揥ell, no. But your wife棓
I stand up, almost knocking the chair over. 揥hat about Scarlett??
揝he抯 here. She fainted in the hallway棓
I抦 out the door before she抯 finished the sentence. 揥here is she??I bark, striding down the hallway so quickly Celeste almost trips trying to keep up.
揑n your office.?
The cold fist of fear around my heart loosens a bit when I enter my office to find Scarlett is sitting on my leather couch, looking completely alert and aware.
I shut the door behind me.
She glances up at me and sighs. 揑 told Celeste not to bother you.?
揥hat happened??I ask as I kneel beside her.
揑抦 fine,?Scarlett says. She抯 holding a bottle of water and playing with the paper label. She tugs at the edge until it rips.
揟hat didn抰 answer my question.?
Another sigh. 揑 got a little dizzy in the hallway. I felt nauseous this morning. Didn抰 have any breakfast.?
揝carlett.?
揑 know, I know. I抦 fine, though.?She takes a drink of water. 揑 just needed a minute.?
I stand and walk over to my desk to dial Celeste抯 number. She answers on the first ring. 揅rew Kensington抯 office.?
揑 need you to let Isabel know I抣l miss the rest of the presentation. Have them extend my apologies to Patrick. And push my meetings for the rest of the day.?
揧es, sir.?
揂nd, Celeste??
揧es??
揟hank you. I抦 sorry I was short before.?
揘o problem. You抮e welcome, Mr. Kensington.?
I hang up.
揑抦 fine, Sport.?Scarlett rises from the couch. 揧ou抮e overreacting. Go back to work.?She grabs her bag. 揑抣l get something to eat, okay??
揇amn right you will.?After shutting off my computer, I walk over to her. 揑抦 taking you home.?
揑抦 going back to my office. I抳e got work to do.?She starts toward the door.
I ignore her and follow.
揅rew. I mean it.?
揝o do I.?
揑 am not going home!?
揧es, you are. There抯 stubborn, and then there抯 reckless. You抮e pregnant, Red. You can抰 keep acting like you抮e not. You need food and rest.?
Her eyes flash. 揟here抯 annoying, and then there抯 overbearing asshole. Want to know which one you are??
She strides out of my office without telling me the answer, but I抦 betting I could guess right.
I follow her down the hallway. More like chase, really. Scarlett抯 a lot faster on heels than I抦 expecting.
She reaches the elevator and jabs at the button, then looks over at me with a sigh. 揑t抯 just a couple of meetings. And I don抰 know about you, but I don抰 find sitting in meetings all that strenuous.?
揑t抯 also not resting.?
She looks around and lowers her voice. 揟he doctor said I was fine to keep working.?
揑抦 betting you didn抰 mention fourteen-hour days and forgetting to eat were part of what you consider working during your last check-up.?I went to Scarlett抯 first appointment with her梬hen the doctor officially confirmed she抯 pregnant梑ut I was in London last week and missed her second one.
揑 didn抰 see any reason to.?
I rake a hand through my hair in frustration. 揌ow about because your husband and father of your child told you to??
揥ould you go home in the middle of the day??she asks me.
揟hat抯 a ridiculous hypothetical.?
揃ecause we both know you wouldn抰？？
揘o, because you are the one who is pregnant!?
揙nce we抮e two separate entities, feel free to co-parent to your heart抯 content.?
I step closer, tilting her head up so she has to meet my gaze. 揑 can抰 change the way biology works, baby.?
She sighs. 揑抣l eat lunch, I promise. And if I start to not feel well, I抣l try to leave the magazine early, okay? I抳e got to approve the proofs for the next issue.?
揝carlett厰
揑 know you抮e worried. I feel completely fine now, though. There抯 a lot I need to get done while I still can.?
揧ou need to hire more people,?I tell her.
Scarlett seems to handle the amount of responsibility that would usually be divided among four people. She抯 a perfectionist and a control freak.
揑 know.?
Something suddenly occurs to me. 揥hat are you doing here??I was so distracted by making sure she抯 okay I didn抰 think to ask before. There抯 no board meeting today, and that抯 the only time she抯 showed up at Kensington Consolidated, aside from handing me the edited prenup.
She gnaws on her lower lip. 揑 was going to see if you were free for lunch. I should have called棓
The elevator dings as the door opens. 揙kay. Let抯 go to lunch.?I nod for her to walk inside and then follow her.
揧ou were in the middle of a meeting. Go棓
I hit the button for the lobby. 揥hat are you in the mood for??