Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and the plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 37

As always, Scarlett was up bright and early the next day. Knowing there was still time before Roman and Seth woke up, Scarlett headed to the kitchen and decided to start in sorting things out from there. The night before, Roman had suggested they put up ads for a garage sale and both him and Seth had managed to convince her it would be a good idea. Now all she needed to do was sort things out. That would be very easy.

When Scarlett had bought the place, she'd bought it fully furnished for she didn't have many possessions; most of them had been destroyed in the fire. But over the years, she'd managed to make a small collection of pots and pans that she really liked as well as some decorative pieces that she wanted to keep. Even then, she knew what she wanted to keep and what to throw out and when it came to clothes; there was only one closet full of clothes that she had.

It was an hour later that she heard shuffling and she looked over her shoulder to see Seth walking in with the bowl of popcorn from the night before and set it down on the counter.

"Slept on the couch?" She asked as he grunted.

"Coffee's in the pot, it should still be hot," she told him motioning towards the pot of coffee she'd made recently.

"You're taking all this?" He inquired, his fingers wrapped around his mug and his gaze running around the kitchen.

"Just some things. The rest is all going to the garage sale."

"Furniture?"

"I have none that I want to keep," she responded. She worked in silence as he sipped his coffee, occasionally asking her a few questions here and there. Roman strolled through the door already dressed and he offered to make breakfast while she finished her sorting.

"Punk says 'Hi' by the way," Roman said.

Crash!

The bowl she was holding slipped from her fingers and hit the floor, shattering into several pieces.

"Jesus!" Seth yelped and Scarlett quickly apologized before crouching down to scoop the glass pieces.

"Stop, you'll hurt yourself," Roman said grabbing her wrist and pulling her onto her feet.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me, I just lost-."

"Babygirl, it's okay. Relax. It's just a bowl," Roman said rubbing his hand on her shoulder gently. Seth got the broom and swept the glass shards onto a dustpan before discarding it in the trash.

"Sorry," Scarlett repeated; her heart was hammering in her chest. A sword with Phil's name was hanging over her head by a thin thread. She was still coming to terms with him being AJ's husband and on top of that, his obsession with her would cause severe problems. Not only would it damage the relationship she had built with AJ, but most importantly, it would damage Dean. She couldn't afford to do that. The conversation from the day before about Dean and his reaction to Ohio was still fresh in her head. Dean was protective over AJ and if Phil went and did something that she knew he was capable of doing…Scarlett shook herself out of it and took a step back from Roman.

"He seems nice," she breathed turning her back to him. She'd contemplated telling Roman and Seth but Scarlett knew that no matter how closely they'd bonded with her, their first priority would always be Dean. She could respect that. But how could she deal with the double-edged sword hanging over her head without hurting herself or anyone else. The blade was sharp and no matter how careful she might be, it would slice through her and it wouldn't do it gently.

"-takes what he wants by whatever means," Seth was saying.

"Who?" Scarlett asked.

"Punk. He's very headstrong. Once he gets his mind made up, there's no going back," Seth continued. Her thoughts were correct. She'd get the first blow of the sword, the main question was who would bear the second one? Or the third? Or even the fourth?

"He'll get what he wants," Roman agreed.

"So…whenever you guys are ready. We can go to the real estate office in downtown Chicago," Scarlett told them, steering the conversation in another direction. A storm was brewing and it was best she kept them away from it as far as possible.

~oOo~

Roman had joined Seth and her at Real Estate Agency saying he didn't have anything else to do and that was where they stood right now, waiting to be taken in.

"Ms. Rayer, Ms. Richardson is ready for you," the secretary said. Scarlett nodded and headed into the office with Seth and Dean in tow.

"Thank you for coming, I'm Alanna," the young woman behind the desk said holding her hand out. Once the pleasantries were over, they took their seat and Scarlett began to discuss the options.

"Judging by the location, Ms. Rayer, I would recommend putting it up for sale. You'll get a decent price, not the best considering that it is one, outside of Chicago; and two, there's nothing else surrounding the area," Alanna said when Scarlett asked for her recommendation after twenty minutes of open discussion. Scarlett pondered the thought and then heaved a sigh.

