Scarlett and I ate her takeout and talked the rest of the night.

I feel like I'm on top of the world. The last few days have treated me like absolute shit, but sitting here with her has made everything feel calm again.

Having her hand in mine and seeing that beautiful fucking smile of hers is enough to cure even the worst pain.

I've never felt this way in my life, but all I know is asking Scarlett to be my girlfriend is the only decision that's felt right in the last year.

Scarlett yawns, putting our dishes gently in the sink. "Tired?" I ask.

She nods. "It's been a long day,"

She walks to the curtains and closes them, switching off the TV as well. It's nearly midnight by the time we make it into her bedroom.

"Are you sure you don't mind staying the night?" She asks... again. I can tell she's nervous about having me here.

I remember always having to reaffirm to my mother that everything was fine. That I wasn't mad at her and I enjoyed her company. She was constantly worried that Rocky and I hated her or didn't want to be around her.

I grab her face, cupping her cheeks. "Scarlett, I want to be here."

She smiles, but it's weak and doesn't meet her eyes. "Okay."

We head into her room, and I'm making sure she knows I've got absolutely no expectations. I know how guys are because I used to be that way. I don't want to rush anything with her.

"I'm gonna go shower. The remotes on the bed somewhere," she points, laughing. Her bed isn't made. Her covers and pillows are just one big mess. "Sorry, I didn't have time this morning."

"Don't apologize," I say, shaking my head.

Her cheeks flush, and she rushes into her en-suite bathroom, a robe in her hands.

Once I hear the shower start, I take the time to look around her bedroom. She doesn't have a lot of decorations; in fact, it's pretty bare.

Her walls are off-white. The only wall decor present is a large painting of black roses.

Most of her furniture is black, too, complimenting the painting. The only color I can find is from the pictures of her friends and family on the nightstand.

She's smiling, holding who I assume is her mother very tightly. They look very similar- their eyes crinkle the same. The other picture is of Jordyn, Riley, and her. They're on a beach, and Scarlett looks so damn beautiful it's hard to focus on anyone else.

Something about her room felt lonely like she didn't plan on staying long. I hope that wasn't the case.

I decided to stop snooping like a freak and sat in her desk chair, turning on the TV. Instead of flipping through the channels, I leave on old Friends reruns, laughing every once in a while.

By the time Scarlett finished her shower, I'd watched nearly two episodes. The girl liked long showers, apparently.

"Hi," she said sheepishly, her body wrapped in a pink satin robe. Her long brunette waves were now dark and wet, resting on her back.

"Hey. How was your shower?" I ask as she rummages through her drawers for some clothes.

"Good. Sorry I took so long," she just loves apologizing for random shit, doesn't she? We're gonna have to work on that.

"Stop apologizing, Scar," I stood up and cupped her cheeks, kissing her forehead softly. "Go change. You've got to be cold."

"You're the most confusing man I've ever met," she says softly. Her arms snake around my waist, and it makes my heart swell, seeing how comfortable we are around each other.

I smirk. "How so?"

"I'm standing in front of you, nearly naked in my bedroom, and you haven't made a single advance or even an innuendo." She rambles. I can tell she regrets what she said before she even finishes speaking.

She's fucking adorable. Helplessly so. "I don't want to rush anything with you," I answer honestly.

"What if I want to?" She looks down, avoiding my eyes as her cheeks turn a dark pink.

I don't even know what to say. She's left me absolutely speechless. "What?"

She steps back, looking at me through her lashes. Her eyes are filled with lust as she starts to untie her robe. My eyes go wide as she holds each side, barely covering her breasts.

Well, fuck. This is the last thing I was expecting her to do tonight.

I grab her hands before she drops it. "You're sure?"

She smiles confidently. "Mhm," she mumbles. That's all the confirmation I needed as I gently grip her neck, pulling her lips to mine.

