Chapter 6
Walking into the house it’s so nice and warm in here. I thought I could buy a few chocolates but that really didn’t happen, I brought way too much and the worse thing about that is, I will eat it all by the end of the week.
Putting the bags on the kitchen counter, I start emptying the bags out, Helen told me in the car, which things to keep out so that she can start making the food.
“I’m just going to see Terry hasn’t already began on the beers,” I turn around to face Helen, standing next to Rhett.
“Do you want me to start anything,” I point to the things on the counter.
“Peel the carrots,” she smiles walking out of the kitchen.
“How was your meeting?” I ask Rhett as I look through the drawers for the peeler. “Is Jay here yet?” I finally find it, holding the peeler in my hand, “here it is.” I giving him a smile.
“Jay is here, I asked him to pick something up for me,” Rhett puts a bag on the counter, “and the meeting went very well, so today is turning out to be a perfectly good day.” Standing in front of me, pushing the bag closer to me, “my girl is feeling cold, she wanted something, and I wanted to get it for her.” pulling the bag closer to him, “don’t be mad that I got them for you.” Rhett leans down to give me a kiss.
“Thank you, for buying me something.” I smile as I pull out the box with the word UGGS written on it, “you didn’t have to.” Taking the boots out of the box, these are the most expensive shoes I own, my smile gets bigger, just thinking about how Rhett will be with me every day of my life.
“I know I didn’t but I wanted to,” giving me a kiss, he looks behind me, “you have got to be joking,” walking away from me. I already know what he’s talking about, I got a big box of treats, “did you just buy everything in the store?” Rhett looks back at me, then back to the box, “I mean you have enough here to last you months.” Taking one of the bars and eating it.
“Well it looks like I have you to help me,” I walk over to him, and take the chocolate bar off him, “these are mine,” waving my hand over the box, “let me enjoy them before I go home and have to eat our poor excuse of chocolate.” I start pouting at him.
“I will make sure that we have all the UK chocolate I can get my hands on.” Looking over at the door, “plus Jay will come to Vegas enough, he will bring you some too.” Rhett takes the last of the bar out of my hands, gives me a wink and eats it.
Walking back to the counter I start peeling some of the carrots, “Touch my chocolates, you might lose a hand,” I look at Jay walking over to my box, smiling at him.
“I don’t think you will miss one,” Jay digs his hand in and opens the wrapper up, the whole time smiling at me. Shaking my head at him, I put my focus back on the carrot.
“When were you planning on doing your work, sweetheart?” Rhett sits on the stool in front of me, Crap. I forgot about that, I should really get some work done today.
“I will do it once we have eaten,” looking at him through my eyelashes, “I don’t have much to do, until Ed sends me stuff back.” I smile at Helen as she walks back into the kitchen.
“Terry said the football will start soon,” She looks at Rhett and Jay, “and don’t forget the beer,” she shakes her head, “hate when the football comes on, it’s like I’m not even in the room,” she says looking over at me.
“This is the one you kick?” I ask looking over at Rhett, who nods back at me, “okay then, are you into the sport? If so do I need to learn about it?”
“I do like it, but you don’t have to learn it,” Rhett grabs the beers from the fridge, “I will leave you two to it.” He says leaving the kitchen.
I finish the carrots, and move to the side, to let Helen make the dinner. Not really sure what she wants me to do, so staying out of her way is the best thing to do I think. I watch her as she puts herbs on the chicken.
“If there isn’t anything for me to do, I might go do some of my work,” I say watching her work on the food.
“You can work, I will call you down once the food is ready.” Looking up from her food, giving her a smile, I start walking up the stairs.
I take a quick look at the other room, the three of them are so into the game. Closing the door behind me, I get started on my work. Even though I’m not in the mood to work, I have nothing else to do. I really do feel alone right now, and when I normally feel like this I go to talk to my parents, but where do I go now?
* * *
Closing the laptop, I look outside. I didn’t have a lot of work to do, but it still took me an hour to do. Grabbing my own journal, I start writing. I don’t have anything important to write, just to say that whatever happens you can always do anything you want to and never let anyone say you can’t, not even yourself.
“Hey,” Rhett wraps his arms around be from behind, closing my journal up, “did you get your work done?” He asks, walking around me; he leans on the wall.
“Just emailed it over to Ed.” Putting the journal on the table, “food ready?” I ask, watching him look at me.
