Scarlet scars

CHAPTER 8: The third-fourth time she says no!

Jerald

"no no" I chuckled and now I was nervous trying to Cook up a lie that sounded plausible enough, so she doesn't think I'm a creep. Even though I practically was. I was having someone watch over her the whole day "I just came back to pick you up. I want to talk to you" I lied. She kept quiet for a moment as if to better process what I said.

She shook her head "I can go by myself... Thank you" she said it in a tiny voice like an obedient little girl but it annoyed me that she was refusing something I offered for the second time this day, third time this month and it's our third encounter since I came back. Meaning everytime we’ve met. She had something to say no to. It was really annoying, my face couldn't hide it and I’m sure she must have seen it.

"I know you can go by yourself Cally... But I want to take you home today.. Why are you treating me like a stranger" I asked almost pleading, which I had never done before, to anyone. I just took what I wanted and if someone wasn’t willing to work with me, I would walk away.

Something was off about Scarlet's behaviour. What was so scary about me dropping her off? It's either she didn’t want to be near me or she's afraid of something or someone. But why? Did we really have such a bad friendship? and from the information I have she is not married neither does she have a boyfriend.

Maybe we could be considered as strangers, we hadn't seen each other for more than 10 years. I felt we had some sort of bond between us that wouldn’t fade away no matter how long it took. I could feel it. I didn’t understand her reaction back in the restaurant when I had tried to get close to her. Did she think I’d hit her? Why would she think that? I had noticed that she was cautious and scared of everything. Maybe it was because she was afraid of losing her job.

My heart had swelled with joy when she had called me Jay. I remembered how she failed to pronounce my name when she was 4, so she resorted to calling me Jay. It felt really nice and it was like I had her back for a second, but then she corrected herself to call me Jerald, she even went and changed it to sir. Sir! Really?

"I just want to talk Ca-"

"Say what you want to say here" she cut me off before I could finish. I frowned in annoyance "besides, I enjoy taking walks before bed" she said and I could smell her lies and also she had this habit of twirling her hair in her index finger every time she lied. It was adorable.

"You try to untangle your hair whenever you lie" I pointed at her hand still in the hair and she quickly removed it as if she got burnt

"No I don't.... I'm leaving" she said stomping her feet angrily as she walked away, making me laugh. She was so cute. I would have walk her home then. I decided as I rushed to my car, locked it and rushed after her.

"Wait up!" I called out but when she saw me rushing towards her she started sprinting away as if I was some sort of predator but let's face it, she wasn't as fast as I was. Who would have thought that me, a CEO of a huge company who'd be playing tag, at night with a woman and out of breath too. None of that mattered when I was with her, I caught up within seconds and she stopped abruptly that I didn't have time to think over it, so I bumped into her, and we both flew to the ground. I got worried thinking I had hurt her when she started laughing and might I add, her weird, deep laugh gave me tingles in my stomach.

She laughed while trying to catch her breath, while I smiled but kept watching her, I loved this side of her. She continued to laugh so hard that she had tears streaming from the outburst. She even had to sit down to better laugh at me! This moment was everything that I couldn’t afford to blink.

"Yea real funny" I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes, pretending to be upset. I was happy to be there if I was being honest.

"You.... You ... St-still .... Fell .... For it" she hicupped in between laughter, " you....always...d-did" she continued. She used to do this a lot everytime we were playing chase, she knew I'd catch up with her, because I was faster, so she'd run so fast at first and then, when she saw nearing her, she'd stop abruptly and I'd always bump into her and sometimes when I expected it, I'd pull her down to the ground with me.

" S-sorry, I-I didn't think you'd stop, I just wanted to catch my breath " she as she caught her breath. I got up and helped her stand too.

"Its okay and I know you knew I'd bump into you, you always did that when we were kids" I said jokingly.

"No I didn't" she snapped and got to untangling her messy hair.

"Liar" I snapped back.

"Why are you following me?" She asked seriously.

"Well I told you I'd take you home but you refused so I'm walking you home instead" I said shoving my hands in my pockets and she looked at me, brows scrunched.

"I didn't ask you to, please go back" she said looking dead serious and I gaped. She was just laughing with me 2 seconds ago and now?

"I won't go back, until I see you enter your house, and nothing you'll say will change my mind" I said, challenging her as I started walking forward.

"What do you want from me?” she snapped.

“you" I snapped back.

"what?” she asked looking confused.

"I said I wanted to talk to you and for some reason you choose to forget what we used to share but I won't" I said and she frowned.

"We don't have anything to talk about Mr Jerald, and you seem to forget that we are no longer kids. And there is a big difference between you and me for us to share anything. Also if you don't want to be robbed, you better go back and get your car. Good night" she said in all seriousness and quickened her pace. I quickened mine too so we were at the same pace. I wasn’t going to leave her, if that’s what she thought.

"What difference is there? we are still us, so what has to change? And don't worry about my car"

"well for starters, You're no ordinary person. You must be successful and I’m just a waitress and student. It won't do your image good if you're seen with me, and there are many other reasons...just leave me alone"

"Who cares about image? We are both human and if you think I'm giving up, I won't" it was getting upsetting how she was deprecating put herself on a lower position than others? Is money the thing that makes one important?. though she was right, society will judge but who cares? good character makes a good person. not money. She just kept on walking and didn't respond.

I also chose to not talk anymore but walk with her in silence and my thoughts were all over the place. We slowly approached her home and she just went straight for the gate without looking back. I hated it when she chose to bottle up all her emotions inside without letting anyone in. Her snapping at me was better than silence when I could see she had millions of thoughts.

"Were are not done talking Cally, and I won't give up, Good night" I yelled before she disappeared from sight and of course I got no response. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

I walked back to Mr Grandes to pick up my car and go home but when I reached Mr Grande's lot, what I saw shocked me. Good old neighbor hood!My cars hood was open and smoke was coming out of it. As I got closer I found out that the engine was not there, the glass on the front seat was shattered to bits. Like seriously? Taking the engine out of a car in less than 20 minutes?.. These guys were geniuses.

I took out my phone to call my driver but it's like the universe and technology were in cahoots working against me. My battery was dead. Just great! My mother's house wasn't far from here, it would be a 40 minute walk if I hurried. I opened the door to get my papers and jacket, but the jacket was gone too. What kind of people live here! Seriously.

I trekked to my mother's house and when the guards saw me they were rather surprised to see me here and on foot too looking all sweaty. Mom was asleep so I didn’t want to bother her. I made my way to my room which hadn't changed at all since I left. It still had posters of cars, superheroes and basketball stars on the walls. And Mickey's bedsheets which smelled clean. I'm sure she gets this room cleaned often. I walked over to the closet and there I find my old shoe box, where I used to put everything I collected. I carried it and sat on the bed.

The first thing that greeted me were those big, green pools of emeralds that I had always adored but with toothless smile flashing at me, I remembered then, she had just lost two front teeth and I was holding her hand in the picture. There was also a necklace that had a lock inside a heart. I remembered how she had found these in a candy surprise bag, one with a lock inside a heart and another with a key inside a heart. She had given me the lock happily while keeping the key to herself. I smiled thinking that maybe she really had locked my heart and took the keys with her.