I take control of the kiss, my hands touching every inch of her body before completely removing the robe. I pull back, taking in the sight of her body, the only light coming from the TV in the background.

"God, you're fucking perfect," I mutter. She crawls back onto the bed, looking shy and confident all at once. She doesn't hide herself, and it makes her even sexier.

Her skin is soft, and her hands are tantalizing as she pulls off my shirt, running her fingers dangerously slow against my abs. She throws my shirt to the ground, and I tower over her, kissing the sides of her neck and collarbone, leaving marks anywhere I could.

I slowly move down her body, my lips finding her hard nipples.

"Oh, god," she whispers, her hands tangling into my hair, pulling lightly. I bite her left nipple softly, making her moan my name. I grab her hands from my hair with one hand and push them above her head, leaving them immobile.

I look into her eyes, looking for any sign of hesitation before I get to the point of no return. I don't have to say anything. She just nods, biting her lip.

"Fuck, Scar. You're killing me," I groan before finding her lips again. We're perfectly in sync, her body moving against mine as our lips copy each other.

By the time we pull apart, I'm in just my boxers, and we're panting, nothing distracting us from the other.

She looks up at me. Her eyes are dark. "Do you have a condom?"

I shake my head, sighing. "Let me make you feel good, baby." Of course, I forgot the fucking condom, but hell if I care. Turning her on and seeing that look in her eye is enough to keep me satisfied.

I slowly move down, my hands trailing down the sides of her body, goosebumps rising all over her soft skin. She clenches her eyes shut as I reach the most sensitive part of her body, her hips rising slightly to reach me.

I smirk but comply as my fingers find her wet core. Her hands grip at her sheets as my fingers explore her sex, two of them slipping in with ease. I pick up the pace as I see her arousal grow, her hips moving in time with my fingers.

I place my thumb on her clit, moving it in circles slowly. I watch her eyes screw shut, and the moan she lets out has got to be the sexiest sound I've ever heard.

Suddenly, Scarlett's small hand grasps my hand that is teasing her breasts, and she moves it to wrap around her neck. Her eyes are dark with lust as we make eye contact.

Holy fuck. She really knows how to keep me guessing.

I grip her neck tightly and continue to move my fingers in and out of her. A soft moan tries to escape her lips, but it dies in my mouth as I kiss her hungrily.

I can feel her getting close as she arches her back and her nails scratch my back, her body convulsing. I pull away from her lips to watch as she comes undone just by the touch of my hands.

After she rides the wave of her orgasm, her body lays still on the bed, a small, content smile on her face.

I move to lay next to her as she turns to her side to face me. Her eyes roam my face, her confidence from before slowly leaving her as she pulls the comforter over us.

I turn onto my side as well and wrap my hand over her, pulling the cover back down.

"Don't," I say demandingly. I brush the hair out of her face and look deeply into those mesmerizing brown eyes. "Don't hide from me."

She sighs, her eyes tired. She lets go of the comforter, and I pull her body to mine, her head laying on my chest.

I find myself absentmindedly playing with the loose strands of hair framing her face and relax as her breathing becomes steady.

I can't explain the feelings coursing through my body as I hold this woman tightly in my arms.

Nothing about our connection has made sense to me. It didn't need to, though. I know it's right. Being here with her, nothing feels better.

---

I woke up to Scarlett poking my stomach and nagging at me to let her go. Somehow our legs have become intertwined, and I ended up fully encasing Scar with my arms.

She's so small and gentle. It felt like I was hugging a pillow.

"Have. To. Pee." She says dramatically, trying to pull herself from my grasp.

I chuckle but chose to let her go, completely unraveling myself from her. I glance at her digital clock and see that it's hardly seven in the morning, leaving me plenty of time to get ready for today's plans.

Once Scarlett makes her way back to bed after using the bathroom, she snuggles right back into my arms, resting her head on my chest.

"What's the plan for today, love?" I ask softly.

