She could be leading me into a trap, but she didn’t seem like that kind of person. Instinctively, I felt like I could tell her things I couldn’t share with others. She seemed understanding, compassionate. “Yes. We met when I was in college. I told her I wanted to take care of her, so she quit modeling so we could have a family.”
“You must have been young at the time.”
“Very. I was twenty when I met her.”
“I had my daughter at the same age. It must have been love at first sight for you.”
“No.” I stared at the picture on the wall, thinking of the first time I laid eyes on her at a party off campus. “It was more than that.” Isabella had looked at me, a smile on her lips. I had no idea how I’d looked when I stared at her. In that moment, I somehow knew that beautiful brunette was destined to fill my heart for the rest of my life.
Scarlet’s eyes softened, filled with emotion. “You had Diesel when you were twenty-one?”
“Yeah.”
“Then she must have had Brett…”
I didn’t like talking about it. “Yeah, she was very young.”
“And her being a young mother didn’t bother you?”
“No.” Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have been interested in a woman like that. But Isabella was different.
“So then you must have gotten married almost immediately after you met.”
“Yeah. I asked her to marry me six months after I met her.”
Scarlet seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. It didn’t seem like she was asking out of politeness. “Wow, then your relationship must have been intense.”
“It was.” I asked Isabella to marry me, took care of her while I finished college so she could raise our family, and when I launched my first company and became a millionaire, I bought her a small apartment in the city. As my wealth grew, I lavished her with more things. We had Jax shortly afterward, and then our family was complete.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” she whispered. “I know it doesn’t mean much, especially since she’s been gone for so long, but I mean it.”
“Thank you, Scarlet.” As the years passed, some things got easier. But I never stopped missing Isabella. I never stopped dreaming of her. Some days were better than others. Some days, I could think of her fondly and appreciate the memories I had of her. But other days, it was difficult just to get out of bed.
I noticed Scarlet didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t married. “Do you have someone in your life?”
“No. I’ve been divorced for almost ten years now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be,” she said with a scoff. “I shouldn’t have married him in the first place. I was young when I had Lizzie, and getting married seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But we did it for the wrong reasons, and it wasn’t a good relationship.”
“Your daughter’s name is Lizzie?” I asked.
“Yeah. She’s a sweet girl.”
“Do you have a picture of her?”
“Of course.” She smiled brightly as she pulled out her phone. Her wallpaper was a picture of her daughter, a young brunette that looked just like her. She had a nice smile, the same colored eyes, and she had the appearance of a kind person. “She’s at NYU right now. She wants to be a nurse.”
“That’s nice.”
She put her phone back in her clutch.
“She’s a beautiful girl.”
“Thank you. I’ll never say this to her, but having her was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. It was twenty at the time and getting started with modeling. Money was always difficult, and my husband wasn’t a good man. But she’s the most important thing in my life, and she’s my whole world. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She completes me more than any relationship I’ve ever had.”
That was exactly how I felt about my sons. The fact that I could still see Isabella when I looked at them made me cherish them even more. “I think that’s how every parent feels about their kids.” I noticed it was the second time she’d spoken ill of her ex-husband, and she unleashed a harsh insult. “Your ex-husband wasn’t a good man?”
Her gaze shifted away, and her smile died. “Yeah, but that doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past—where it belongs. My daughter keeps in touch with him, but she doesn’t have a clue what happened between the two of us—and that’s how I want it to be. I don’t want Lizzie to hate her father—even if she should.”
Now I wanted to know more. Did he hurt her? Did he break her heart? I shouldn’t care about something that happened over a decade ago, but I did care. She dismissed the topic with her last statement, so I didn’t press the subject. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t still curious. “She’s your only child?”
“Yep. So she’s a bit spoiled.” Her smile returned when the subject of her ex had been dropped. “I’ve never known a love the way you describe with your wife. In my experience, men aren’t heroic or romantic. Maybe it’s just the line of business I’m in, but the handsome men I encounter are either jerks or gay.” She chuckled at the end, laughing it off. “Or just mostly gay.”
A woman across the room called her over. “Scarlet, let me introduce you to Tom!”
Scarlet waved back before she turned back to me. “Excuse me, Vincent. I hope you have a good night. I’ll let you know when I’m finished with the article.” She gave me a smile before she turned away.
I wanted to grab her, but I didn’t. “Scarlet.”
“Yes?” She turned back to me, her acquaintances staring at us from their formation.
I didn’t know why I asked her to turn around. I guess I didn’t want her to walk away—not yet. Our conversation was intriguing, and I found myself wanting it to continue.