"And what if I put it up on rent or something?" Scarlett asked. The idea of selling the one place she'd come to know as her safe haven after so long and having named it after her mother was still hard to come to terms with.

"That would've been okay had it been within the city or in the suburbs. But the house is located further and you're not going to find anyone that would want to rent a house in that area," Alanna replied. She felt each of her hands encompassed in warmer ones and then looked on either side of her at Seth and Roman. Their silent support and the looks of encouragement they sent her way calmed her considerably. Letting out a deep breath, Scarlett gave a nod.

"Then I'll put it up for sale."

An hour later, Scarlett found herself standing at the entrance of Water Tower Place with Roman while Seth parked the car.

"$200,000 with a price open to negotiation. I think she's putting it at too low of a price," Roman said.

"But she has a point about the location being the key factor to determine property rate," Scarlett said. Although the house was being advertised at $200,000, Scarlett knew that she would be getting pocketing around $183,000 after all the payment obligations. The problem would be finding a home that costs that much money in another city. Property prices weren't cheap, regardless of where you went.

"So why are we here?" Scarlett asked once she spotted Seth jogging towards them.

"Well, you hit the stores for some shopping while Seth and I hit the bar for some drinks," Roman told her. She opened her mouth to protest but Roman waved at her before he sped off towards Seth and the two disappeared through the doors. Scarlett stared at the spot he'd just been standing in before shaking her head and stepping into the mall. Her phone began to ring and she answered it quickly.

"You're something special, huh?"

Scarlett froze in her tracks before pulling the phone away from her ear and checking the caller ID. Swallowing, she held the phone back up to her ear.

"I don't get it. Why does he, a man you've known for just under four weeks, gets to see under that scarf of yours when I, the man who has been with you for the last nine months, hasn't ever seen you?" Phil's voice was harsh and cold. Scarlett took a moment to look around herself, a drabble of fear making her squirm.

"I don't want to talk to you, Phil," Scarlett told him.

"Really? Is that how it's going to be now? No Scarlett, I am not letting you go that easily. You will be mine and I will have you," Phil growled.

"No you won't. You lied to me, Phil. I can't just forget about that," Scarlett replied. She had to put her foot down against him, didn't she? Why was he so obsessed with her anyway?

"Oh no, trust me when I say I will have you. You don't get it, do you? Ever since you've come into my life, I've learned what desire and happiness is. The woman I married, she turned out to be useless. But you, you're the real deal," Phil continued, his voice a low growl that made the hair at the back of her neck stand up.

"What is wrong with you? I've chosen someone else and he's chosen me. You don't even know me, Phil. Please, don't ever call me again and just stay away from me," Scarlett said, shaking her head. A laugh filled with malice stopped her; her spine going rigid at the sound.

"I wonder what your boyfriend will think when I tell him how close you and I were. He hates Orton for being friends with AJ, imagine his reaction when he finds out that "his girl" has been screwing around with AJ's husband," Phil snarled. Scarlett gulped before shaking her head.

"That's not true. He won't believe you," Scarlett said. Dean wouldn't trust him, right?

"You sure about that? We're talking a six year friendship over a two day relationship," Phil shot back. Her heart hammering, Scarlett dragged herself to the bench and took a seat. Dean wouldn't trust him.

He has a point, Scarlett. That damn voice in her head was back and Scarlett's throat began to go dry.

He's protective of AJ. You've seen the way he is with Randy. But what Phil was implying wasn't even true! She'd never felt anything more than friendship towards Phil.

"I know enough to get Dean exactly where I want him, Scarlett. The question is, do you know enough about me to prove yourself right?" Phil asked. Scarlett gripped her phone tightly; her breathing was hard and her pupils were dilated as she listened to his words. He was a lie to her and she wondered if there was anything he told her was true.

"If I have to make Dean Ambrose return to his personal hell for you, I'll do it," Phil continued. His voice was dark and malicious. No sign of the fun and sweet Phil she'd come to know before his truth was revealed to her. The way he spoke sent chills down her spine. What was this obsession with her?

"After Isabelle, I know what nerve to pinch and exactly how to do it. I'll have you, Scarlett. I promise you that," Phil hissed at her before the line went dead.