"Well, I have to head to work in an hour, but I have a long lunch break at noon," she responds, her voice very quiet.

I sigh, preparing myself for what I'm about to ask. "Do you think you could help me with something? On your break, maybe?"

She nods her head. "What is it?"

"I was going to visit my father in jail, and I was hoping you could come with me. Like moral support," I say quickly.

I feel fucking dumb asking for help like this, but I can't face him alone, and no one calms me like she does.

She sits up slightly to look at me, her hand pushing my hair up off my forehead. "Of course I will, Zayn. Pick me up from my office at noon?"

I smile and nod, pulling her lips to mine. The lust of last night is dulled down, making our kiss slow and passionate, two words that never used to be in my vocabulary.

When we pull apart, she gives me the most beautiful smile, the one where her eyes smile too. "As much as I'd love to lay in your arms all day, I've got to get ready."

She gives me one last kiss and pulls herself out of bed, her body only being covered by my t-shirt.

Fuck. When did she put that on?

"God damn," I mumble. She turns around and raises a brow at me. "You look fucking sexy in my clothes."

"Zayn! Language," she scolds, but I can see a smirk playing on her lips.

I raise my hands in surrender, chuckling. I check my phone and see a message from Adelaide asking me to stop by this morning. Luckily she's been understanding with all this family shit and has allowed me to take a few extra days off.

Scarlett is rummaging around her closet, dramatically tossing clothes. I stand up from her bed and pull on my pants, heading towards her. I narrowly avoid her hand, hitting me in the face as she tosses another shirt to the floor.

"You know, it's easier to find things when they're not all on the floor," I say, picking up the clothes in my path as I walk to her.

She turns around and rolls her eyes, taking them from my hand. "I never dress nice, and now I have to every day. It's stressful."

I grab her waist gently and move her to face me. "I think you should wear my shirt,"

She looks up at me, amusement in her eyes. "You think so?"

Somehow we end up in a heated makeout before Scarlett scolds me for 'messing up her hair.' Her hair still looks perfect, so I don't get it.

Eventually, I stole my shirt back from her and left her apartment, despite what I wanted to do, which was spend the entire day with her.

I stopped at my apartment and took care of the dogs, showering and changing before going to the office to see what Adelaide needed.

I walk into the office to hear her shouting at someone over the phone, her face red with anger. She says a few choice words, telling me it's not work-related before she hangs up and turns to face me.

"Do yourself a favor and don't ever get married." She huffs, falling back into her seat.

I laugh and walk to sit across from her desk. "Right. Thanks for the advice."

"So, enlighten me," she says shortly.

"Huh? You asked me here,"

She laughs. "Yes. Did you visit your father?"

I raise a brow. "Not yet. I was planning on going today. Why?"

"I don't think it's smart for you to visit him, Zayn. Especially now."

I lean forward. "And why's that?"

She sighs, leaning forward as well. "It may help your father get approval from the parole board to be released. If it looks like his children are eager to see or talk to him, they may take that as your forgiveness."

"What about Rocky's statement?" I ask. I mean, what she's saying makes sense, but I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with him.

"He did, and that will play a big role in their decision, but Rocky emphasized the fear that you and your brother have for your father, and if suddenly you guys are going to visit him, it could change things."

I guess I didn't think of it like that, but it does make a great deal of sense. "Well, fuck." I groan, leaning back in my seat. "Do you think he only sent me that card to get me to visit him?"

"It's possible. However, your father isn't very intelligent." We both laugh at that as I agree with her.

As I sober up, I brave myself to ask the question I've been dreading. "Do you think he'll get released? Honestly, do you think he has a shot?"

She's hesitant but slowly nods. "Yes, Zayn. I think he has a very good chance."

Hi guys :) Sorry this chapter is *extremely* late, but I honestly could not write anything that I liked and kept deleting it. I hope you guys enjoyed the smut. It gave me hell trying to write it. Anywho, see you on Sunday!

Thanks for reading