“Nearly,” biting his lip, he narrows his eyes, “you happy here?” I stay quiet for a moment wondering where this question is going. “I mean you seem happy, but you seem unhappy at the same time,” Rhett says.
“I’m happy here,” I answer, giving him a smile I stand up and move closer to him, “you’re here,” tip-toeing I give him a kiss. “Plus the chocolate here is amazing.” I smile trying to lighten the mood a little.
“You just seem a little shut off today, if this is a fight and I’ve done something wrong…”
“Rhett this is not a fight, not even close to a fight. I’m happy I’m here, so can we go downstairs to eat please.” I can’t believe he thinks this is a fight; it’s got me questioning why he thinks that, though, but I have no reason to be annoyed with him.
“Jay says the guys are very excited to meet you tomorrow,” walking behind me, he wraps his arms around my waist, “and I’m going to hate all of them, because they will take you away from me, to chat with you,” Rhett says kissing my neck.
“Well it’s a good job I’m coming home with you,” I laugh walking down the stairs. God the food smells amazing, I have to admit that it’s nice having food made from a mother’s hands, I always pictured it to taste so much better.
Walking into the kitchen, everyone’s at the table, I can’t help but smile as I walk over to them, the warmth of being around people that love you, is something I’ve never really let myself feel before.
Giving Helen a smile I sit down next to her, she gives my arm a rub; I look down at my arm, its not an ‘it’s okay’ rub it’s a rub a mother gives. My body shakes remembering the times when I was little my mother would rub my arm if I were hurt. Shaking the thought out of my head I grab my knife and fork, I stop in my tracks and look at the food, this is now my family. Biting my inner cheek as I try to hold the tears in, I don’t want them to see me cry over this, they will think I’m crazy.
“Scarlett, can you play pool?” I hear Jay ask, looking up at him, “there is a tournament starting tomorrow, and I need a partner, Rhett can’t.” Jay adds, waving his knife towards Rhett.
I look over at Rhett smiling at him, “I can play…”
“Great, we can have a small game tomorrow, and see if you’re any good, not about to lose the cup because you say you can play.” I start laughing, at how serious Jay is about this. “It not funny, we haven’t lost once,” Jay adds, as I pour some gravy over my food.
“I promise we won’t lose.” I say. I use to play, to make some extra money for me and Noah, and got really good at it, it’s amazing how much men would bet a girl that they would win.
“You seem very confident,” Terry says giving me a wink, “Jay it seems like you’re going to be the shit player this time.” Terry starts laughing at him, “It’s not that hard Rhett is shit.” Terry adds, making me laugh.
“I’m not that bad, I would be the shit one next to Jay.” Rhett says putting more chicken on his plate. “Plus, I only play because he wants me too, I hate the game.” Rhett looks at Jay who is laughing at him.
“Yeah, that’s because you're shit.” Jay says, though his laugher, “We can win Sta…Scarlett.” I give Jay a smile, I know he was about to use my nickname but stopped himself. Have no idea why, but still not comfortable with them calling me Star just yet.
“Can’t wait, sounds like fun,” taking some more food on my fork. I have not had a meal like this in forever, it tastes even better than it looks. “Which days do you work Helen?” I ask.
“Only Tuesday and Wednesday, but they tend to be long days, then if I’m needed any other day, I will go in.” Helen replies, her eye contacted to mine for a few moments longer. It’s that look of I wish I could have helped you when you needed someone, but at the same time, it’s a look with a smile behind it.
“That’s great…”
“You should go with mom one of the days.” Rhett interrupts me; I look over at him in surprise. I mean why would I go to see young people live a life I have worked my ass off to get out of and finally be happy. “I thought… To get out of the house,” Rhett answers me in almost a whisper.
“Scarlett might have to study in the days when you’re training, or want to go out and look at London,” Helen answers quickly. That’s great now they all feel the tension between use.
Did I make it that obvious, that Rhett’s request made me uncomfortable?
“No, I would love to come one day, I think what you are doing is amazing.” I turn to Helen with a smile, “would be nice to see what you do for the children.” I say.
Helen returns a smile and says nothing back to me, not sure if she thinks that I am only saying it because Rhett said it and I don’t want to upset him, or if I want to go. I think it would nice to go, to see how lives have changed with help there.
“Talking about seeing London, I want to go to the M&M store,” I look over at Rhett, as everyone laughs.
