6

Scarlett Mila Rodriguez

Five days left, and then I'll be back home. I'm sure I've done everything to make Rowan hate me. My father will punish me for this. But I refuse to do this. To play along like everything is normal. This whole thing is fucking messed up, and I do not want to be a part of it.

I head out to look around this place. I can hear the girls chattering about something. I head that way. They are all comfortably sitting by the couches talking. And the room goes quiet as I enter it.

It isn't so hard to figure out that they were talking about me.

Cassandra gives me a side glance clearly annoyed with me.

"Don't worry about them. They are just jealous because you got to fight Rowan." Ava says her red hair looking beautiful under the dim light.

I walk to sit beside her. "They don't have to worry, Rowan hates me." I say.

Ava smiles as if I've said something stupid. "What?" I ask laughing.

"He's shown more interest in you than any of us, you know that right?" Ava says. This isn't a big deal for her, I can tell. Maybe she's forced to be here to.

"He has shown zero interest in me Ava! Ever since I've gotten here he has literally done things to annoy me." I say laughing to myself.

"Maybe it's because I called him an asshole." I add. Ava's mouth drop to the floor.

"Are you crazy! He could've killed you for it. If Alessandro knew about this he would torture you!" She says warning me.

I nod. I know the risks I'm taking. He's insane, yes. And I've heard the stories about him. It's mad and psychotic. So maybe I need to be more careful. Maybe not talking to him at all is the way to go. I'll ignore him until he forgets about me and then these five days will go by fast.

He'll pick Cassandra as his perfect bride and I'll head back to Judie and my friends. Great. This is a good plan.

I talk with Ava for a while and she's surprisingly nice to me. She's not like the other girls in here, she cares and listens.

"Girls it's time for dinner, prepare yourself and head upstairs when you're done." The lady says. We all nod and head to change clothes. We eat dinner together each night. Something I'm not used to.

I put on a white dress mom has packed for me. I hate every piece of clothing she has prepared for me.

But I have nothing else so I guess this has to work.

***

We sit around the long, polished table, the room heavy with awkward silence. The girls are quiet, their eyes flickering nervously between each other.

I'm seated beside Rowan and I can't help but to think how close our legs are to each other, under the table.

Alessandro's voice cuts through the tension, rich and commanding. He leans back in his chair, clearly in control of the evening. "Lets talk." He starts, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I would like to know each of you a little better, to find the perfect wife for my son." Alessandro says.

Was I imagining or did Rowan just roll his eyes. I think he did. Maybe he doesn't want this either. Is he also forced to this?

I've never thought of it before but now... it makes so much sense. How uninterested he seems in all of us. This is something his father wants.

And in some crazy way I feel for Rowan. Forced to marry just like us. It's sad.

The girls exchange uneasy glances, and try to tune him out, focusing instead on the food I barely want to eat.

"Each of you has a story. Hardships, pain...loss. It's what shapes us, after all." Alessandro says his eyes scanning the table.

I stiffen, my stomach twisting with sudden dread. This conversation is headed somewhere dark, and I don't like it. He's testing us, seeing how far we'll bend before we break.

He turns to the girl in front of me. Asking her about her family's financial struggles, prodding at her scars like it's some kind of game. She answers quietly, clearly trying to stay composed.

"Scarlett." he begins, too casually, his voice smooth but with a sharp edge beneath it.

"Father lets not do this..." Rowan tries stopping him from what's about to come. But Alessandro has none of it.

"Your brother, wasn't he quite young when he died?"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath catches in my throat, and for a second, I can't move. The room feels too small, the air too thick. My hands start shaking and I can sense Rowans gaze on me.

Alessandro's eyes are on me, waiting, like this is some kind of test. The other girls remain still, silent, no one daring to speak. I'm supposed to be calm, composed, like everyone else, but that's not me. Not when it comes to him.

My brother.

I can feel the heat rising in my chest, the anger bubbling under my skin. How dare he? How dare he bring up Ethan like he's some pawn in this sick game? Before I can stop myself, I stand up, the chair scraping harshly against the floor.

"Don't you ever bring him up again!" I yell, my voice shaking with fury.

The table goes dead silent, every pair of eyes locked on me. But I don't care. My heart pounds in my ears, I can't stay here, not with them, not with him.

I run. Run somewhere, anywhere else. He's succeed, he's got me good this time. And I can't help the tears from falling. One by one they hit the floor. It's been years since I mentioned my brother.

I step out to a balcony and let the fresh air hit my face. It's cold but I do not care. I hate this. All of it.

I grip the balcony railing so hard my knuckles turn white. My chest feels like it's caving in, every breath shallow and painful. My brothers face flashes in my mind and I cry even more. He's gone, and Alessandro had the nerve to bring him up like it's nothing. Like his death is some story to test my strength.

I can hear the balcony door creak open behind me, but I don't turn around. I know it's him, Rowan.

The weight of his presence presses down on me, but I keep my back to him, wiping my tears. Hoping he'll just leave. He doesn't, of course.

"You know, for someone who hates attention, you sure know how to make an exit." He says lightly.

I don't look at him. I can't. So I stay silent. Rowan leans against the stone railing beside me, to close for comfort. I can feel his eyes watching, waiting for some reaction. Not tonight. I'm done with all of this.

"You're usually a lot more mouthy by now." He says his voice soft, but there's still that edge of teasing.

I swallow hard, my throat tight.

He waits for a moment before he sighs. The sound calm. "You can't let him get under your skin, you know." He says.

I clench my jaw as I finally turn to face him, my voice shaking with anger and grief. "He brought up my dead brother. What was I supposed to do? Smile?" I say.

Rowan's expression falters for a second. He's more serious now. "No. You're not supposed to smile." He says his voice low.

There's no mocking in his voice now, no amusement in his eyes. I thought he liked hurting people. Yet he tries to make me feel better?

It's something I hadn't expected from him. Almost as if he understands me.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Pretend like it doesn't hurt?" I ask bitterly.

Rowan doesn't respond right away, when he does his voice is quieter, like he's revealing something he doesn't often share. "He uses whatever he can. Whatever hurts the most."

I blink, thrown off by the sudden shift in him. Rowan, the cold, infuriating man who's done nothing but get under my skin, suddenly seems...different.

"I'm not doing this, he broke me." I admit and I know I'm being too vulnerable right now. I should be strong, I should focus on making this man hate me, but in some crazy way he's the one making me feel a tiny bit better right now.

"You're not broken." He says his voice firm. Like he's stating a fact.

I laugh, a harsh, bitter sound. "You don't know anything about me." I say.

"I know more than you think. And I know you're not broken. You're angry. You're hurt, but not broken." He says his gaze locked on mine.

I shake my head trying to hold back the wave of emotion. "Why do you care?" I ask.

"I don't." He says quickly. "But you can't let them tear you apart."

He's right. God am I really admitting to Rowan being right.

I wipe away the tears from my face. As I smile at him. "Well you've got to be careful. Sounded a lot like you cared." I say as the faintest hint of that familiar smirk tugs at his lips.

"Were not friends, were not anything, remember that." I add. Making sure he knows this is the only time we'll be like this. He'll never see me like this ever again.

"Noted." He says amused. And with that he leaves me alone again.

Friday special for you guys!