Chapter Ten
Occasionally, it's okay to build a relationship
on secrets.
"What's the magic word?" Luca teases from the ground.
"Luca…" Scarlet whines whilst trying to keep the contents of her stomach down. "I'm going to kill you, if you don't get me down. Now!" She screams and begins to thrash around again.
"Well…I don't know… I'm kind of liking you up there." Luca jokes and leans against a tree, crossing his muscular arms across his hard chest.
"Luca!" Scarlet screams, letting go of the rope that holds her off the ground. "Get me down!"
"What's in it for me?" Luca asks.
"Argg…" Scarlet growls. "Why you…unbelievable, ungrateful, childish…I'm going to kill you!" Scarlet claws at the ropes again. "First, you scare away my deer, and now you ruin my shot at killing a boar!"
"Now, now. Your boar? I do believe it ran into MY trap." Luca torments, leaving his tree and strolling around the ditch-like area.
"No, no, no! It's mine! I chased it here! You know that!" Scarlet loses her temper. A slither of shock runs through Luca at the sound of Scarlet's fierce voice. "Let me down…" Scarlet tries not to whimper through clenched teeth. Luca senses the distress he walks back over to the tree where he was leaning. "Please…" Scarlet whimpers quietly as she grips her stomach with both hands.
"Alright, alright. Since you put it like that." Luca pulls a knife from his pocket and slices the rope, which he had dyed brown to blend in with the tree. Scarlet shrieks in terror as she starts to plunge back to the ground without warning. Luca glides back under Scarlet in two, unnaturally fast steps, catching her before she hits the ground. "Good morning." He says playfully when Scarlet's screaming ceases.
"What's good about it?" Scarlet says in a huff, deciding whether to punch Luca or thank him. "Put me down." Scarlet demands calmly, staring at the ground, which is still a long way down.
"Of course." Luca pretends to drop Scarlet. A slight scream escapes her lips as she wraps her arms around Luca's neck. Luca smirks and chuckles loudly. He walks them under the shade of the forest's canopy and places Scarlet gently on her feet, but keeps a lose hold on her arm in case she needs to be steadied.
"You're not funny." Scarlet breathes angrily, leaning against a tree and pulling herself out of his grip. "Did Grey put you up to this?" She questions harshly and narrows her eyes in suspicion, her rage boiling fast.
"Grey?" Luca cocks his head. "You mean the man who I met with you?" Scarlet pulls her lips into a thin line as she tries to contain her anger. "I've never spoken to him, why would he want me to trap you?" Luca crosses his arms. "Not that that was my intention, I didn't know you were going to coming running around the corner." Luca shows sincerity in his handsome expression, while the mischief hides beneath.
"Promise?" Scarlet tries to release her built up anger by breathing out harshly.
"Promise." Luca smiles warmly. "Are you alright?" He waits for Scarlet's answer.
"I'm…" Scarlet closes her eyes and squeezes them tightly. "I…" She mumbles, opening her eyes which spill a few tears, ridding her eyes of dirt.
"I'm sorry for frightening you." Luca steps closer to her and rest his hands lightly on her waist.
"I…that's okay. I'm fine." She lets go of all her unnecessary anger and dismisses the incident as an unintentional accident. She now focuses on Luca's hands and how close he is to her. Luca lifts a hand and gently wipes away the dirt streaked tears.
"Well then…" Luca's eyes dance over Scarlet's body. "As long as you're okay." He winks and let's go of Scarlet, strolling back over to the hanging boar, which is still squealing.
"Hey wait." Scarlet forces her legs to follow Luca. "That's mine." She gestures to boar.
"If you want to get technical, I say it was a joint effort." Luca pulls out his knife again and jabs it into the net. The boar shrieks louder in agony and then silence falls over the area. "I'm happy to share." Luca smiles as he retracts his knife and wipes the crimson liquid off his blade with a rag that hangs from one of his belt loops. Scarlet huffs in frustration and collects her bow and arrows from the ground.
"So is this what you do? Con game off people?" She counts her remaining arrows and re-sheathes them. Luca laughs and cuts the net down.
