"No, I’m not. You just seemed different."

Scarlet scoffed, and her smile switched. She wasn’t happy either— it was more of a release of unspent energy after all the fighting. You look closer and see that the corners of her eyes are tears.

“I’m not different!” She howls, breaking eye contact with you. “I just get dialed in. I stay focused. And remain so until a kill contract, like these last couple, are done.”

“Is’atso?” You seem unconvinced. “You should have waited until there were signs of my interrogation or ****.”

She nods, matter of factly. “And I felt like that wasn’t the right thing to do. I’ve been focused for this entire contract–”

“The stars and all that? You’re telling me that was you focused for this entire contract?”

She shrugs. “What’s it matter?”

“I think you came in to rescue me because you have developed certain feelings for me. I thought we were going to keep this professional,” as you say it, you wondered if you had as well.

“It is professional.”

“You’re not making it seem like it is. And you being going in so recklessly—“

“I WAS WORRIED,” she snapped. “FOR YOU. Is that what you wanted to hear? I left you when you got surrounded, and when I saw those people take you back to their camp, I thought you would have told them about Amara—“

You cut her off with a loud voice. “So you weren’t thinking about me? You just thought I would snitch on you and your little clubhouse!”

“Yes! You’re so on the fence about being hired by the ARS I thought if you saw a chance to backstab!“

“Backstab like you did to Alexandra?”

She flushed. “That was different. That was personal. She knew better.”

“You’re a strange girl, Scarlet.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Then tell me,” you sigh. “I don’t know how much stress I can put our trust through. I can’t have you put your personal feelings on the line for me whenever I get into a pinch, especially a small one like that.”

“How much can I trust you even?”

“Tell you what, if you get **** by some less-than-favorable people, I’ll get you out in under 6 hours.”

She scoffs. “As if I’d ever let myself get tangled in a position like that.”

“Do you think I’d leave you though?” You’re surprised to see doubt in her eyes when she looks at you. “You’re kidding me…”

“I haven’t had a lot of people I can depend on,” she tells you. “What makes you different from the others?”

“Have you ever talked to others like this? Would you have put your life on the wire like you did for tonight?”

Her gaze goes down. Apparently, she isn’t used to conversations, not about killing or banter. She leans forward and starts to unbuckle her boots. “I saved you because you’re important to the mission. Even if you weren’t going to squeal for them, I need you for the other contracts.”

“You’re a heartless bitch, you know that? Are we just out here together to do Amara’s business and fuck when we’re horny?”

“Stop that,” she stands up and kicks off her boots. She takes off her shirt and slides off her pants. She isn’t being seductive, and the sight of her half-naked body in sports underwear isn’t attractive to you. “I’m going to shower.”

“Take your time,” you grumble. Scarlet walks past you and goes into the bathroom. A few seconds later, you hear the water running and then the shower starting. You fumble with your fingers, confused with the events of the week.