❛ I'm not as stupid as I look, Caddal. ❜

chapter two.

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SITTING IN THE SMALL CAFE, Camille had updated her best friend on the lives of some other club members. Opie Winston left the club for Donna and his kids, and Tig is still dealing with the struggles of having two growing daughters across states.

Eight years is nearly a decade, so Scarlett expected some of the oldies to have left the club, but never Opie. He was always so devoted to the Club; him and Jax both. Scarlett met Ope through Jax, and the three became quiet close over time and eventually Camille and Luke joined the little group. The five of them created most of the mischief in Charming, especially in SAMCRO. Residents of the town didn't particularly like them. Once Opie got married, and Camille and Luke starting becoming serious with one another, it left Jax and Scarlett with more time alone.

Jax and Scarlett had been close friends since they were basically born. Because John Teller had been best friends with her dad, Robert Miller. It was clear Gemma never particularly liked her, as seen as Scarlett was always with her son and stealing him away from his mother slightly. Scarlett never liked Gemma either, and it was quite common for the both of them to get into petty arguments because Gemma was jealous of a teenager.

"And Gemma," Camille groans, bringing her milkshake straw to her mouth, "Still the queen bitch."

Scarlett leans back in her seat, nodding in understanding, "I expected as much."

"I'm fairly sure it's her who convinced Jax you were the devil after you left," Camille snorts, shaking her head at a memory, "She threw all his photos of you in the trash and burnt them. Luke and I found the random when we went round to attempt to check up on him," She grinds her jaw, "She's so unbelievably petty for an old lady."

The bell hanging above the cafe shops door rings, and Camille's eyes flow over her best friend's head to whoever just entered. She shrinks down in her seat at the sight, her eyes going wide.

"What?" Scarlett says, about to turn around until Camille kicks her harshly under the table.

"Don't turn around," She hisses, "It's Ope."

Scarlett tilts her head, "Okay. . . and? Ope used to be one of our closest friends."

Camille shakes her head, her eyes never leaving the back of the tall man stood by the counter, "That was before you fucked off without telling a soul. Plus, if he sees you here, he will go run his hairy mouth to Jax."

"Cami, I was gonna go down to the Club tomorrow anyway," Scarlett rolls her eyes, causing her best friend to straighten up slightly, "I want everyone to hear it from me why I'm back, not from some random person."

Swallowing, Camille slowly nods, finally ripping her eyes from Opie, "Well, that's fine then."

Studying her face, Scarlett tilts her head in confusion, "You and Opie did something, didn't you? Camille Jones, if you cheat—"

Immediately, Cami is frantically shaking her head and waving her hand in front of her face, "No. Jesus christ, no. He's Donna's, and Donna's only. I just have a feeling that if he sees you here, then he won't be the happiest chappy."

Scarlett's brows pull together, "Why? What did I do?"

Before Camille has chance to answer her friend's question, her eyes are widening again, and Scarlett hears the sound of heavy books hitting the tiled floor, getting louder as they approach the table.

"Is he coming over?" Scarlett mouths.

Camille nods before running her hands over her face, trying to hide the annoyance, "Hello, Opie."

"Camille," He nods, coming to a stop beside the table between the two. He digs his hands into his dirty cargo trousers before rotating his head to look over at the familiar woman slouched in the other seat, "Well, shit. Isn't this a surprise?"

Rolling her shoulders back, Scarlett glances up at him, noticing his shaggy beard and slightly muddy face, "Hey, Ope. Heard about you leaving the club, I ju—"

Laughing, he cuts her short as he shakes his head, "Shut up. You don't get to fuck off without telling anyone, and ruin people's lives and then come back eight years later and act like nothing changed."

She clenches her jaw, "I apologise for ruining people's lives, but I had to leave this shit hole."

"It ain't me you should be apologising to," He mutters, reposition his stance slightly, "He know you back yet?"

Catching on immediately, Scarlett shakes her head, "No. You're the first club member besides Luke to know I'm back, and before you bother snitching, I'm off round to SAMCRO tomorrow. Now, if you're wouldn't mind fucking off so I can enjoy the rest of my coffee, that would be lovely."

At the familiar tone in her voice, Opie throws his head back with a laugh; a much more sincere and real one this time, "You really haven't changed, Scar. I'm looking forward to the other guys seeing you again, it will really be a sight to see."

Scarlett beams up at him, "That's nice. Now, fuc—"

"Fuck off," He hums, turning on his heel and stepping away from the table, "I know."

As Opie steps out of the cafe and onto main street, he can't help but feel like he has to go speak to Jax about the woman's return, but he's not going to. It's Scarlett's job to announce her return, and if he did tell Jax before she had the chance, she would most likely skin him alive. Scarlett Miller had always been scary; creating a reputation for herself that mostly kept her from harms way when they were younger. Opie almost hoped that some time in a big city had softened her slightly, but he most likely wrong.

"He looks so different to the last time I saw him," Scarlett mutters, watching as he trudged past the window towards his truck, pulling a cigarette from his pocket, "Much older, obviously."

Camille hums in agreement, her lips pulling up into a faint smile, "Yeah. Donna was telling me he's planning his hair out long. Like, ponytail long."

Scarlett raises a brow with a chuckle, "Hm. That sounds very Opie."

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

LATER THAT DAY, hours after the sky has darkened over and most of the town has gone to sleep, Scarlett slides down onto the step of Cami's front porch with a cigarette hanging between her lips while she looks down at her tapping foot. She hears the door swing open behind her, but she doesn't bother turning.

Luke Caddal lowers himself down beside her, his hand wrapped around the neck of beer bottle, "When Cami told me you were coming back I actually laughed, you know? Like full on burst out in laughter."

Screwing her face up in confusion, Scarlett peers over at him, "You didn't believe her?"

"No," He dismisses, "Ever since we were teenagers you've always complained about this shithole, then you finally got to leave and now you're back... by choice."

"Jamie's doing time," Scarlett shrugs, "So I was lonely as shit, and missed Camille."

Luke grunts, "Rude."

"I don't think I'll ever miss your bitchy attitude," She grumbles with a small smirk spread across her cheeks, "But, I am happy that you and Cami are happy."

Pursing his lips, he shrugs gently, raising his beer to his lips and taking a small sip before speaking, "She's much happier now that you're back. Does she know you're planning on leaving once Jamie's out?"

Scarlett snaps her head over to him, eyebrows raised in surprise, "I'm not."

He laughs, "Sure you aren't."

Grinding her jaw, she waves him off, "Just worry about your life and how you're wanting to get engaged and stop worrying about my life."

Now it's Luke's turn to stare at her in shock, his eyes wide and body stilled, "Engaged? How the fuck. . ."

She smiles, moving her gaze away from his to stare across the street as she lifts her finger to tap her temple, "I'm not as stupid as I look, Caddal. The way you smile when Cami is mentioned, and how you're trying not to talk about her too much because you know you'll say something you don't want to. Like something about an engagement."

His jaw drops and he raises from the step, turning on his heel back towards the door, "This is why you piss me off."

"Fuck you too," She grunts, hearing the door click closed quietly as he leaves her outside alone.

. . .

authors note.
ew
next chap should have jax in it