“Of course you do, where do you even put it all?” Jay waves his hand at me, “You eat more sweets and chocolate then you do exactly food.” Jay says shaking his head.
“We can go tomorrow before we go to the pub, or Tuesday after that, not sure if Terry will let me have a day off before Christmas.” Rhett looks towards Terry who is shaking his head, “well that answers that question, so it’s up to you.” Rhett brings his arm over the back of my chair pushing his plate away from him.
“Either is good with me, I have a list of where I want to go, well I don’t have a list, Penny got me a book of places to see, and she noted all the best ones down for me.” I say, as I clear the table up. Jay stands from his seat, and helps me.
“The days he can’t take you, I can go with you,” Jay follows me into the kitchen, as we put the dishes in the sink. “I live in the city and haven’t been to half the tourist places,” Jays says as we head back to the table to pick up the rest of the stuff. As we get closer Rhett and his mom stop talking about something. Something they don’t want me to hear anyway.
Grabbing the stuff of the table, Jay again helps me, “you know she is only telling him to talk to you,” wrapping his arm around my shoulder, “we are all on your side here,” walking to the sink, “you wash, I’ll dry.” Jay says giving me a wink as he picks up the dishcloth.
Rolling my sleeves up I start washing, “so, you want to take me to all the places, I’m sure you have a job,” I look sideways at him, with a smile.
“Hey, family come to visit, they come first.” Jay replies, handing him a plate, I watch him drying it. “You know that, that’s what you are. You just have to let us in.” He whispers to me; then I see Rhett walking in from the corner of my eyes. Bring my eyes back to Jay; I give him a smile.
“I can take over, if you want to get home. You got work?” Rhett asks Jay, and I get back to cleaning.
“I have a meeting in the morning; then I’ll be at the pub getting everything ready, be there for six.” Nudging me, “the tournament starts half six, you better be as good as you say you are.” leaning over he gives me a kiss on the cheek, turning to Rhett, “see you tomorrow,” patting Rhett’s back as he walks past him.
Walking over to Terry and Helen, “thank you so much for making dinner, it was nice.” Giving her a hug, “next time I will make dinner.” I give Terry a kiss on the cheek.
“We can help clean up…”
“No, we got this mom,” Rhett places his hand on my lower back, “plus Scarlett and Jay, have done most of it.” Rhett leans in to give his mom a kiss, then walks with Terry towards the door.
“Are you sure I can’t help,” Helen places her hands on my arms and slowly rubs them, “I understand that it might take Rhett a little longer than you want for him to talk to you, but I promise you one thing.” She stops and looks over her shoulder, “he will talk to you, it’s just going to take something bad to happen before he does.” She says, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“Are you coming?” I hear Terry shout, and I smile. That man as no patients at all.
Helen laughs shaking her head, “I’m coming,” she yells back. Looking back over at me, “don’t think he doesn’t love you, he loves you so much,” she whispers as she pulls me into a hug.
I know he loves me more than he ever loved anyone, but then when my mom wrote about love in her journals. Sharing your dreams, secret, the things that hurt you, I will admit that I haven’t told Rhett everything that happened to me in that foster home, but I’ve told him what my demons are.
Rhett walks back into the kitchen, “I’m drying?” Rhett asks as I walk back to the sink, to finish the last of the dishes. I smile to myself as I pass Rhett a bowl, this feels so nice to have him next to me. “So do you actually know how to play pool?” Rhett asks.
“I do, use to play to win money to pay for food for Noah,” picking up the next bowl to clean, “use to make some nice money from it too,” I say looking at Rhett watching me.
“That’s very good to hear. Otherwise, I would never hear the end of it from Jay; he takes this competition very seriously.” Rhett says taking the last dish from me. I start cleaning the sink, “plus as I hear the guys are very excited to see you.” Rhett puts the tea towel on the counter, and leans on the counter.
Washing my hands, “well I’m very loveable.” I smile at him.
“That you are,” pulling me closer to him, “It’s a good thing that you’re all mine now.” Rhett pulls me for a kiss. “Movie night, I got some sweets and popcorn.” Rhett says and I smile knowing that he got me sweets.
“Cannot wait, for the sweets.” I smile walking out of the kitchen and throwing myself on the couch, Rhett sits on the other side, putting my legs on his.
I watch him flicking through the movie channels, no matter how much I fight with myself that Rhett won’t talk to me, being here with him not only do I feel safe, I’m happy. For me, Rhett is who I want to be with, and that is enough for me.