easier for me to know you're mad at me instead of worried.
I'm sick, Ro. I have been for awhile, but it's getting worse. There's a hospital with great doctors that will take care of me. They were able to treat my aunt, and they will treat me too.
It feels good to tell you, even though I'm not really telling you... I doubt I'll ever send this. I miss you so much already, and the thought of your hating me forever kills me inside. But I know what you want in life, Ro. And I know that I won't ever be able to give that to you...
Anyways. I'm exhausted now, and need to rest before we land.
I love you, dearly,
Scarlett
Roman stares at the letter, reading her words repeatedly. Why didn't she just tell him the truth? He could've been there for her. The thought of her going through treatment alone makes his heart ache and his water. The hatred that had made itself at home in his heart for so long was suddenly gone.
They had brought Nathan, Bree and Aiden up to the cabin with them for the weekend. Aiden stole his brothers ID to buy beer and Bree raided her dad's weed stash. They partied late into the night until they passed out and it was only Scarlett and Roman awake in a drunken state.
"I saved this joint." She says as she reaches behind her ear. She giggles before using a match to light it. She takes a long drag before handing it to Roman. He inhales too fast and coughs which earns him a snicker. He shoots a glare in Scarlett's direction. Her smile fades, her eyes fill with a look he's unfamiliar with. A look of lust and wanting. She brushes her finger tips against his cheek, pulling his face close and pressing her soft lips to his.
~~~
"Where are you going?" Taylor asks. Her tired eyes peek from under the duvet.
"I was going to get some coffee and breakfast from The Ol' Brew. Thought you might need it to help with that hangover." Roman says and she smiles softly. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you when I get back."
"Okay." She says and pulls the duvet back over her face before rolling over.
He stands outside the cafe, contemplating one last time what he might say. But as he enters through the large oak doors and see her sitting with a mug of coffee in her hand gazing out the window, his thoughts get lost. A small smile spreads across her lips as he approaches.
"Hi." She says, adjusting her posture. "Uh, do you want something?" She asks, gesturing to the menu.
Roman shakes his head no. "I told Taylor I'd bring her something."
Scarlett's smile slowly fades. "Does she know you're meeting me?"
He hesitates a moment before answering, "Yes." He pulls out the chair across from Scarlett and sits.
"How was your Thanksgiving?"
"It was good." Roman says. Scarlett studies his face for a moment, trying to understand what he is feeling in this moment, but she can't.
"I know you don't want me here." She starts, glancing at her empty mug. "I know I've been gone for a long time, but I've grown a lot in that time. And I'm sure that you have too... Okay, I know I'm rambling. I don't think I made a mistake going to New York, I'm happy I made that decision. I am sorry that I didn't...that I just didn't tell you I was having doubts."
"Why are you telling me this now? You've had years! You didn't once think to pick up the phone, or email or, fuck, even write a letter?"
"I did. I wrote a letter, a few actually, I just couldn't bring myself to send them." Scarlett says digging through her purse. "I knew you were hurt. I didn't think I would ever come back here, and I just thought it would be so much easier for you to get by if you just hated me." She holds a stack of envelopes tied neatly with a bow, staring down at it before handing it over to Roman. "They read more like a diary than a letter, and I understand if you don't read them at all. I know you're engaged and you seem really happy. It's not my intention to ruin that, you deserve to be happy. But the look on your face when you saw me at the market..." She tucks a stray piece of her behind her ear. "I just don't want you to hate me forever. "
Roman stares at the letters in his hands. Scarlett stands from the table. She gives him a brief smile before walking away, leaving him alone with the letters. He wishes he was strong enough to rip it into a million little pieces, or burn it to ashes, but he's not. He needs to know what she has to say. He stuffs the envelopes into his back pocket.
~
"Please tell me there's a low fat lemon scone for me in that bag." Taylor says from where she's sat on their bed. Roman smiles and tosses her the paper bag. "Ugh, you know me so well." She says, digging into the bag.
"I'm gonna take a shower. Think you'll make it on your own?" He teases, and Taylor nods while biting into her tasty pastry.
Roman ducks into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He turns on the water, pulls the letter from his pocket, and takes a seat on the closed toilet. He takes a deep breathe before untying the bow. He opens the top letter, setting the rest on the bathroom counter. He begins to read the neat script.
March 5th, 2010
Ro,
I know you are mad at me, and I wish I could tell you the truth to make you feel differently.
I'm on the plane now, traveling thousands of miles across the country. Soon I'll arrive in New York and will get settled in with my Aunt Lindsey.
I know you think I left because of you, and I wish it was easy to tell you that's not the case. But it's so hard. It's just easier for me to know you're mad at me instead of worried.
I'm sick, Ro. I have been for awhile, but it's getting worse. There's a hospital with great doctors that will take care of me. They were able to treat my aunt, and they will treat me too.
It feels good to tell you, even though I'm not really telling you... I doubt I'll ever send this. I miss you so much already, and the thought of your hating me forever kills me inside. But I know what you want in life, Ro. And I know that I won't ever be able to give that to you...
Anyways. I'm exhausted now, and need to rest before we land.
I love you, dearly,
Scarlett
Roman stares at the letter, reading her words repeatedly. Why didn't she just tell him the truth? He could've been there for her. The thought of her going through treatment alone makes his heart ache and his water. The hatred that had made itself at home in his heart for so long was suddenly gone.