Chapter 55: Chapter 55 THE SEARCH

“I was going to tell you.”

“When, after two more years. You had two years you couldn’t take a second and say, by the way, babe Marquis is still out there.”

“I never told you she was dead.” He put in.

“Of course you didn’t you said she was gone. I should have asked for more detail.” Scarlet slapped her palm on her forehead.

“It doesn’t matter if I misled you or not. We should be focusing on finding the baby.”

“It does matter because if Marquis was dead we could be rocking our daughter in this crib.”

“We will find the baby.”

“Her name is Christina.”

“What?”

“This whole time you never called her by her name. Her name is Christina after my mother and Paulina after yours.”

“I know that.”

“Then say it.”

Stephan had avoided referring to his daughter by her name. It only humanized her, made her real and he wasn’t about to face that. There was a ninety percent chance that Marquis would kill her and he didn’t want to connect with her in that event. Referring her to her name would confirm her existence, it would make the guilt worse and make him form a connection with her. And in the event, she did die e wouldn’t be able to survive it.

“I know her name, Scarlet.” He turned to walk out of the room, but Scarlet blew past him and banged the door closed.

“I want to hear you say it. I want to hear out sound out the syllables of her name. Chri-sti-na.”

Stephan tried to walk past her, but she got in his face even more. She elevated herself on her toes and got up to his neck.

“Say it. Chri-sti-na.”

“Why are you so hell-bent on me saying her name?” Stephan lifted her out of the way and tossed her on the bed.

Scarlet was on her feet as soon as she hit the mattress. “I want you to say her name so that she can matter to you.”

“She matters to me. She is my daughter.”

“Then say her name,” Scarlet screamed hysterically.

Stephan turned, looking back at her over his shoulder. He didn’t say her name even then. He knew it was important to her but he still couldn’t say her name. He left her in her hysteria. Scarlet crumbled to the floor, her hair falling over her face. When she heard the front door shut, she got to her feet and ran after him.

“Stephan,” Scarlet called out into the night. She could see him staring at her, but he wasn’t in his human form anymore. She ran into the night towards the enormous black creature.

Stephan turned and trotted away, but when she got closer to him he broke into a sprint. Scarlet was fast but not as fast as he was. He took off into the night not willing to face her.

Scarlet stopped when she realized she had lost track of the jaguar, she trotted back to the house her head bombarded by thoughts. She was trying to understand which turn she took that led her to this life. How a romance had turned into a roller coaster ride between a fairy tale and a horror movie.

“Where is he?” Kayla was at the door to meet her.

“Gone.” There was no life in her voice, no emotion.

“Is he coming back?”

Scarlet shrugged.

“What were you fighting about?” Kayla followed her friend as she slogged past her.

“He wouldn’t say her name.”

“Who’s name. The baby’s name?”

“Christina. Her name is Christina.”

Scarlet trudged back to her room and locked herself inside. She lay on the bed and wrapped herself in the thick duvet. It was like her cocoon and since she couldn’t sleep any more she had the whole night to think.

She stared at the moon that hangs high in the darkness of the sky. This was her present and she had to think of her future. Her future with her children, and the possibility that Stephan wouldn’t be in it. But first, she had to think of a way of getting Christina back, with or without Stephan.

***

Scarlet watched as the moon dipped and the sun rose. She had seen it a couple of times before but hadn’t appreciated it until now. This time it held more meaning to her, it signified another night passed and another day without her baby.

Stephan hadn’t come back since she chased him off the previous night. At least she didn’t think he was, she hadn’t left her room.

Scarlet willed herself to get up, she had to check on the child that she had left.

“Where is he?” SJ’s room was empty and he wasn’t in the house either. She found Kayla sited at the kitchen counter sipping some blood. Her nose flared and her throat ached as she got closer.

Kayla pushed a mug of blood in her direction. She could see the thought in her mind and the desire on her face.

“He went out.”

Scarlet swigged down the contents of the mug in three gulps, but she was still thirsty. She made her way to the refrigerator and took out a bag of blood, pouring herself more.

“Where out. I don’t want him going anywhere alone.”

“He’s not alone. Stephan took him last night.” Kayla was mumbling in her mug, with her head lowered. She had a very good idea of how Scarlet was about to react.

“What?” Scarlet kicked the refrigerator door closed.

“He came back after you went to bed and said he was taking SJ with him.”

“And you let him.”

“He is his father. What exactly was I supposed to say?”

“No. You could have come up and got me. I do not sleep anymore remember.” Scarlet gulped down the blood and tossed the mug into the sink.

“Where are you going?” Kayla trotted behind her, trying to keep up with her.

“I am going to find him before he gets my son in trouble.” Scarlet sped out of the house but stopped at the edge of the forest.

“Where did you take my son?” She barked as SJ and Stephan emerged from the thick forest.

“I took our son out for a run.”

“The whole night? And why is he so dirty?”

“I was training him, how to fight,” Stephan explained the state his son was in.

Scarlet picked dry leaves out of SJ’s hair and tried to rub out the dirt. “Go inside and take a shower.”

SJ left without saying a word. This was the first time he had seen his parents at each other’s throats and wasn’t about to do anything that would make it worse.

“Why didn’t you ask me first?”

“He is my son, I didn’t think I had to ask for permission to spend time with him.”

Scarlet turned to leave. She was infuriated by him and herself because they could be looking for their daughter instead o barking at each other.

“Scarlet I’m leaving.”

Scarlet froze. She stared at the ground as the full weight of the words hit her.

“Did you hear me?”

She didn’t want him to see how much what he said had affected her. So she put on a straight face and turned back to look at him.

“Awesome.” She mumbled.

“I am taking the guys with me. We are going to Rio to look for Marquis.”