helloooo x
so i have the feeling you're gonna enjoy this chapter (;
so let me know what you guys think and if you have any question about the fanfic you can ask me on my curious cat www.curiouscat.me/groenevogue you don't need to have an account to ask questions.
see you at the next chapter xx
ONE YEAR AGO
Cielo's and Avery's chatting is definitely too loud not to wake Scarlett up ten minutes before of the time her alarm was supposed to go off. What Scarlett's sleepy senses manage to perceive is that they're talking about clothes, so she decides it's not interesting enough for her to snoop. The next thing in her mind, right after, is checking her phone to see how it ended up between Harry and Poe, but when she checks it to find nothing a feeling of worry and disappointment emerges in the pit of her stomach. She doesn't know if Harry actually talked to Poe, but she's definitely worried by his silence.
Maybe, he picked Poe over her and realized that she wasn't worth the fuss. She feels a knot in her chest, just by thinking about the possibility, she wouldn't tolerate it. Especially not today.
Between all the days, that's definitely the one she was most worried about for being away from home. She quickly gets out of the bed, to force herself not to think about it and the cold water of the shower helps her in the mission too.
She leaves the room twenty minutes earlier, with a maltreated plain white t-shirt, a blue chenille cardigan on top of it and a pair of black trousers, she didn't really bother to try and dress nice for today. It's really not her day.
She stops right in the middle of the corridor, with the books hugged tight to her chest, when she sees Poe walking toward her. His stare is hard and serious, just like his whole body is tense.
"Can we talk?" He goes straight to the point. She knows he knows. She just slowly nods, walking toward a small bench at a side of the corridor. She just sits down, without really saying anything but just waiting for whatever he has to say.
"Harry told me about him and you," It's rare to see his brother this serious about anything, that's the first thing she thinks about before she's quickly taken over by a slight sense of anxiety. She just got the confirmation.
"I didn't want to lie... I-" Scarlett sighs, but she's quickly interrupted by Poe.
"I get why you lied, though. I shouldn't have forbidden you anything. You're old enough to make your own choice," Scarlett almost gasps at his words, seeing that he's not mad. Harry must have really made a miracle. Poe's stare is soft and understanding, it's the stare she's always loved seeing growing up. It would make her feel safe, no matter what.
"You changed your mind?" She asks, still surprised.
"Yeah... I'm sorry for being so harsh," He shrugs his shoulder, a slight smile makes his way on his face. "He really likes you."
"You think so?" Scarlett asks, feeling her heart rushing into her chest by thinking about Harry actually liking her.
"I know so!" Scarlett's lips curve into a wide smile at her brother's words. "So, now you only have to promise me another thing. But you can't lie about it." She quickly nods at his words, taking his warm hand in hers and holding it tight.
"Whatever you want!"
"Alright... if he hurts you in any way you have to tell and I promise I'll mess his pretty face up." Scarlett loudly laughs at Poe's words and nods once again, before leaning towards him and wrapping her thin arms around his neck.
"I love you so much, Poe. You're the best," she kisses his cheek, before standing up with him and starting to walk together toward class.
"So is everything alright today?" Poe's tone of voice is apprensive and Scarlett knows right away what he's asking about, even if he's not specifying. She thought he had forgotten about it.
"Yeah... I'm fine and even better now," She says, almost in a whisper. Poe can see when his sister is agitated for whatever reason, he can see when something's off, like right now; she's nervously rubbing her fingers against the books she's holding and she's keeping her stare low. Scarlett is not the only one to learn something from their father's job.
"You know you can call me if you'll need someone to chill with, right?" Scarlett nods. Of course she knows Poe would be there for her if she needed him, but she doesn't think it's a good idea. If she spends today with Poe, she'll probably end up thinking about it even more and that's not something she wants to do.
"I know, but I think I had already made some plans with Harry." She shrugs her shoulder, faking a smile and lying again to his face. Well, she doesn't really consider it a lie since she wants to ask him to spend tonight with her anyway.
"Alright, alright..." he says with a smile.
The first thing Scarlett does when she takes her place for her psychology class, since the teacher is not here yet, is to text Harry.
I just met Poe, quite pleasing meeting. Why didn't you tell me? x
She locks her phone right after and takes her bloc-notes from her bag with a pencil, just in time before the teacher makes her entry in the class.
