Chapter 6- Too Close
1586 Words
Scarlett
The tension from the SUV never really left Scarlett after that day.
If anything—
It got worse.
Because now every time she looked at Dean Steele, she remembered the way he’d stared at her in the rain like he was one second away from doing something destructive.
And every time she closed her eyes at night, she heard his voice again.
You really wanna know?
Scarlett spent the next few days trying very hard to avoid him.
Which should’ve been easy.
Except Dean Steele was suddenly everywhere.
At the Steele mansion when she stopped by to see Erik.
Outside working on his black motorcycle with tattooed forearms flexing beneath rolled sleeves.
Standing in the kitchen late at night drinking whiskey while looking at her like she made him angry just by existing.
And the worst part?
Scarlett came to the realization that he looked at nobody else that way.
Girls flirted with Dean constantly.
Waitresses.
College girls.
Girls at gas stations.
Dean ignored all of them.
Cold.
Dismissive.
Uninterested.
But with Scarlett?
Everything changed.
His eyes followed her.
His voice strained and deep when he talked to her.
His jaw tightened whenever another guy got too close.
Especially when that guy was Will.
Unfortunately, Will barely seemed to notice any of it lately.
By Friday afternoon, Scarlett sat cross-legged on her bed trying not to overthink things while stuffing clothes into an overnight bag for the lake retreat.
A pair of ripped jean shorts lay beside her along with a fitted white tank top and her oversized zip-up hoodie.
Simple. Comfortable.
But still cute enough that maybe Will would finally look at her the way he used to again.
The thought alone made something sad twist quietly in her chest.
Will had barely texted her all week.
Every conversation felt rushed.
Distracted.
Different.
Scarlett hated how much it bothered her.
Maybe college was just stressful.
Maybe football was overwhelming.
Maybe she was being dramatic.
Her phone buzzed suddenly beside her.
Will:
Leaving in 20
No heart.
No baby.
Nothing.
Scarlett stared at the message longer than she should’ve.
Then finally tossed her phone onto the blankets with a frustrated sigh.
“You’re spiraling.”
Scarlett looked up as her father leaned casually against the bedroom doorway holding a cup of coffee.
She narrowed her eyes. “Were you spying on me?”
“You stomp when you’re upset.”
Scarlett groaned dramatically before flopping backward onto the bed.
“I think Will’s mad at me.”
Her father frowned slightly. “Did he say that?”
“No.”
“Then don’t assume things.”
Easy for him to say.
Scarlett sat up slowly while twisting one of her rings anxiously around her finger.
“What if college changes everything?”
Her father studied her quietly for a second.
Then:
“The right people don’t disappear when your life changes.”
Something about that sentence made unease settle deeper into Scarlett’s stomach.
An hour later Scarlett stood outside waiting for Will’s truck while humid evening air clung to her skin.
She adjusted the oversized zip-up hoodie hanging loosely over her white tank top and ripped jean shorts before nervously checking her phone again.
Still nothing.
Headlights finally turned down the driveway.
Relief loosened slightly in her chest.
Until Will climbed out looking distracted before he even reached her.
“Hey,” Scarlett said softly.
Will kissed her quickly.
Too quickly.
Again.
“You ready?” he asked while grabbing her bag.
Scarlett frowned slightly.
“That’s it?”
Will blinked. “What?”
“You haven’t really talked to me all week.”
His jaw tightened almost instantly.
“Scarlett, I’ve been busy.”
“I know, but—”
“With football,” he interrupted sharply. “And school. And trying not to screw up my scholarship.”
Scarlett immediately backed down.
“I wasn’t trying to start a fight.”
Will sighed heavily before rubbing the back of his neck.
“I know. Sorry.”
But the apology sounded exhausted.
Not sincere.
The drive to the lake retreat felt painfully awkward after that.
Music played low while Will checked his phone constantly at red lights.
Scarlett stared quietly out the window watching trees blur past while disappointment twisted tighter in her chest.
This wasn’t how things used to feel.
Will used to look excited to see her.
Now it felt like she was just… there.
By the time they reached the retreat, darkness had settled over the lake.
Cabin lights glowed through trees while music thundered across the property.
The entire place screamed chaos.
College chaos.
Students crowded bonfires near the water.
Beer bottles littered the grass.
Music echoed over the dark lake while people laughed loudly beneath string lights.
