Calix Radcliff's POV

It was still dark when Scarlett and I were doing the last checks around our apartments, we could faintly see the sun on the horizon but the sky was still a navy blue that was slowly turning to a rich purple.

"Do you have everything?" I check with her, she pulls her suitcases together. A full matching set in a light beige colour.

"I think so." Scarlett yawns. "But the things I don't have I'm sure I can buy."

The two of us make our way to the elevator, switching off the last of our lights as we leave. Downstairs Scarlett's driver, Benny, was waiting for us. I had met him a couple of times and he was really nice, it was obvious that he liked his job and Scarlett as an employer.

"Good morning Benny." Scarlett greets me as she slides into one side of the car and I take the other side. I echoed a similar greeting and soon we were submerged in the early morning traffic of New York City.

Scarlett lay her head onto the side of my arm, obviously still really tired. She was busy with the final preparations for my case yesterday and when she got home she still needed to pack for our little trip. I hadn't known he was still up until she let it slip this morning about her evening.

She had reassured me it wasn't my fault but I still felt a little guilty.

But I also felt relieved, our trip was five days, we were leaving on Wednesday, which was today and we would be back on Sunday evening for our court case to start on Monday.

As much as I hated to say I was nervous, not that I didn't think Scarlett would win but I had a lot riding on this. The thing that was keeping me sane though was that Scarlett thought we had this in the bag, she was certain we were going to win and I trusted her more than anything

"Are you okay?" I whisper, leaving a soft kiss on the top of her head.

She hums back in response, "Yes, I think I'm going to rest for a bit before we get to the airport though."

Instead of replying I just rub small circles on her back, lulling her to sleep. I read on my phone, making sure my volume was off the whole ride and when we were approaching the airport I felt bad to wake her up she needed to be woken up, but I was glad she had gotten just about an hour of rest.

"Scarlett," I whisper, stroking her hair softly, I stay like that for a few minutes, watching her eyes flutter open, blinking slowly as she takes in her surroundings. "Good morning, Angel."

"Are we there?"

"Yeah." I open a water bottle and pass it to her which she gratefully takes.

"M'sorry I fell asleep on you."

"I'm glad you got some rest." she sat up and gathered all her things as Benny slowed to a stop.

"Thank you, Benny." Scarlett thanks. "I left some things for Mya on the seat."

"Thank you, Miss Vanderburg." The driver thanks, a jolly smile on his face.

"Where are we meeting everybody?" Scarlett asks as we enter the large, crowded building. I make sure to stay right behind us, not wanting to lose each other.

"They've already checked in, I told them to go ahead and when we're done we'll meet them." She nodded and we made our way to the check-in, it didn't take us too long since Imogen had booked us into first class.

"You know something." Scarlett pipes up when we start walking to where everyone is waiting for us. "I don't like flying all that much."

"Really?" I frown, she had talked about loving to travel but she mainly talks about driving around the state. But I also knew she flew around every so often for work. "I thought you travelled a lot for work."

"I do it out of necessity, it isn't my favourite thing. It's why I hardly go on vacations. The only time I travel is for work, I think I've flown to one destination for myself."

"Oh, where to?"

"Italy, Quinn and I went there after we graduated. It was just before he found out about Everett. Quinn hadn't gone on a trip either, he's been waiting for Everett to get older so he remembers it."

I've realised that Quinn's life revolves around his son and Scarlett's does as well, well that and work. She helps so much with Rhett and it's so sweet. She's been over there every day this week helping since Quinn had been so stressed over the custody case with Rhett's mom. Scarlett thinks she can't win any rights besides maybe supervised visits like once or twice a month due to her abandonment but Quinn is still anxious.

"Good morning." Silas sings as we approach their table where everyone had already gotten their breakfast. They had already ordered us food and coffee as well, thankfully.

Scarlett glares at my best friend. "It is too early for noise."

"I'm not making noise."

"You're still speaking aren't you." She sits back.

"Damn your mean in the mornings." Silas slinks back in his seat but doesn't take offence, all of us just laughing it off and once the coffee has hit Scarlett's body she is back to the soft and kind loving person we all adore.

Scarlett and Imogen talk quietly about a case Gen was working on and needed advice on. Unlike Scarlett and I who were completely free of obligations for the next few days, the other three were working remotely until we got back. It was something they were moaning about.

Scarlett picks at her food, but her head lay on my shoulder. It was obvious she was still really tired, and also her anxiety from the flight could also add to it. I caressed her shoulder, just relaxing until our flight was called and when it was, the five of us stood up and made our way to the gate.

I keep Scarlett's hand in mine, more forward than I would normally be but she didn't seem to mind. I think it was because it was just us on this trip, there were no expectations about work and the case, we could be ourselves for a bit before we went back to the real world.

After a couple of minutes though Scarlett slipped out of my grip though with an apologetic look and walked ahead to where Quinn was walking. The two of them hadn't spent much time together so I left them.

Silas and Imogen stayed back with me and I mentally groaned, if Silas was bad on his own these two together were a nightmare. I liked Imogen, seriously I did. She was a good friend but she and Silas had the exact same disposition, the only thing is she hid it better than he did, you didn't catch it at first glimpse but it was there.

Now this talk I could see they were intending on having with me was the last thing I wanted.

"So when are you asking out Lettie?" Gen asks, I look down at her.

"Haven't we had this conversation before, multiple times?"

"Yeah, but we wanted to see if your answer had changed," Silas speaks this time.

"Why would it have changed?"

"Maybe because she has been getting close to Mr Bodyguard." my mind goes back to Gallan, he and his sister had been over to Scarlett's place multiple times since they saw each other for the first time over the weekend. And it wasn't that I wasn't sure Scarlett didn't like me, I could see she did but he knew her longer and better than he did.

He had known Scarlett for ten years. I have known her for a little over seven months. But it had felt a lot shorter than that, my days blurred together and it felt like time had been moving so fast and I had been caught up in this whirlwind that was Scarlett Julianna Vanderburg.

I stayed muted and that was enough for Silas and Imogen to leave me alone. I look up and watch Scarlett, she and Quinn were laughing at something looking more optimistic together. I had always been in awe about their relationship, especially after seeing Scarlett's connection with her biological siblings.

Quinn was her brother, the two of them needed each other and depended on each other in a way that made them more powerful together rather than one draining the other because of their problems. Quinn's eyes find mine and he gives me a small head nod before saying something to Scarlett that made her look up at me and stand up and walk over to me, without saying anything she hugs me.

Instantly I hugged her back.

"Are you okay, angel?"

"Yes thank you, Calix." She smiles up at me. "We're okay."

There was a deeper meaning to her words. We didn't have time to unpack so I lifted her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it like I did one of the first times we met.

She was right, we were okay.

This is just a filler chapter, i know what I'm doing for the next few chapters so hopefully they shouldn't take me too long to get out.

But if anyone knows where I can get law information for corporate cases that would be very helpful. I do not know anything about law and sometimes I question myself on why I started this book but anyway.

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Please let me know what you think, vote and leave a couple comments.

Ara <3