When Harry reads Scarlett's text he's quite disappointed. He wanted to tell her it in person, but Poe had preceded him already, he should've imagined it.
I wanted to tell you about my heroic gesture in person, too bad. xx
He presses send, right after typing the cheeky text. Today schedule is not that busy, he even has time to have a breakfast in the canteen: black coffee and blueberry pancakes.
He really can't wait to finish his lessons and go see Scarlett.
"What happened to your face?" He quickly raises his stare, just to find Cielo, standing up in front of him, with her palms pointed on the table. Before he can say anything she quickly takes the seat in front of him and gives a more attentive look to his bruised up face.
"Long story. Got into a fight with my roommate, we're fine now." Cielo furrows her eyebrows, before nodding without asking questions, probably not really interested about it or maybe too eager to introduce the subject for what she came here to look for him.
"So, I'm going to the club tonight. Are you coming with me?" Now, he understands Cielo's slight excitement. She looks very hyperactive today, by the way she beats her fingers against the table and by the fact that she can't seem to stop her knee from moving.
"I don't know Cielo... I don't think it's a good idea," Harry's being honest. That place is part of his past, something he doesn't want to get involved into anymore and, especially, a dangerous place for a girl like her.
"Well, I'll go. You can do whatever you want," she stands up, ready to abandon her seat, but she's quickly stopped by Harry's hand wrapping around her wrist. She turns around, giving him a quizzing look.
"What?!"
"Alright, alright... I'll come with you." And in that right moment, he thinks that it seems like he can't really stay away from troubles.
PRESENT
Cielo has tried to medicate Harry's cut on his lower lip and cheekbone, she really has. Just like she has asked him to see a doctor, to check he didn't have any broken bones, and to get out of the bed. Nevertheless, Harry hasn't really listened to her.
Today, it's the third morning, after the meeting with Poe that he refuses to leave his bed if not to take more alcohol. She has tried to take the bottles away from him, but she's not sure she can. She can feel his pain, his agony and drinking seems the only escape for him, at the moment. She doesn't want to take it away from him too. Cielo has just pandered his requests for the past two days, bringing him more alcohol — since she had the way to add a lot of water in his drinks — and when he felt like it, she presented her pussy or mouth to fuck.
Cielo feels like she'd do anything for him, if that means that she won't see trace of pain twisting his beautiful face. She feels similar to Scarlett in this.
But this morning, when she woke up and saw the battered back of his lover, she decided that he can't go on like this and she has to do something.
Harry's still sleeping, the white silk sheets covering him up until the armpits, he's laying on his stomach and his mouth is slightly open. She loves to watch him sleep, especially those last days, it's the only moment when he seems peaceful and calm.
The first thing she does in the morning is going to the kitchen and emptying every bottle of alcohol she can find, even beers. A cold shower follows.
When she looks at herself in the mirror, once she has dried her long hair, she can't almost recognize herself. Her skin is tremendously pale and the circles under her eyes are darker than usual. She puts on a pair of jeans and a sweater with a pair of boots. She leaves her hair loose and straight, without worrying about applying makeup. Before leaving the house, she leaves a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on Harry's bedside table, who is still peacefully snorting.
*
She remembers clearly the first time she has came in here for interrogation. When Scarlett disappeared she was called in right after Harry. Back at the time she thought she was going to be the first one, after all, she had more reasons than anyone else to want her gone, but after understanding Scarlett's father's fury toward Harry she wasn't that surprised anymore.
"How can I help you?" The receptionist of the building kindly asks, as soon as Cielo approaches the counter.
"I need to talk to Aaron Clark," Cielo says.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but I'm sure he wants to talk to me. It's about a case," the lady takes the telephone receiver and composes a number very quickly.
"What's your name?"
"Cielo Salvador!"
"Hello Sir., there's a young woman called Cielo Salvador here, she said she n-" she stops at the mid of her sentence. "Alright! Sure thing! Have a good day." She puts down the phone and she immediately gives Cielo a visitor's pass.
"He's waiting for you! His office is at the last floor. You need this to get in," she says, pointing at the pass she just gave her. Cielo nods in understanding and after saying goodbye she proceeds toward the elevator.