Scarlett instantly wanted to go home.
Will parked quickly before climbing out.
“Come on.”
Scarlett followed him through crowds while pulling her hoodie tighter around herself.
The moment they reached the main cabin, people immediately started yelling Will’s name.
Football players shoved into him laughing.
Girls hugged him.
Some blonde cheerleader practically climbed onto his arm.
Scarlett stopped walking.
Will barely noticed.
“You made it!” the blonde squealed.
Will grinned.
Actually grinned.
And suddenly Scarlett got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
He hadn’t smiled at her like that in days.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Will finally glanced back over his shoulder.
“You good?”
Scarlett forced a small smile.
“Yeah.”
“Cool. I’m gonna help them bring stuff inside.”
Then he disappeared into the crowd.
Again.
Scarlett stood there alone while people pushed past her carrying coolers and liquor bottles.
Nobody noticed her.
Nobody except—
“Scarlett.”
Her pulse stumbled instantly.
Dean.
She turned slowly.
And there he was.
Standing near the back porch in all black with one tattooed hand tucked into his pocket while blue eyes locked onto her like he already knew she was unhappy.
Rain clouds rolled above the lake behind him, darkening the sky.
Dean took in Scarlett's appearance.
The too tight tiny ripped shorts, the white tank top, the swell of her breasts peaking out of her half zipped hoodie.
His expression hardened instantly.
And for one reckless second, Scarlett remembered exactly how those blue eyes looked in her dreams.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked softly.
Dean’s expression stayed unreadable.
“Could ask you the same thing.”
Scarlett looked away first.
Because looking at Dean too long made her feel things she shouldn't.
“I came with Will.”
Dean’s eyes drifted toward the crowded cabin where Will stood laughing loudly with teammates while the same blonde cheerleader practically hung off his arm again, her hand sliding across his chest like she belonged there.
Will didn’t move away.
Didn’t look uncomfortable.
Didn’t even look guilty.
Something sharp twisted inside Scarlett’s chest.
Dean looked back at her slowly, his expression darkening instantly.
“Didn’t I tell you not to come?” he asked, frustration slipping into his voice.
Scarlett crossed her arms defensively.
“You’re not the boss of me, Steele.”
A muscle feathered in Dean’s jaw.
That mouth of hers.
Smart. Sarcastic. Bratty.
And God, the attitude coming from those pouty defiant lips made something possessive rise violently inside him.
Dean stepped closer slowly.
Too close.
Scarlett froze in anticipation as his fingers brushed lightly down the side of her neck, slow enough to send a sharp chill racing across her skin.
The touch barely lasted a second.
But somehow it felt intimate anyway.
Dangerous.
Dean’s eyes stayed locked on hers while his hand lowered again like even he realized he shouldn’t have touched her at all.
“Watch how you speak to me, Scarlett,” he said quietly. His breath fanning across her cheek.
The low warning in his voice sent a chill down her spine.
Dean’s eyes dropped briefly to her mouth before lifting back to hers.
“Before I decide to teach that pretty mouth a lesson.”
Scarlett’s breath caught hard. Shock flashed across her face, heat pooling low in her stomach so suddenly it made her hate how much she liked it.
And somehow that felt worse than the argument itself.
Because Dean’s dominance should’ve irritated her.
Should’ve made her angry.
Instead it made her pulse flutter violently beneath her skin.
Made her want to step closer instead of away.
Shame curled tightly in her chest at how affected she was by him while Will stood only feet away.
Yeah.
Laughing with some blonde hanging all over him not even noticing Scarlett.
She shouldn’t even be reacting to Dean like this.
Shouldn’t be noticing the rough warning in his voice.
The way his eyes darkened when she talked back.
The way every word from his mouth sounded less like a threat and more like he was challenging her.
But standing there beneath the dark lake sky with Dean Steele staring at her like he wanted control just as badly as he wanted her—
Scarlett realized her feelings were becoming impossible to untangle.
Because part of her still loved Will.
And another part-
The dangerous part—
Couldn’t stop wondering what would happen if Dean finally stopped holding himself back.
Neither of them moved.
The tension between them turned thick enough to suffocate in seconds.
And judging by the dark look in Dean Steele’s eyes—
He was losing the fight to stay in control.
This weekend was about to change everything.
- Writer