"No. I got a job as a woodsman. I hunt to earn a little more money." He laughs as he ties the net up like a bag, so the boar is easier to carry.
"Really? A woodsman?" She inquires, surprised that he had gotten a job so quickly.
"Really. I'm surprised that you actually don't have that many in village. I thought you'd have more." Luca says.
"Yeah well, we're more of a hunting town." Scarlet folds her arms across her chest.
"I can see that." Luca smirks. "So, you up for sharing?" He slings the boar over his shoulder and pretends to struggle with weight a little bit. Scarlet widens her eyes in surprise.
"Oh, isn't that heavy?" She asks and tries to offer her assistance, even though she knows she probably wouldn't be much help.
"A little but I can manage." Luca says confidently.
"Alright, if you say so…" Scarlet watches as Luca passes her slowly.
"You coming?" Luca calls over his shoulder as he treks back the way Scarlet had come.
"Yes." Scarlet admits and catches up to Luca.
"So…" Luca starts has they continue to trek through the winding chasm. "Why did you think Grey asked me to trap you?" Luca asks. Scarlet furrows her brow in annoyance and sighs.
"Not trap me, per say, just scare me." She says and overtakes Luca.
"Why would he want to scare you?" As Luca's curiosity grows for Scarlet, so does his protectiveness for her.
"Um…" Scarlet plays with her words in her head, still unsure if she should trust Luca with her secrets. She's never had anyone to talk to before, and to be honest, that's all she's ever wanted. Someone that's not her mother or grandmother, her brother is too young and as far as friends go…well, Scarlet has never been great at making friends. "He doesn't like me hunting in the woods alone. He'd prefer me to hunt with his party." She says spitefully. "Then again he'd also like me to stay home and never leave the village again." Scarlet says harshly under her breath but Luca hears her perfectly.
"So? Who is he to tell you what to do?" Luca asks, a little confused.
"He's my…fiancé…" Scarlet sounds like she'd rather swallow glass then be engaged to Grey. Luca takes the information in slowly, growing slightly annoyed.
"You don't sound too thrilled about that." Luca observes.
"Well, he wasn't my choice. According to everyone I have no say in the matter." She huffs angrily.
"Have told your mother how you feel? Surely she wouldn't force you into anything you don't want to do?" Luca chimes, hoping to be of some help.
"Ha!" Scarlet scoffs. "I tell my mother every damn day!" She throws her hands up in the air. "She just fights back and says, 'Grey is the most eligible man in town; any girl would be thrilled to have him.'" Scarlet mimics her mother. Luca widens his eyes in understanding.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Luca adjusts the boar on his shoulder.
"What do you mean?"
"Are going to marry him?"
"It's not like I have a choice…"
"So you're just going to give up?"
"What am I supposed to do, huh?" Scarlet exclaims "I've tried talking my mother round, I've tried being hostile, I've tried explaining that I really don't want to marry him, but no one gives a damn as to what I have to say. So, please if you have any ideas, that would be great." She grumbles.
"You could always runaway." Luca shrugs.
"Ha, that the best you got? Where would I go? What about my brother and grandmother? I can't just leave them." She sighs, imagining living by herself, somewhere in the woods – where she could hunt all day and not have to worry about beasts or marriage.
"Have you ever considered it?"
"I…well." Scarlet struggles. "I've thought about it, I suppose. But I just…can't leave my family, among other things." She sighs and stares into the sun splotched canopy. "We can't all runaway and travel the world like you."
"I didn't run away." Luca snaps. He swallows a bubble of rage that is rising in his throat.
"Well I just assumed…"
"Well you assumed wrong." Luca interrupts. Scarlet looks a little baffled at his secretiveness, after all, did she not deserve some answers after she had just told him things she hadn't even breathed to anyone else?
"No need to get so defensive. I told you something about me…" She starts. Luca glares fiercely at her, his autumn eyes leave a trail of goose bumps along Scarlet's skin. "It is fair. I tell you something about me, you tell me something about you." She smiles slightly, trying to relieve the tension growing between them. Luca rolls his eyes and focuses back on the trail in front of them.
"Fine…" Luca growls. "What do you want to know?"