She's been wanting to talk to Aaron for a long time, but Harry's condition during the last days just convinced her more.
When she arrives to Aaron's office the door is open and he seems to be waiting for her.
"Close the door, please!" It's the first thing he tells her. She quickly obeys. He looks kind of better than what she was imagining, but definitely worse than the first time she has seen him. She can recognize the same kind of pain and sadness she has seen in Harry's eyes. She takes the seat in front of him, he's looking at her cautiously, with a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Thank you for having me!"
"What did you come to tell me?" He goes straight to the point, but without pressure in his tone of voice, more like genuine curiosity.
"I need to talk to you about Harry..." Aaron's eyes don't light up in the way she imagined when she mentioned his name, as if he already knew. As if he knows that she's not going to tell him anything remotely close to blame him for anything related to Scarlett's murder. "I want to say first that I'm sorry for your loss and for what you've been going through." His stare slightly softens at her words, for a few second, before going back to normal.
"Thank you!" He mumbles, lowering his stare.
"Now, what I wanted to tell you is that what you're doing to Harry is not right!" Once again, no surprise or rage in his eyes, he just stays passionless.
"What we're doing are called standard procedures for a murder investigation, Cielo." His tone of voice is calm, for a second he almost doesn't look like the wrecked man she knows she has in front of her.
"No, it's not!" She exclaims, a little too loudly maybe. "You've basically condemned him already, that's not the fair procedure."
"Did he tell you?" Aaron goes straight to the point. She knows what he's talking about and she feels taken by surprise for a second. She just looks at him, with her mouth slightly opened, without saying anything. It's what she was looking for the night before Scarlett disappeared, and that she's still clueless about.
"No." She whispers, after a few seconds.
"You don't know what he's capable of and what he's done in the past... you have no idea," Cielo trusts Harry and wouldn't judge him for something happened in his past. She knows he's not exactly a Saint and has done some questionable things, but that doesn't mean that people can't ever change. She knows he's a good person, he's helped her in the biggest moment of need in her life and he has never gave up on her, no matter how difficult and dangerous situations got.
"What he has done in the past doesn't concern me. I know him, he's a good person. He's not a killer!" Aaron admires this girl's tenacity and at the same time he's saddened by it, she reminds him of Scarlett and of the unconditional and blinded love she felt for him. He looks at her at Scarlett's place and can't help but feeling worried because he doesn't want to find another body of a young girl dumped in the wood.
"I know you see him as a good person and my daughter as the bad one, but..." he stops himself in the middle of the sentence, sighing and lowering his stare while humidifying his lower lip with his tongue. She notices that it's painful for him to talk about her. She really doesn't know how he's holding on doing this job. "I know what she's done to you and I can't blame you for seeing her as the bad one in this situation, but-"
"She told you what she did?" This time is Cielo to interrupt him, too surprised by his words. She wasn't expecting that she had found the courage to confess her father her actions. He slowly nods.
"You know what happened when Harry found out what she had done to me?!" She almost exclaims, knowing damn well that he doesn't know. Aaron immediately shakes his head, so she goes ahead. "Nothing!" She exclaims. "Completely nothing! He went back to her, as if nothing had ever happened because he was crazy for her. As much as it hurts me to admit it he loved her." Cielo quickly pushes away the tear streaming down of her cheek. "He would've never hurt her..." she whispers, hearing the sound of her own voice betraying her, shaking while she speaks. "He's been in bed feeling like absolute shit for the past two days, he hasn't been the same since he found out about her."
"That's what guilt does to you," He finally responds, not really getting emotional because of her words.
"Alright..." she snorts, standing up and adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "It wasn't a good idea coming here, I'm done!"
"Cielo..." his voice stops her when she takes the door handle in her hand, he quickly gets up a looks at her from behind his desk. "Beside what happened between you and her, I need you to remember that she was still a person and no one deserves to die in the way she did." Cielo takes a deep breath at his words, trying to keep on her mask of indifference. "If you have any useful information on what happened to her, please, do the right thing and call me." She can see the desperation in her father's eyes, the hope too, maybe. She doesn't say anything else to him before leaving, not able to say anything else at all. Once she's out of the building she feels her eyes burning for the first time in days.
