Free For the Love of the Billionaire: The Complete Story of Barrett and Scarlet by Alison Ryan

see you.”
    “I wish I could say the same,” she said coldly. “You should be home studying. Your LSAT is next month.”
    “I’m well aware,” he said. “I was just showing Scarlet my office. We had dinner tonight and had some time to kill-“
    “I don’t need to know details,” Patricia interrupted.
    “Okay,” he said. “Well, I know it’s awkward but I’d love you to meet Scarlet Bloom.” He took Scarlet’s hand, squeezing it.
    “She’s my girlfriend,” he added. “And I wish you weren’t meeting this way-“
    “As do I,” Patricia cut him off again. “It’s less than appropriate.”
    Barrett’s voice changed, and he was clearly agitated, “I’m an adult. I’m baffled as to why I’m even apologizing. Why do you and Dad always have to have your creepy fucking henchmen following your children around? It’s bad enough we have to deal with paparazzi-“
    Scarlet gasped at how Barrett was speaking to his mother. Curiously enough Patricia just looked bored at his outburst. Patricia interrupted him.
    “This is nothing new. You know people of our status are always under threat of kidnapping, extortion, ransoms. Please save your tantrums for your father, he’s more tolerant of them. You can’t go gallivanting around town with an employee. It looks terrible. You know that and I know that.”
    This entire conversation was happening around Scarlet. Patricia hadn’t even acknowledged her once. Scarlet felt like an insect that Patricia wanted to crush under her Valentino heels.
    Barrett sighed, “Whatever. You’ve clearly sabotaged what had been a beautiful night. So if you’ll excuse us, we’re going home.”
    Patricia finally looked at Scarlet, “I hope not with her.”
    Barrett glared, “I sure as hell am. Stop it with the faux concern. You’re terrible at faking good parenting. Everything is clearly fine and you can go back home to your Xanax and pinot, Mother .”
    Barrett grabbed Scarlet by the hand and led her out the front of Evers Holdings and to his Audi that was parked outside. Scarlet was shocked at the preceding five minutes and had no idea what to say. Patricia, for her part, barely flinched at his insults.
    As they strapped on their seatbelts, Scarlet watched Patricia leave the building and enter a waiting limousine, barely glancing at the two lovers parked behind her.
    They sat there in awkward silence for a moment. Scarlet wasn’t sure what to say.
    “I’m so sorry,” he finally uttered. “She’s terrible.”
    “She’s your mom,” Scarlet said. “She just wants to make sure you’re okay.”
    “That’s not what it was about,” he said. “It was about exerting control. They like to remind me constantly what’s expected of me. This is why I’ve never brought anyone home to meet them. Or allowed myself to get close enough to love anyone. Because I don’t want to subject anyone else to the eccentricity of being an Evers. Because unfortunately, being with me comes with a lot of bullshit.” He looked over at her, “But I couldn’t help myself. How could anyone not fall in love with Scarlet Bloom?”

Chapter Fourteen
     
    The rest of that week Barrett was barely able to concentrate on anything. All he wanted to do was somehow speed up the clocks so Thursday night could come that much sooner.
    Nancy had told him of her dinner with Scarlet and had also confirmed that he could pick her up from her parents’ house on Thursday at six o’clock.
    “So it’s actually going to happen,” he said into the phone. Nancy sighed on the other end.
    “Seems like it.”
     
    ********
     
    Scarlet, for her part, was trying not to think about it at all. She’d spent time watching television with her dad, working on puzzles at night with her mom, and reading books from the to-be-read list on her Kindle. On Wednesday afternoon she had begrudgingly gone to the mall to find something to wear. If she was going to see Barrett for the last time, she was at least going to look