Deception | Scarlett Johansson x Daughter

19 | My little lion cub.

The morning after, Andie woke up early. It was just before five and the sun had barely even started to peek over the horizon.

The sheets ruffled as Andie sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Something had woken her, a sound. The sound came again, vibrating through the air. Two small knocks came from her door. Andie swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked across the floor. The door slid open with a light creek. Outside was a distraught Rose, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks.

"Rosie?" Andie said, letting the door swing open all the way. "What's wrong?"

Rose sniveled and wiped at her eye.

"Rosie, I need you to use your words to tell me what's wrong so I can help you." Andie kneeled down so she was at the same level as her sister.

But Rose just threw herself around Andie's neck and cried.

"What's wrong Rosie?" Andie tried again while rubbing the young girls back.

"I miss you." She whispered, face burrowed in Andie's shoulder.

"But I'm right here Rosie." Andie responded and held her sister tighter.

Footsteps broke them apart. Rose spun around and looked up at the person who came to meet them. It was Scarlett, dressed in a bathrobe and slippers.

"Rose, what are you doing up." She asked, looking down at her youngest.

Andie rose to her feet, snaking a hand around the doorknob just in case she needed it.

Rose looked down at her feet and fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Let's go back to bed hm?" Scarlett hummed, offering Rose a hand.

The girls blue eyes wandered between Scarlett and Andie for a while before stopping at Andie.

"I wanna stay with Andie." She mumbled and dropped her eyes.

Her whole demeanor seemed sad, her shoulders slumped and her head hung low.

"Go with Scarlett." Andie gestured to the woman without looking at her.

Rose slowly dragged her feet across the hallway to her room when she stopped again. Andie was about to close her bedroom door when the younger girl spoke up.

"Why don't you call her mom?"

Andie froze, her hand still on the metal doorknob. She looked at Rose, praying that she would forgive her for what she was about to say.

"Because she hasn't been my mom for a long time."

With that, the door slammed shut. The round ripping through the thick tension, separating Andie from the rest of the family. But maybe that tear was already there?

How could she ever look at Scarlett again? Just a few days ago she had almost called her 'Mom' but now that was all gone. And it was all her fault. Everything was her fault again.

The bedsheets crackled when Andie threw herself onto her bed with a sigh. Her thoughts had travelled to one place, or more specifically to one thing. She needed her lighter, she needed the guilt to stop for just a few seconds.

—

When Andie woke up the day after she had a massive headache. First she thought it was from crying half the night but something else felt off. She was freezing even though she knew it was warm outside the fluffy comforter. When she tried to sit up, everything spun and her head hurt even more. Andie slumped back against the covers and shut her eyes again, sleep almost taking her but not really.