For the first time, today, she cries for Scarlett.
She cries for the daughter her family has lost. She cries for the woman she'll never fully be and for the child she was. She cries for the friend she's never had, the one she has lost. She cries because she was something for someone. She was someone for Harry, for her father, for her brother. She could have been something for her too, if things had gone differently.
For the first time, today, she realizes how selfish and cruel she's been, because her father is right; no one deserves to die like that. Not even Scarlett.
ONE YEAR AGO
"Are you nervous?" That's the first thing Harry asks to Cielo, once she's in the car. She is. She feels over exposed for the way too hot dress she is wearing, because she doesn't know what kind of people are going to be there and she doesn't even know the place but despite it she doesn't want him to know.
"I'm fine..." she hopes her voice doesn't betray her. Harry seems tense too. He looks so elegant with his black silk shirt, matched with black jeans and boots. Unlike her, he doesn't seem like he feels at unease. The black sparkly dress she's wearing is definitely too short and very low on her boobs and back that she couldn't even wear a bra. She's wearing silver sandals and her hair are straight and loose on her shoulders. Her makeup is not too exaggerated, her eyes are painted in a nude color with a few silver glitter and her lips are glossy, she doesn't look bad at all but maybe that's the problem.
"You don't look so." He tells her with honesty, giving an ulterior look to her preoccupied face. She sighs at his words.
"I feel at unease dressed like that." She finally confesses him, keeping her stare on the road, too embarrassed to look at him.
"Why? You look so fucking hot..." she snorts at his words that just worsen her situation.
"That's the problem... I don't wanna look hot for these people." She says sighing and right after she finds the courage to look at Harry that has parked the car right in this moment. He looks a little confused by her words and she understands. He was raised in a different universe compared to hers. "You know, from the town I'm from, since a young age we're taught to hide ourselves from men. We're taught to wear clothes that can hide the curves a young child doesn't even have yet because, at any time, you can be the one these men are gonna take away." She has to hold back the tears while she speaks, her stare stays fixed on her lap. She's never pronounced those words out loud. "In the town I'm from, that's what a young child has to worry about and you have no idea how much it maddens me."
Harry doesn't know what she's talking about for sure, he doesn't know what she's feeling but it maddens him too that, all around the world, children live such a different reality from the one he's used to. He's never really thought about it before, he's always lived in a glass house and his ignorance and arrogance has never made himself wonder or knowledge his privilege compared to his peers around the world. He doesn't know what to say but he immediately holds tight Cielo's hands folded on her lap. "I can't explain in words how much it hurts me what you've just said but what I know I can do is be by your side for the whole night and I promise that I won't let anything happen to you." Cielo's stare immediately goes to him. He's incredibly near to her face and for the first time, since she's met him, she feels the urge to kiss him. No one has ever told her this and hearing those words from someone who she has just met is just making her extremely emotional and sensitive. After repressing that urge to kiss him, she just decides to lean towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Thank you for being here..." she just whispers.
"Do you mind if we go back to the campus?" Cielo's almost relieved by Harry's words. It's like he perceived the fact that she's nowhere ready to be there. "I feel like there are some things I need to explain to you before going there." Cielo appreciates the fact that he wants to be honest with her, even if not in this right moment, so she doesn't question him right away, she decides to let him manage things for once and just nods her head, sinking back into the car seat.
"Let's go home!" She simply whispers, closing her eyes and trying to relax, now that she feels way more calm.
*
When Harry gets back to his room and turns on his phone, that he had cautiously turned off before leaving with Cielo, it gets immediately flooded by multiple texts and missed calls notifications. His heart skips a bit when he notices they're all from Scarlett.
Do you wanna meet up later tonight?
I take that as a no. Lol
Can you judt lemme know if your alibe nd well?
She had sent the first text around eight P.M., right before he had left, the second one around nine P.M. and the last one half a hour ago. She seemed drunk by the third text and that was worrying him quite much.
Where are you?
He types back, once she doesn't answer his phone call. He immediately leaves his room and decides to try and call Cielo. She answers right away.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Are you back in your room?" He immediately asks, going straight to the point.
"Yeah, why?"
"Is Scarlett there?" He tries to hide the apprehension in his voice.
