“Mum, Dad… you remember Scarlett, right?”
“Well, of course we do, Francis,” Mum said, looking between us and trying to guess at our relationship and what was going on.
“But the last we knew, she was missing,” Dad put in.
Scarlett tucked the tablet up against her chest and sought out my fingers, gripping them tightly between hers.
“I can explain… sort of.”
I felt Scarlett take a breath next to me before giving both my parents a smile.
“It’s so nice to see you. I’m afraid I only just remembered the past, so you have to excuse my shock at seeing you again.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Dad said, but he smiled back at her.
Scarlett let go of my hand and went over to them, shaking my dad’s hand, and Mum gave her a hug.
“We never expected… well, that’s neither here nor there. It’s good to see you again, Scarlett,” Mum told her as they drew apart.
I fidgeted, then Scarlett looked back at me with eyes full of fucking love and I knew what I had to do.
“Should we eat upstairs? Scarlett can join us then.”
I wasn’t going to take them out to a restaurant and air my private life where anyone could hear.
“Yes, that might be for the best,” Mum replied, giving me a nod.
Scarlett popped her tablet down on my desk and followed me and my parents out into the lobby towards the lifts. None of us spoke as we were riding up to the penthouse. My parents rarely came here. I usually went to them, but maybe we should change that now Scarlett was back. Maybe I should be more involved in their lives and them with mine. I was their only son, after all.
Scarlett followed me into the kitchen after we got my parents settled on the sofas. The two of us started preparing something simple together. She leant over to me as I was stirring a pot.
“What are we going to tell them?”
It wasn’t something we’d spoken about, how we were going to address this with our parents. How we would explain what happened to Scarlett and the fact we were all in a relationship with her. Guess I was going to have to come up with something to appease them.
“A stripped back version of the truth, leaving out anything to do with Stuart. They can’t know what we’ve done… they wouldn’t understand.”
She wrapped an arm around me, pressing her face into my shoulder.
“No. I’ll just go with your lead, probably safer that way.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, forgetting entirely it was in full view of my parents. Restraining myself when it came to Scarlett wasn’t exactly my forte. Being with her felt so natural. Touching her was something I couldn’t go without when she was in my space. When her attention was on me and me alone. There was nothing in this world like being loved the way Scarlett Nyx loved me.
“Go set the table… and maybe text the others as a heads up. They probably won’t come up here, but they’ll need to know.”
She nodded, stroking my back before she moved away to get the plates and cutlery. I watched her for a moment before going back to preparing lunch.
Twenty minutes later, we were all seated and tucking in. Mum and Dad kept giving Scarlett glances like they couldn’t believe she was there. They asked me about how business was going and we talked about mundane things until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. So I told them Scarlett had come to work for us. How she hadn’t remembered who we were at first and slowly, things changed when she did. And how she lived with us here now.
They didn’t ask Scarlett where she’d been or about the kidnapping. I think they were afraid of upsetting her by bringing it up. They just remarked on how pleased they were that we’d all found each other again.
I left Scarlett talking to Dad whilst I cleaned up the dishes. Mum came into the kitchen and leant up against the counter, eyeing me with concern. I sighed as I straightened after closing the dishwasher.
“Are you and Scarlett in a relationship?”
I nodded, unsure of what else to say about it. We hadn’t hidden it. Scarlett had constantly touched me throughout lunch and I, her. It was like we couldn’t stop. For her, I knew it was a reassurance thing. I was her safe place. There was no fucking way I would stop her from taking what she needed from me.
Mum looked over at Scarlett and Dad, who were laughing at something she’d said. The way my girl’s eyes lit up had my heart racing. Seeing her happy was all I needed. All I ever fucking wanted.
“You love her.”
My eyes went back to Mum, who was looking at me now.
“Yeah, I do, Mum.”
“Will you explain why May told me Drake’s girlfriend is also called Scarlett?”
I rubbed the back of my neck before looking away. It was better to just come out with it.
“Scar is his girlfriend too… and West’s… and Prescott’s.” I looked at her again. “We’re all with her.”
For a minute, Mum didn’t say a word, clearly processing what I’d told her. She didn’t look shocked or put out. It wasn’t an easy thing to admit to your parent, that you were in what was essentially a polyamorous relationship with Scarlett at the centre of it.
“I always wondered if the four of you loved her as more than just a friend. I guess I didn’t expect… well, I never expected her to come back after all these years, let alone for the five of you to find each other. But you were always very attached, so I suppose I can’t be too surprised this has happened.”
I moved closer to her and took her hand.
“It’s not like we meant to, but it’s Scar… she’s…”
“She’s your one. I can see that, Francis. Did you think I wouldn’t understand?”
“I don’t really know, Mum. With her being back and it being so complicated, I wasn’t sure what to tell you, so we decided we shouldn’t until we were sure of everything.”
She squeezed my hand.
“Are you sure now?”
“The only thing I’m sure of is the five of us being a family and her. I’m sure of her. Scar gets me. We take care of each other like it should be, you know… a partnership. And so what if she shares those things with Drake, Pres and West too? Doesn’t make her love me any less. She doesn’t make me feel second best… ever.”
Mum dropped my hand, only to stroke my hair back from my face. She smiled when she noticed it wasn’t gelled. I didn’t wear it any longer. Not when it made Scarlett happy to run her fingers through my hair. I couldn’t deny it made me feel good too.
“You were never second best, Francis.”
“I know but having her makes me see that clearly.”
“If being with her this way makes the four of you happy, then it’s all that matters. I won’t pretend to understand it, but all I want is your happiness in whatever form it comes.”
I almost shook my head. That was the thing about my parents. My mum was so easygoing and accepting. Probably why she and Drake’s mum were friends. Eliza was the calm in the storm that was May Ackley.
“There’s something I do have to ask you to do though.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“You can’t tell May she’s back.”
Mum’s eyes widened.