When There Is Nothing Left But Love

Ashton tends to do things this way too. I hung my head low at the sudden, intrusive thought about him while my nose wrinkled in discomfort.

Marcus did not notice my minute reaction. He merely grinned. “It’s not a waste. See, we’re using it now, aren’t we?”

We took a spin around the house. It didn’t look like we need to buy or replace anything, but the kitchen looked quite empty. Perhaps Marcus, assuming that I was not much of a cook, did not bother too much with the layout.

“Is there anything missing?” He said, changing the house key and fingerprint code to mine.

I nodded in response. “Since you’re free tonight, why don’t we cook at home? I can give Macy and Jackson a call later, invite them to join in. I should let them know I’m safe anyway. Ever since I left, it’s like I’ve been cut off from the outside world.”

Marcus nodded. He did not look too good, but I paid little mind to that.

We left the residence together and headed to the supermarket. There, we stocked up on basic cooking necessities, including rice, cooking oil, sugar, and salt. Marcus turned to me with a look of surprise. “You can cook?”

It was so embarrassing to have that question thrown at me. Impatiently, I rebutted, “Don’t underestimate me, alright? What makes you think I can’t cook?”

I picked a few seasonings and added bluntly, “Just you wait, I’ll show you what I’m capable of tonight!”

Laughter escaped him. He raised a hand, patted me on the head, and said, “Alright then. I’ll wait!”

the shelf behind him, so I asked for a favor, “Marcus, can you help

at a target behind me, looking rather solemn. I

head around, but Marcus pulled me into his arms

it was in a stern tone, “It’s

out what was going on, someone forcibly grabbed hold of my

eagerness, and delight interwoven in a complicated mess. In short, the emotions reflected in his eyes were an impetuous, messy lot. The thoughts in my head crashed to a halt as though my brain had been struck by a

was at a loss of what to do. My body stiffened, my heart began to ache, and the dense pain began to spread. Fear and

I broke off eye contact and stopped looking at him while my heart suffocated from the

happened to the baby. I was not ready to

A woman’s dainty voice suddenly rang,

to show. She was standing next to a shopping cart stacked with lots of

items before. They were more

eyes, I was on the brink of emotional collapse. In that instant, I lost control. I shoved Ashton’s arm

launched myself almost frantically at Rebecca. No one expected I would turn out like

not give her time to respond at all. The next thing I knew, I tore at her delicately styled hair, yelling in a frenzy,

Rebecca, scared out of her

their arms. A low, gruff voice rang in my ear, “Scarlett, it’s me! I’m Ashton! I’m your

dwindling, my eyes still maddening red. I broke myself free from