"No, I'm alone. Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's fine, don't worry... I was just looking for her. See you around," he tells her goodbye quickly and hangs up the phone just as quick. Thinking about where she could be gives him a headache. He just hopes he didn't go where he brought her without him. While walking toward the old shed, he keeps trying to call her, but every time she doesn't answer.
His quick and wide strides takes him soon enough to the old shed, he can hear voices coming from inside. As soon as he gets in he breathes a sigh of relief when he sees her nowhere in sight.
"Hey, mate! You finally decided to show up!" Calvin says with a laugh as soon as he sees him. Harry can see from his eyes that he's already long gone for tonight. When the rest of his friends see him they all greet too.
"Yeah, sorry I was busy! Have you seen the chick I was with the other day around tonight?" Calvin's stare immediately hardens at his words. He hasn't seen Harry ever since, or heard from him, and the first thing he asks him about is her. He can't believe him.
"No! Why the fuck would I s-" before Calvin can finish the sentence, Harry's already left, just as quick as he's came inside and Calvin feels his already battered heart badly collect another shot right at it.
When Scarlett ignores the umpteenth of his calls, Harry feels frustrated enough to pull out all of his hair from his head.
When he's near enough to see a light coming from the tree house, he almost feels relieved, but it might not be her, so he just starts walking quicker than before and goes up the stairs just as quick.
He really lets out a breath of relief when he sees her sat there, with a bottle of beer in her hand. When she recognizes him she gasps, sitting upright and looking at him with a mix of rage and surprise. She wasn't expecting him to find her, but she was hoping so.
Harry's relieved expression changes quickly when he notices the tears wetting her face, she quickly dries them up with the sleeve of her black t-shirt.
"Why are you crying? Are you ok?" He apprehensively asks, getting near her and holding her face in his hands, to get a better look at her sad face. Scarlett feels burning under his touch, as usual.
"Where have you been?" She changes subject, avoiding to answer his questions. She doesn't escape his touch, she feels good in having his hands on her body, no matter how mad she's at him right now.
"I met my father in town. My phone died," He murmurs, not too sure that his voice would fully support his lie. He doesn't want to lie to her like that, but he can't tell her the truth because it's not up to him to tell her. "I looked for you everywhere, I was so worried..."
This time she frees her beautiful face from his hands to take another sip of her beer. "Worried? Why?"
"You seemed drunk and you weren't answering any of my calls. I thought you could have ended up in a bad situation,"
"I'm not that drunk." She snorts, raising her eyes up. "And I didn't want to talk to you!" She exclaims, bringing her blue eyes to him once again.
"I'm sorry..." he murmurs. What he's really apologizing for is the fact that he can't help but lying to her, to protect Cielo's secret. "Do you wanna tell me what's wrong?"
"Why should I?!" She raises her voice, looking at him with a slight annoyance and hurt. "You never tell me anything about you, so you don't deserve to know a thing about me!"
"There's nothing interesting or good to know about me, Scar." She almost finds herself melting to his sweet and caring tone of voice and by the way he pronounced the nickname he chose for her, but she doesn't want to give in to him that easily. She ignores him, opting not to answer. "You, on the other hand... I'm sure you have so many more interesting things to tell and I'll just be here listening forever, I promise." She wants to believe him, but she's not sure she should.
"According to my amended birth certificate today is my birthday." She murmurs, letting a bitter laugh escape from her lips right after.
"So today is your birthday?" He asks her, quite confused. He wants to ask her why she isn't celebrating, but he doesn't know how she lives the day of her birthday, so he doesn't dare to ask before he knows the whole situation.
"Not exactly. The amended birth certificate is full of fake informations, nothing on it is true because they can't share the real informations with us. I celebrate my birthday on the day my parents took me, which is still a couple of months away." While she talks a tear streams down her face and Harry immediately feels the urge to dry it, take her in his arms and telling her everything is going to be fine, but he's not sure she'd appreciate it. He just stays silent, waiting for her to go on. He's never been great at comforting people but he has the feeling that's exactly what she needs right now; just someone to listen to her. "How can they do that to a child?!" She asks, maybe more to herself than to Harry. Her whole life Scarlett has always been very proud, never sharing her pain or sadness with anyone, because she didn't feel at ease and she didn't want to look weak. In this right moment, she didn't care. "How can they deprive a child of his identity?!" She quickly swipes away the tears wetting her cheeks right now and sniffles, before going on "Sometimes I try to remember the day I was born... Impossible, I know" she laughs with bitterness. "But in my head I can see it, or better, imagine: the nursery is not decorated, no one's taking pictures of the newborn, there's no joy, no parents counting toes and fingers. Nothing." Her eyes are lost, they're sad and far away from here, lost in the memory, or thought, that has been tormenting her mind for years now. Harry's the first person he's shared it with, not even her parents, and even if Harry can't be sure he can tell that's the first time she's been saying this out loud.
