Monday. 14/2/22

Scarlet's POV.

Back to the grind. Soooo not feeling it today.

It's only 7 hours.

Just get it over and done with.

It's only 7 hours.

???

Flowers? 

Why the hell are there red roses on my desk?

"Aww. Gift from the boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Looking up at my coworker, Jane.

"Scarlet it's Valentine's Day." She reminds me. Seaming to be disappointed in me.

"Oh." Looking back to the flowers. "But I don't have a boyfriend." Taking one of them in my hand.

"Oooo, Maybe you have a secret admirer." Jane getting all excited.

I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

A secret admirer?

Derick.

Are these from him?

Is he watching me right now?

I feel like he's watching me.

No.

No!

You can't go there, Scarlet. You'll spiral. And you can't spiral.

He's not real.

He was just a figment of your imagination.

That's all he was.

A figment of your imagination.

Your very fucked up imagination.

He's not real.

He. Is. Not. Real.

You don't have time for this.

You have work to do.

-

Home Sweet Home.

What a draining day.

Should I open that bottle of wine? Or should I be a responsible adult?

Momentary peace doesn't outweigh the difficulty it'll bring tomorrow.

Responsible adult it is. What a shame.

Chucking my keys on the counter, I start making my way to my room. Just wanting to curl up in my bed.

But I freeze in my tracks. Finding him leaning on the wall in front of me.

He's here?

"Derick?" 

"Who else would it be, Lovely?" Tilting his head at me. Flashing me a grin.

Is it really him?

Is he really here?

Walking closer to him, I cup his face. 

He's here. He's really here.

He's real. He's really real.

"You're real."

"Always was." He confirms, smiling. Cupping my face looking deeply into my eyes. 

It was all real. All of it was real.

I didn't make it up.

I'm not insane.

I was never insane.

He left me.

I pull back from him.

He holds his face like it hurt.

Good. I hope it did.

He looks at me confused. 

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

He just tilts his head.

"You can't just ghost me for over three months and then come back like nothing happen. You can't just leave and not say anything. At first, I waited for you. Then I feared you left me for good. But I still waited. And the more I waited for you the more I convinced myself that you were just a figment of my fucked up imagination."  I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes. But I'll be damaged if I let them fall. 

"You thought you made me up?" Slowly walking closer to me.

"How could I not? Every time I see you, I'm always alone. You've always made me feel safe and loved. And I feel so connected to you. Unrealistically connected to you. And you seemed to have this need, this want, for me that I've never seen before. On top of all of that, you're a vampire. It all just seemed too fantastical." Feeling myself starting to crumble. His mark starts to burn. Burning worse than it's ever burned before. After not allowing myself to feel it for so long.

"But I left you this." Placing his hand on his mark. "You agreed to this." He looks hurt. I can feel he's hurt. "How could you think this isn't real?" Confused and concerned. "Do you not know what this means?"

I shake my head. "I know it means a lot. I do. But no, l don't really know. Please tell me. Please." 

He pulls me into him, embracing me. Rubbing my neck. Making my worries fade away. "This marks you as mine. This binds us. It binds me to you. I could never leave you, it would destroy me. The only one able to break it is you." Holding me tighter. "You had me really worried that you did. I don't know what I would do if you had. I can't lose you."

"It burns. Why does it burn?"

"It burns when you doubt my feelings for you. Or if I've hurt you in any way."

"Why?"

"Because Lovely. When it burns, I burn. It tells me when you're unhappy. It tells me when I need to reinsure you. Is it still burning?"

I nod. Not as bad as before. But it's still burning.

Why would he have to ask?

"I also burn if I'm hurt, or so on. Can't tell the difference between the two, just yet." Answering my unasked question.

He pulls back a bit. Just enough to see my face. Taking my hand in his, he played it over his heart. Letting me feel its rhythm. Beating under my touch.

"I'm real. I have always been real. What you feel for me is real. What I feel for you is real. I love you." Pulling me closer to him again. "I always have, Lovely." He whispers before kissing his mark.

