Where Shadow’s Hide

Keeping Score

Chapter Five:

Keeping Score

Mia looked from Scarlett's face to the envelope clutched tightly in her hands. "Everything okay?"

Scarlett opened her mouth, wanting to say yes, wanting to offer the easy lie she had spent years perfecting. Instead, the truth slipped out in a ragged whisper. "I don't know."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The lunchtime traffic rolled steadily past the diner windows, a blur of ordinary people living ordinary lives. Someone laughed inside the dining room, a bright, careless sound that was instantly cut through by the sharp crunch of a plate shattering somewhere deep in the kitchen. Life simply carried on, indifferent to the shift in Scarlett's world.

Mia stepped a little closer, her voice dropping. "You don't have to tell me. But if you ever want to..." She offered a reassuring, pressure-free smile. "I'm a pretty good listener."

The sudden warmth of the gesture caught Scarlett completely off guard, stinging more than an insult would have. "Thank you," she managed.

Mia nodded toward the diner door, intentionally breaking the heavy gravity of the moment. "Come on. The lunch rush is about to get ugly."

Scarlett forced a small smile to her lips. "I suppose customers expect to be fed."

"Apparently," Mia rolled her eyes dramatically. "It's incredibly inconsiderate of them."

Scarlett laughed quietly, the sound surprising even herself. It felt rusty, a mechanism she hadn't used in far too long.

"So..." Mia smiled as they walked back inside, the bell above the door chiming their return. "Feeling any better?"

Scarlett looked down at the envelope. The faded handwriting stared back at her like a challenge: For Scarlett. When she's ready. Without answering, she slipped it carefully into the very bottom of her handbag, burying it beneath old receipts and keys, before placing the bag inside her staff locker. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, staring into the dark metal box, then closed the door. Click. For the first time in years, she was keeping a secret from Adrian. The thought should have made her feel powerful, a tiny spark of independence. Instead, it terrified her.

The lunch rush arrived all at once, a chaotic wave of noise and motion. Orders flew into the kitchen, coffee machines hissed violently, plates clattered, and customers filled every booth. Scarlett willingly threw herself into the familiar rhythm of the diner. Smile. Take the order. Refill the coffee. Clear the table. Repeat. Usually, she could perform the choreography without a single thought. Today, however, her mind refused to stay where it belonged.

Daniel's words echoed through the clatter of silverware. I've been looking for you for six months. Your parents were trying to protect you. When she's ready.

"Excuse me?"

Scarlett blinked, suddenly snapping back to reality. A man at table twelve was smiling up at her patiently. "My coffee?"

She looked down. His cup sat entirely empty, the white ceramic mocking her distraction. Heat rushed into her cheeks, turning them crimson. "I'm so sorry." She picked up the glass pot and topped up his mug, her hand shaking slightly.

"It's unlike you," he said kindly, recognizing her. "You always remember."

Scarlett managed a tight, polite smile. "I've just got a lot on my mind today."

"Well..." He gave her a warm, grandfatherly nod. "I hope it all works out."

The words stayed with her, heavy and unearned, long after she walked away. By mid-afternoon, the frantic lunch crowd had finally thinned. Mia was wiping down the sticky counter while Scarlett carried a heavy plastic tray of empty glasses back toward the kitchen.

"You've been miles away all afternoon," Mia noted, watching her with a gentle, observant gaze.

"Have I?"

"A little."

Scarlett laughed softly, shifting the weight of the tray. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Then go straight home after your shift." Mia pointed a damp tea towel at her playfully. "And absolutely no thinking about this place until tomorrow."

"I'll try."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a quiet lull. By four-thirty, the last customers had drifted out into the sunshine, leaving the diner in its usual peaceful state. Scarlett untied her apron, hanging it on the hook inside the staff room, and opened her locker. Her handbag sat exactly where she had left it. Reaching inside, her fingers brushed the crisp paper of the envelope, and her heart immediately kicked against her ribs. She looked around. The staff room was silent. For the first time all day, she was completely alone. Rather than risk being interrupted, she shoved the envelope deep into her bag, gripped the straps, and headed out to her car.

Once inside the driver's seat, Scarlett locked the doors, the heavy thud of the deadbolts making the world outside instantly quieter. She rested her handbag on the passenger seat and slowly, deliberately, removed the envelope. Her fingertips traced the faded, elegant ink. For Scarlett. When she's ready.

She took a slow, steady breath to quiet the roaring in her ears. "Okay," she whispered to the empty car. "I'm ready."

Carefully, she slipped her index finger beneath the sealed paper flap.

The car speakers suddenly exploded with sound. The dashboard screen flashed to life, a blinding white light in the dimming afternoon. Adrian Calling.

Scarlett jumped, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the flashing name, then down at the half-torn envelope in her lap. The ringing filled the small cabin of the car, loud and demanding. She knew the rules of the house. If she ignored it, Adrian would press for reasons, turning a missed call into a cross-examination. If she answered it, the letter would have to wait, its secrets buried once more.

The persistent ringing seemed to grow louder, vibrating through the steering wheel. Scarlett closed her eyes, swallowed the lump in her throat, and swiped the screen.

"Hey," she said, forcing her voice to sound light, even as she used her free hand to slide the half-opened envelope beneath her thigh, hiding it from view.

"Where are you?" Adrian’s voice sliced through the car speakers. He didn't sound angry yet, but there was a sharp, calculating edge to his tone—the sound of him checking his mental stopwatch. "Your shift ended fifteen minutes ago, Scar."

"I'm just in the car," she replied quickly, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror, checking to make sure her face didn't look as guilty as she felt. "I was just saying goodbye to Mia. I'm pulling out of the parking lot now."

A heavy silence stretched over the line. Scarlett held her breath, waiting to see which version of Adrian she was going to get.

"Good," he said softly, the sudden drop in his voice making her skin crawl. "Don't keep me waiting. I've got a surprise for you tonight."

The line went dead. Scarlett slowly lowered the phone, the silence of the car crashing back over her. She reached beneath her thigh and pulled out the crumpled envelope, staring at the torn flap.

The countdown had started.