She could see Wayne would never hurt Lily. Richard placed a hand at the back of her chair. His fingers played with her exposed back. He’d asked her to wear the shirt and trousers. Staring back at the happy couple and with Richard touching her, she couldn’t handle it.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said and moved out of the chair. Richard followed her.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing. I just need to go to the bathroom. Do you want to supervise?” Scarlet knew she was being unfair. She didn’t why she was behaving like a bitch. Richard nodded in her direction and let her walk away.
Tears formed in her eyes, and she wouldn’t let them spill over. She was bigger and better than being a cry baby. Witnessing love made her want it. Why couldn’t she be left in her own little cut-off world? She’d been getting by like always.
When the other women left, giving her a disparaging look, she splashed water on her face and stared at her reflection.
Many revelations were happening all at once. Her feelings for Richard, witnessing love between a happy couple. Suddenly, she started craving what other people wanted. Harry hadn’t been created through love. She closed her eyes and shut out the memories. No one would help her but herself. She’d been taught a long time ago to keep her head up and refuse to allow anyone to beat her down.
Taking a few deep breaths, she dried her face and went to face the world.
Chapter Eight
Scarlet came out of the ladies room and bumped into the hard male chest of a man passing.
“Sorry,” she muttered as she got her footing.
“Don’t worry about it.” She tensed and stared up at the man who held her. David Buttons, the man and nightmare from her past – and Harry’s father. How could he be here? It was like she’d been thinking about him, and he’d bloody appeared. She glanced down where he held her arm, the contact sending a shiver through her whole body. His touch repulsed her.
“Let me go.” She stared around her at the passing people in the hopes to see Richard. He’d keep her safe. David couldn’t do anything to her. Wait, Richard didn’t know anything about this man.
David always manipulated situations to make him look like the victim. She bit her lip and waited like always until he’d said his piece. One thing was for sure, David loved the sound of his own voice.
“Stop making such a fuss,” he said, as if being held by him was a natural and pleasant occurrence.
“I mean it. I’ll scream.” At this moment she’d do anything for him to release her. Where is his wife? David fears his wife.
“And cause such a racket. Like I told you, Scarlet, who is going to believe you?” Her old nightmare, the other bigger shame from her past. She saw it as clearly as if it was happening right now.
David had turned up to her house, and she’d let him in. Not knowing else to do, she’d listened to him whine and moan about his wife. Scarlet recalled telling him it was over and that she was pleased she hadn’t gone to bed with him. David hadn’t liked her attitude, and there in her parents’ living room, he’d fought her to the floor and taken from her what she’d never willingly given anyone else. Once he’d used her body and violated her will, he’d stood over her and said, “I wouldn’t bother telling anyone. Who would believe you over a professional married man?” David had left, and in return she’d been punished again. Nine months from that date she’d given birth to Harry.
“How’s Harry?” he asked.
Shit, how does he know about my son?
“Do you really think I wouldn’t have kept an eye on you? I heard everything as soon as he was born,” he said. Scarlet pulled on her arm and stared out toward Richard. Why couldn’t she see him?
Have to get away. She scrambled her brain to try to find something to say to get him to release her. She wasn’t a stupid naive teenager anymore.
“How’s your wife? You know the one thing I didn’t know back then is something called a paternity test. Have you heard of them?” Scarlet praised herself. Her voice didn’t wobble one bit. “I could take you to court and demand you give a DNA sample, and then let’s see who would believe what happened on that night all those years ago.” Scarlet watched with satisfaction as he grew pale and his grip loosened on his arms. “Stay the hell away from me and my son. Harry is not yours.”
Like a bullet she was out of there and gone. She found Lily waiting near the bar, a drink in hand. “Who’s that man?” Lily asked when Scarlet called the barman and requested some strong liquor. He placed the small glass on the bar in front of her. She downed a quick shot of alcohol and asked for another. She never drank, but facing the man who’d raped her years ago she thought she was handling the situation rather well.
“No one,” she said.
Richard and Wayne joined them. Both men steered them back to the table. She asked the barman for a strong coffee to be sent to their table. After downing the strong shots she’d need her wits about her. Scarlet tried to ignore the burning along her neck and force herself not to look around. Every few seconds she glanced behind her, worried in case David hadn’t gotten the message.
“You’re a little jumpy today,” Richard whispered against her ear.
“Just tired.”
She sipped the coffee she’d requested after the shots and prayed the shakes in her hand would subside enough for her to drink it.
****
Richard stared intently at the woman on his arm, concerned. She looked like a cornered animal. Lily kept glancing his way, and her eyes widened.
He made some excuse and went to the bar to get himself a beer, and he wasn’t surprised when Lily joined him seconds later.
“What do you want, Lily?” He paid the barman and glanced down at his friend’s wife.
“Did you see that guy talking to Scarlet?”
Richard had seen him. Seen him and turned from the scene. The couple had looked really nice and cozy.
“Probably an old boyfriend,” he said and tried to hide his fist inside his pocket.
“That why you want to go over and slug him?”
Scarlet was supposed to be a f**k. Yet every time he got her near a bed and was inside her body, he couldn’t even contemplate letting her go.
“None of my business about her past.”
“Just so you know, whoever that man is, isn’t a friend of Scarlet. She’s been jumpy since bumping into him, and the fear in her eyes is not fake. He scares her.” Lily took a beer for her husband and left Richard with his confused thoughts. Double dating with his friends was a big f**king mistake.