Who was Isabelle? What did she have to do with Dean? What had happened? Why was this happening to her?

Scarlett remained sitting; her spine rigid, phone gripped tightly in her hands, and face pale. There was something Phil knew that would put her at a disadvantage if he did tell Dean his lies. Fear gripped her heart and Scarlett tried to get her body, heart, and mind to work with her. Her heart was racing, her mind was reeling with questions, and her body was frozen.

Isabelle. That name kept repeating itself in her head. Was there someone else in Dean's life? She'd always thought it was Renee who everyone blamed; hell, even Seth had fumbled with his words. But there was this name and something made her think that Renee wasn't the problem. Who was she? It was now that Scarlett was realizing just how much she didn't know about Dean Ambrose. Something had happened in his life that had both Seth and Roman worried about him. The question was what? And how was Isabelle connected to all this?

"You okay, Miss?" A gentle voice pulled her thoughts and put her straight. She looked at the man in a daze. A memory flittered through her brain and she narrowed her eyes at him. It was the same guy she had bumped into the day before at the gas station.

"Are you okay?" He asked again. A curt nod and he visibly relaxed before taking a seat next to her.

"I thought I recognized you from yesterday," he told her. Scarlett's mind couldn't form the right words. Phil's threat and the questions shuffling in her head made everything much more difficult.

"Same scarf, same eyes, and the same shoes. But what's got you looking like you've seen a ghost?" The stranger asked. Scarlett swallowed and looked at him. He looked harmless. But then again, so had Phil.

"I don't…I don't know you," she breathed. The effort to speak those words was exhausting.

"My mistake. My name's Sami," he said grinning and holding out his hand to her. She accepted and shook his hand.

"Scarlett."

"So, Scarlett. What's got you so wound up?" Sami asked.

"Long story," she replied. She wouldn't make the same mistake she made with Phil. The mention of his name and once again her mind went back to dealing with the several questions that remained unanswered in her head.

"I'm a good listener," she faintly heard him say. But no words seemed to form. All she could think about was Phil's words and Dean's life. What was Phil planning to do? And what did he know that she didn't? Seth and Roman had indirectly told her that if anything happened to Dean because of her, they wouldn't sit quietly. If Seth's breakdown yesterday was a good indication of just how bad things had gotten with Dean, Scarlett knew that she would have to start counting days if she became the reason behind Dean getting hurt.

"Scarlett?" Sami said, waving his hand in front of her face. She looked at him blankly. She should've known that her happiness would be short lived. Everything was going perfectly, too perfectly. New job, a man she was growing very fond of day by day, new friends, she was getting second chance at life. She should've known the signs; the calm before the storm as they call it.

"Let me go get you some water," Sami offered before he stood up and left her still lost in her thoughts.

"I thought you would have more bags," Seth's voice said after a couple of minutes. She lifted her gaze to look at him. An image of him with his eyes blazing with anger and his arms folded in front of him flashed through her mind and she quickly blinked, shaking her head immediately; a whimper escaping her lips.

"Scarlett?"

Roman's voice.

Roman, big and tall, grey eyes clouded with anger looking at her dangerously as he stood next to an equally angry Seth. Her mind was showing her what she would be facing if she didn't do something. Roman's gentle touch on her shoulder made her flinch and she wrapped her arms around herself. They would hate her. She had to do something, before it was too late.

"Babygirl, relax," Roman said soothingly. She couldn't. Gritting her teeth, Scarlett opened her eyes and looked at both of them.

Have you learnt nothing in the last five years?

"We should really get back so I can finish sorting stuff out and get the garage sale going," her own voice sounded strange to her ears as she spoke in a mechanical tone. She noticed Seth and Roman glance at each other before Roman turned his attention to her.

"Babygirl, are yo-."

"Fine. Let's go get that garage sale going."

It took every fiber in her being to not collapse as she stood up and walked towards the exit. Her arms and legs felt like dead weight but Scarlett continued on until she found the car. She had to do something. Anything.

Looks like things are getting very tough for Scarlett. Phil's got an odd obsession with her and she's learned of Isabelle? Who is Isabelle and what does she have to do with the storm brewing in Scarlett's life? Any predictions?

As always, leave me some Reviews!

- K.