This wasn’t about sex but about the rest of their lives. In life there are only a few moments, and split seconds to make decisions and he had to act now.
“I want—” He was stopped when Lydia came into his office with the phone.
“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s for you, Miss Hughes.” Scarlet took the phone and smiled at his house keeper.
“What?” she sounded panicked. “Of course, I’ll be there right away.”
Scarlet dropped the phone and ran out of the house. Her hands were shaking, and she dropped her car keys three times before she managed to get the door open.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Harry, he’s had an attack, and they might need to operate. They’re not sure. Lily was a bit hysterical.” Richard stopped her and called for his driver. In no time at all they were at the hospital and rushing toward the paediatric wing.
Lily and Wayne sat in the waiting area looking frantic. Scarlet passed them, and Richard knew she’d pulled away. Everything about her was different.
He followed her.
John Barnes stood waiting.
“What happened?” she demanded.
“Everything is all right. Calm down. Harry is stable. His inhaler didn’t work, and he couldn’t catch his breath. We’ve got him on oxygen at the moment, and he should be fine. I’ll need to prescribe another inhaler.”
Richard stared past the doctor’s shoulder to the room. He saw Harry lying in the bed, weak.
He rubbed a hand over his face, and John stopped him from going further. “Only family is allowed.”
Scarlet turned round, and he waited for her consent. The look she gave him stopped him in his footsteps. “I don’t want you here.”
In those words his world died. Their time together meant nothing in face of that binding, f**king contract. John gazed at him with pity.
“Everything is paid for. Send the bill straight to me,” Richard said.
“I’ll do what you ordered, but my first responsibility is to my patient. If Scarlet asks about payment, I’ll tell her where it’s coming from.” John flipped his papers over and walked away.
“I’m so sorry, Richard,” Lily said walking over to him. “We didn’t know what to do, and she gave us the hospital details and everything. He couldn’t stop coughing, and getting his breath back was difficult.” He calmed her down and stared at Wayne.
“Sorry,” he said over her head. Richard nodded. He didn’t blame his friends. There was nothing they could do.
“I think it best you go home. I’ll handle everything.” His friends offered to stay and keep him company, but he refused. There was nothing else to say or to do.
All he could do was wait it out. Hope and pray Scarlet forgave him. He should never have taken her away from her son. Richard cursed himself.
For hours he waited outside the room. Scarlet didn’t move from beside Harry’s bed. He wanted to go in and see her little boy. To see with his own two eyes that Harry was safe.
The nurse came by and offered him a coffee. He refused.
When the sun went down Scarlet came out of Harry’s room and moved toward Richard. “I thought you’d have left by now,” she said.
“I wanted to make sure you and Harry were safe.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t make out you care about us. The only thing you care about is what you want and how desperate you are to get it.” Her voice rose with every word.
“I care, Scarlet.”
“Really? You see, I’ve been thinking about it, and to be honest you’re no different from David.”
“Stop right there. I’d never force myself on you. I’m nothing like that snivelling little shit.” Usually from his upbringing he didn’t like to cause a scene. He knew where this argument was going to lead, and he had to stop it and nip it in the bud.
“You’re right. At least David only forced himself the one time. You, you forced me to sign a f**king contract giving you complete access to my body. You wanted me, and you couldn’t just ask me on a date like a normal person. Tell me, Richard, what is so f**king wrong with me that men can’t ask me on a date? They make demands and force their way into my life?” The tears were pouring down her face, and his gut twisted.
At any time in his life, if he ever had any doubt about his feelings with regards to this woman, in that instant they were wiped clean.
Scarlet Hughes, the woman he’d been the biggest bastard to, was the very woman who owned his heart.
He knew the look in Scarlet’s eyes. This was it, and they were over.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said. I’m the screw-up.
“I think you should leave.” She brushed away her tears.
“What?”
“I want you gone. I want nothing to do with you anymore. Consider this the end of it.” Scarlet turned to leave. Richard couldn’t leave it like that.
“What about your job?”
“I quit. I’ll come and collect my things when I’m back at work next week.”
She walked away and shut the door behind her.
He ran a hand over his mouth and through his hair. In a second he’d wake up, and it would all be some nasty piss-taking dream.
Richard slapped his head.
The door still remained closed.
Not bothering to look up he left the hospital and drove home.
Chapter Eleven
“Darling, you should have brought a guest with you.” His mother false kissed his cheeks in a sort of French style. Richard knew he looked a mess. He hadn’t eaten, and the only reason he’d turned up is because his sister had begged him to.
Scarlet hadn’t called or sent any word, and what little information he’d gotten out of John Barnes had been the boy was stable. She refused his telephone calls, and the gifts he had sent to her were sent back. Today was Saturday, and at least he’d see her at work on Monday. He prayed she wouldn’t quit.
“You know me, Mother.” The woman didn’t have a clue about his son.
“Well I have to say I’m pleased you didn’t bring that frump you’ve been seen round with.”
Richard tensed, his fists forming. “What did you say?” he asked.
“That woman I’ve been getting reports on. A small fat girl with blond hair. Please, darling, you can do so much better, and remember image is everything. I mean I know Wayne’s fallen far from the tree, but that’s to be expected. and Opal has finally gone on a diet....”