"Scar... you might not have had all of this, but you have parents at home that love you and celebrate you every year for the amazing person you are. Your parents are the ones that raised you. Fuck the blood bond!" He manages to take a slight laugh out of her with his words, and seeing that beautiful smile coming back to her face, even if just for a second, makes him feel immediately better. He feels his heart warming up.
"I know it and I'm thankful for them, but this day really does things to me." She tells him, her lips curving into a sad smile.
"I'm sorry I haven't been with you since the start of tonight. If I knew I would have." He tells her, getting nearer to her, until their shoulders are touching.
"It's ok... I get you wanted to see your dad," She murmurs, laying her head on his shoulder. She doesn't feel as mad as before. Talking out loud has helped her a lot, maybe she should do it more often. She's thankful for having Harry by her side. Harry, on the other hand, feels his heart aching because of that lie, he feels guilty. Scarlett raises the bottle in her hand toward her lips, but before she can reach them, the bottle is taken away from her hands by Harry.
"You've had enough for tonight," he smirks at her. "Share a little!" He brings the bottle to his lips and takes a sip out of her drink, she doesn't protest, she just reciprocates his smirk and looks at him drinking.
"Well, that's enough now!" She exclaims amused when she sees the long sip he's taking out of her bottle. She tries to take back the bottle, but he keeps putting it out of her reach, taking advantage of the fact that he's taller and stronger than her. She raises to her knees and leans towards him to reach for the bottle, Harry wraps an arm around her waist to keep her away from it, and while she tries to escape from his hold, leaning more forward to reach his stretched arm that is holding the bottle, their lips collide together provoking a little pain and redness in their cheeks to both of them. It was just a second, a clumsy, innocent touch of lips that now has them both silent and still, just looking at each other, trying to figure out what just happened and how they feel about it.
They're both looking at each other cautiously, none of them wanting to risk a wrong movement. They're trying to think three moves forward, like with chess.
They don't take too much to figure out that they both want more of what just happened, way more. Scarlett is the first one to slowly lean forward, once again, toward him. Harry finds himself shaking from desire, while he sees her leaning forward, until she's near enough to feel his breath against her skin, just like he can feel hers.
She lays her lips on his with delicacy, almost too scared to crash him, just with that single contact, and Harry feels like she really could by the turmoil going on, at the moment, in his chest. They both stay still for a few seconds, lips just touching, before Scarlett starts moving her lips against his, her movement are cautious, attentive, still apprehensive about his reaction.
Harry feels overwhelmed by whatever he's feeling by just the touch of her lips on his, he takes longer to process it, but when he accepts it, he brings one of his hands — the free one — on her waist, nearing her body to his and moving his lips in synch with hers.
Scarlett straddles him, her legs laying to the sides of his own, she quickly brings her hands on his cheeks, caressing him and Harry slowly lets go of the bottle, letting it fall on the ground with a loud sound that they both ignore, too busy in each other.
Both of Harry's hands are on her waist now, holding her, and keeping her chest near his, they can both feel the beating of each other's hearts hitting their skins.
When Scarlett feels the tip of Harry's tongue, brushing against her still closed lips, she quickly guarantees him the access and soon enough his tongue enters her mouth, exploring it for the first time, his lips still massaging hers.
Her hands soon enough disappear in his hair, that she holds in a fist when the kiss gets more heated, Harry's hands are wandering through her body, in her tied up hair, he wants to hold everything of her, he's never wanted to have a woman as much as he wants her now.
Scarlett's lips and movements, in comparison to his voracious ones, are still somehow delicate and attentive, so in contrast with his and yet somehow perfectly complementary.