PARTNERS

chapter 3

Toren's POV

The next morning I wake up to the smell of coffee filling my nose. I inhale a deep breath and open my eyes to see Scarlett kneeling next to the bed with a covered tray.

"Mmm...what's that smell?" I speak with a raspy morning voice.

"I made you some breakfast." Scarlett says, smiling lightly, running a few fingers through the hair on my forehead.

"Fuck, I was gonna do that for you." I groan, throwing my head back.

After the memories of the event resurfacing again last night, I'd planned to wake her up to the smell of coffee and eggs, but the lack of sleep this past week due has caught up to me it seems.

"No. It's my time to treat you for all you do."

I look directly at her as she diverts her eyes from mine, adjusting a spoon on the tray that doesn't need adjusting.

She's doing it again. Guilting herself. I can't stand the way it makes me feel inside. She acts like she owes me something.

"Don't." I say, grabbing her uninjured hand.

Her hesitant eyes look up at me, breaking my heart.

"Come, sit by me and let's enjoy it together. I'm not even going to ask how you cooked with that hand. I don't even want to know." I comment, shaking my head, mad at the thought, as a light chuckle comes out of her mouth.

We eat breakfast in bed and sip coffee in communal silence while global news airs in the background.

"So have you responded back to Sergio yet? It's been, what, three days since he reached out?"

"Yeah, I mean, the exhibit is in two weeks, I have the pieces already selected so it's not like I need to paint with my bum hand, but...I don't know..." she trails.

Tommy knew what he was doing when he hurt her. She said he'd done it before and he did it again. Anything he could do to take away the promises of her future. I'm glad the sick fuck is six feet under. I'm only upset I didn't get the chance to do it myself.

I set our tray of breakfast down on the dresser, climbing back into the bed next to her, lying on my stomach, my head resting against her exposed knees.

I love her in only my t-shirt.

"Scarlett..." I begin, looking at her until she finally locks eyes with me, "...you deserve this, the success, the happiness. Please don't try and tell yourself otherwise."

I know what she's doing. She doesn't feel right about moving forward with her life in a successful manner. She feels like she shouldn't. Like she doesn't deserve happiness after Ryder's passing. She won't talk to me about it. I'm sure she thinks it'll hurt me to hear about the pain she's going through, but she's mistaken.

The situation as a whole was as horrific as you can imagine, but the after effects are devastating.

"I just feel like maybe now isn't the right time, maybe I should wait the two years and see if he'd be interested in my work at that time. It all just feels so wrong." she says sadly.

"Listen baby," I start, grabbing her face between my hands. "I know your heart aches for him, in a pained way that's unexplainable. I'm man enough to understand it, acknowledge it, and be here for you. A loss is a loss, even if you're still struggling with the forgiveness part, even if you hate to admit to yourself how deeply you felt for him."

She blinks rapidly, her lips parting to let out a little sigh.

"However, I won't allow you to beat yourself up over a past that was completely out of your control."