PLAY WITH FIRE

CHAPTER 21

SCARLETT VALENTINE

PRESENT TIME

Holden didn't make a move to get out of the car once he'd parked in front of Martha's house, instead he watched me pick up the bunch of flowers he'd helped me pick, and hop out of the car. I fixed my top before bending down, looking into the car. Holden's elbow rested on the middle console, his other hand still gripping the wheel as he stared my way. 

"You wanna come in?" Holden tilted his head, looking up at the house from out his windshield. 

"No, it's alright. I don't want to invite myself in on a family dinner" He replied. The Callaway's weren't my family family, but he knew how I talked about them and how much they meant to me that he saw them as my second family. I slammed the door shut, walking around the car and opening Holden's driver door. 

"Martha would be more than happy to meet you" I stated, leaning into the car, grabbing Holden's hands and trying to pull him out. There was no fucking point. Holden was a big guy, and he wasn't even budging as I tried to pull at him. Instead, he watched with an amused smirk, head resting back on the head rest. 

"It almost sounds like you want me to stay, Miss Valentine" Holden stated, my eyes falling to our hands as Holden turned his hand over, capturing and enclosing his hand around mine. He just held my hand. Just held it like it was the most natural thing in the world as he stared up at me. And at this point in time...it felt natural. 

"So what? Maybe I do. Would that be such a problem?" I replied with a shrug, watching Holden's lips part as a wide, gentle smile spread across his face. He shook his head, his eyes bouncing over my facial features, hand tightening protectively around mine. 

"Scar-"

"Scarlett!" My head immediately shot in the direction of the loud, childish scream. A smile spread across my face so fast an so wide it hurt my jaw. Holden let go of my hand, allowing me to run over and meet the little angel half way. Just as I bent she jumped up and into my arms, her tiny body clinging to mine as I hugged the life out of her, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck. 

"How are you, my little munchkin?" I asked, bouncing little Missy Callaway in my arms. She removed her arms from my neck, placing her hands on my shoulders to push herself back and look up at me. The smile she was sporting made my heart clench. I'd do anything for this girl. 

"I'm really happy" Her whole body was shaking with excitement. 

"And why are you so happy?" I asked. Missy raised her hands in the air. 

"Because you're here" Missy answered before falling back against my chest, hugging me tightly again. 

"Of course I'm here. I promised" Missy pulled back to look at me, an eyebrow raised on her little 5 year old forehead. 

"You're almost a month late" She wasn't wrong. I'd told Martha I'd come over for dinner the first Friday of my freedom but then all this shit about my family happened, and then Holden happened so I postponed, not wanting to be bad company for them. 

"I can leave if you-"

"No" Missy yelled, grabbing my face in her tiny hands, leaning up and pressing her nose to mine. She stared at me seriously, her eyes bulging out of her head, pressing her forehead to mine. "No more leaving me". 

"No more leaving you" I repeated, pulling back and pressing a kiss to her cheek before bending down and letting her stand on her own again. She immediately tugged on my jacket, making me look down at her only to find her staring at Holden as he sat in his car, his door still open. Looking back to Missy she waved her hand for me to crouch down to her height.