揊or what? The wall is right in front of you. Just grab a handle and get started. It抯 easy.?
揑 never said it was hard!?
揟hen why aren抰 you climbing??
揑抦卲reparing.?
I scoff. 揚reparing for what??
揚reparing to put my life in your less than capable hands. I抦 not exactly overflowing with confidence in your ability to catch me.?
揧ou抮e wearing a harness attached to a rope above a foam mat. Of course I抦 not going to catch you. Don抰 be ridiculous.?
揥ith charm like that, it抯 shocking anyone tells you no,?she retorts. Her words are sharp and her stance is confrontational. But there抯 something hovering beneath the annoyance, obvious in the way she won抰 meet my gaze and is fiddling with the strap of the harness.
揟ell me what抯 really wrong,?I demand.
揑 told you, I抦棓
揝carlett.?
Her teeth sink into the full, bright red of her lower lip. I抳e avoided looking at her mouth. The last time I paid it too close attention, I almost kissed her. I抦 about to say her name again when she answers. 揑抦 apprehensive about being too high off the ground.?
The meaning sinks in slowly. 揧ou抮e scared of heights,?I realize, then laugh. 揂re you kidding me??
揟hat is not what I said,?Scarlett replies hotly. 揑 just棓
揝ix one way, half-dozen the other,?I respond. 揝ay it however you want, that抯 what you meant.?
She considers that. 揊ine. Heights aren抰 my favorite.?
I laugh again. 揢nbelievable. You抮e really that stubborn? You came to a climbing gym and you抮e scared of heights??
揙ne, you抮e not Mr. Easy Going yourself. Two, I didn抰 know we were going to a rock-climbing gym. Your misogynistic friend didn抰 specify when he invited me.?
揂sher is far from a misogynist. He loves women.?
Scarlett rolls her eyes. 揕oving women and respecting women are two different things.?
I feel a sudden urge to defend Asher, despite the fact he抯 the reason I抦 standing here arguing with her. 揌e respects women too.?
揇o you??
I stiffen and glare. 揥hat the fuck kind of question is that? You抮e marrying me, and you don抰 think I respect women??
揑 didn抰 say that you don抰， I asked if you do.?
揧ou抳e got a creative way of saying everything, huh??
Her chin rises as she glowers right back at me. 揧ou want to know why I came here, Crew? To prove myself. Because I always have to prove myself. When you show up at Kensington Consolidated, people don抰 assume you抮e there to meet your dad for lunch. They don抰 think they know more than you do about the company that is your family抯 legacy. They don抰 wonder about who you抣l marry because they assume that person will have a say in their job one day. We may be similar in some ways, but we are not the same.?
She unclips the belt and steps out of the harness. I was annoyed she came. Now I抦 irritated she appears to be leaving. 揥hat are you doing??
揈verything okay over here??Dave appears, his calm face showing only the slightest hint of concern. In his world, things probably go according to plan. He probably doesn抰 even have a plan.
揊ine.?Scarlett gives him a small, tight smile that anyone with eyes could see is fake. 揢nfortunately, I have to go.?She doesn抰 even make up an excuse. 揟hanks for your help, Dave.?
揝carlett厰 I start.
She walks away without a word, brunette ponytail swishing. Mocking me with each step. Scarlett only pauses to change back into her heels. Then she抯 gone, cutting through the crowded street and out of sight.
I抦 beginning to wonder if I抣l ever watch her leave without a mixture of anger and regret.
For my sanity抯 sake, I sure hope so.
CHAPTER FIVE
SCARLETT
My mother starts crying when she sees me standing in my wedding dress. I抦 not expecting her tears. After almost thirty years of marriage to the emotionless void known as my father, I didn抰 think there would be much sentimentality on display today. Just appreciation for the hasty planning it took to pull off what every news publication is calling the wedding of the century.
In the past six weeks since my engagement to Crew was announced, every detail of my wedding has been considered. Every possible problem accounted for. Every minute accounted for.
This is an unplanned one. Sophie and Nadia snuck into the room off the transept, where I抳e spent the morning getting ready to say hello. Sophie was the one who begged me to show them my dress. I抳e only worn it once since I approved the design, for the fitting to confirm my measurements hadn抰 changed.
I take all three reactions in桽ophie抯 wide eyes, Nadia抯 gasp, my mother抯 tears梑efore I turn to stare at my reflection. I love this dress. Love it more than I should. Love it more than any other article of clothing I抳e ever worn.