The burning stops.

I lean into him. I've missed his touch so badly.

"I booked us a table. Would you like to go? Or would you prefer to stay here?" Standing straighter, still holding me in his arms.

He booked a table. Like at a restaurant. "Did you really do that?"

"Yes, Lovely. I did. It is Valentine's Day after all." Smiling at me as he strokes my cheek with his thumb.

"The roses?"

"Yes, they were from me."

"Were you watching me?"

He nods. "I got a little hurt when you said you didn't have a boyfriend. Although, I'd hope I'm a lot more to you than just your boyfriend."

"You are." Holding my head against his chest. Embracing him. Not wanting to let go. "I would love to go out with you, Derick. But I don't have anything to wear."

I don't go out much.

"I got you a dress. Well, I didn't know which one you'd like better. So, I got you two." Leading me to my room.

There, I find two dresses draped over my bed. One black. The other red. 

The black one was a knee-length dress. With a strapless sweetheart fit, flaying out at the waist, and has a silk-like sheen to it.

The red one was a full-length dress. With thin straps leading to a very deep V-neck, made to hug me in the right places, and a side slit. It's almost like velvet. It's gorgeous. But I know I'm not brave enough to wear it.

"These are mine?"

He nods, smiling. "I'll leave you to get ready." Placing a kiss on my cheek before leaving the room.

-

After freshening up a bit, I chose to wear the black dress. I decided to go the more natural approach make-up wise but with red lips.

I give myself the once over. Checking everything.

I really like this dress. It fits just right. I feel confident in it. 

"Hey, is this alright? Not too much? Not too little." I ask, walking into the lounge. Smoothing out my dress.

"You're perfect, Lovely." 

Looking up, I find him standing in front of me. Clad in a black suit with a red tie. His hands in his pockets. His eyes still studying me. Making me blush a bit.

Shit, he looks mighty fine in that suit. 

"Do you like what you see, Lovely?" Smirking 

Making me go bright red as I try to hide my face.

He huff's a laugh. "Come now, don't hide. I'm all your's." Cupping my face, guiding my eyes to his "You're more than welcome to look. And touch." Bring his other hand to my waist, bringing us closer. A grin forming on his face.

Bring my hand to his face I stroke it.

"Mmm." Closing his eyes, leaning into my touch. Placing his hand over mine, he holds it there for a moment. Removing my hand from his face he places a kiss on it. "Let's go. Before I convince you to stay."

-

We're waiting to get into what looks to be a very posh restraint.

I hope I'm not underdressed.

"You scrub up well." Thomas, leaving the restraint.

Jane wacks his shoulder. "That isn't the compliment you think it is, Tom." 

"What? I said she looked nice." Thomas defending himself.

Noticing the commotion, Derick wraps his arm around my waist. Holding me closer to him.

She shakes her head. Looking in my direction, I can see she's drawn back a bit. She point's at Derick then points at me. Blinking a few times. "I thought you said that you didn't have a boyfriend?"

 I did.

Shit. How am I going to explain this?

"Ah, that was some miscommunication on my part." Derick explains.

"How?" Jane tilting her head.

"I left town. And she thought I left her when I did." Derick

"Shit. You got off easy. She would have had my guts for garters." Thomas.

"Dam right." Jane being all sassy. Making Thomas laugh. "Come on. Let's leave them to it" moving him along. "It was nice meeting you." Waving as they walk away.

"They seem nice." Derick.

"They are."

-

We end up being seated in a private room.

He booked a private table.

My eyes widen looking at the menu.

"Don't worry about that. It's on me, Lovely."

"No, I can't let you do that."

He huff's a laugh. "Once you've worked for a hundred years then we can split the bill."

Did he just?

"Those able to hear me already know of us."

Oh, right, yeah. We're alone. 

He's really outdone himself.

"You know, you didn't have to do all of this." 

"No. But I wanted to. All I ask is that you eat anything but a salad. I know you're not a vegetarian."

"How?"

"I have been keeping somewhat of an eye on you."