Scarlett didn't sleep.
Not really. She closed her eyes, but her mind wouldn't stop spinning. She kept replaying the night before, not in full—just fragments. The cool air, the soft crush of hooves against the earth, the quiet lake, the warmth of his hand on her skin. The silence that said more than either of them had.
It wasn't a dream. But it wasn't something she could explain either. And the more she thought about it, the less she understood why she'd gone in the first place.
When morning came, she sat up slowly, her silk gown wrinkled and clinging. The memory of it made her chest tighten.
Nothing had really happened. That's what she told herself.
And yet…
She got dressed, pulled her hair back, washed her face, and tried to collect herself. She looked composed in the mirror. But something inside her had shifted.
Sadie was already in the sitting room when Scarlett stepped in, curled up on the arm of the couch with a mug of tea and her sketchpad on her lap.
"There you are," she said, looking up. "I waited up last night."
Scarlett blinked, caught off guard. "You did?"
Sadie nodded. "I made tea. Thought we could just chill, talk a little—about work, life, dating chaos. You know, normal stuff."
Scarlett sat carefully on the edge of the couch. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."
Sadie gave her a soft look. "I knocked. You weren't in your room."
Scarlett froze, only for a second. "I went for a walk. I couldn't sleep."
"By yourself?" Sadie asked gently.
Scarlett looked down. "Yeah. Just needed air. That's all."
Sadie didn't say anything for a long moment. Then she sipped her tea and shrugged. "You've just seemed... off, that's all. I was worried."
Scarlett nodded slowly. "I know. I'm just a little unsettled, I guess."
Sadie tilted her head. "About what?"
"I'm still figuring that out."
Sadie gave her a soft smile. "Okay. Well... next time, leave a note or something. I'll still make the tea."
Scarlett smiled back, grateful and aching at the same time.
Later that morning, the studio was busy again. Camille arrived full of energy, breezing in with her phone in one hand and a scarf tied around her head like an old movie star. She hummed to herself while flipping through fabrics, and Scarlett went straight to the dress.
It was coming together. Clean lines. A strong silhouette. Everything Scarlett had envisioned when she first picked up the sketchpad.
She focused on the hem, her hands steady. But her thoughts weren't.
What am I doing?
Why do I feel like something's changed?
Why can't I stop thinking about last night?
Brian wasn't there. She didn't expect him to be. And yet, part of her kept checking the corners of the room. Waiting.
She stabbed a pin into the fabric a little harder than necessary.
Camille appeared at her side, watching her work. "You've been so quiet lately."
Scarlett kept her eyes on the dress. "I guess I've just been focused."
"Well, whatever's in that head of yours, it's working." Camille tilted her head. "Though you do seem a little... far away."
"I'm here."
Camille smiled. "Okay. Just checking."
Scarlett nodded, but her thoughts were drifting again.
Why had she gone with him?
Why hadn't she said no?
Why was there even tension at all?
He hadn't flirted with her. He hadn't even said much. But there was something—a feeling—that kept creeping in whenever he looked at her.
And she didn't understand it.
Later that afternoon, Scarlett stepped into the hallway to get a break from the studio lights. The estate was quiet again, the air cooler, the shadows longer.
She walked slowly, dragging her fingertips along the wall, trying to breathe.
Then she saw him.
Brian.
At the end of the hallway. Calm. Alone.
They passed each other without stopping. Their eyes met. Nothing was said.
But as they passed, their hands brushed lightly. Just skin. Just a second.
Scarlett's pulse jumped.
She kept walking.
So did he.
But something in the air shifted between them again.
Like a thread tugging at both ends, with no one admitting it was there.
That night, there was a knock at her door.
Scarlett opened it to find Sadie standing there, barefoot and holding a blanket over her shoulders.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked, stepping inside.
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah."
Sadie gave her a look. "Come on."
Scarlett sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't know what's going on with me."
Sadie sat beside her. "Want to talk it through?"
"I don't think I can. Not yet."
Sadie waited. Letting the silence do the work.
Finally, Scarlett spoke. "It's not the dress. Or the work. It's... something else. Something I don't know how to explain."
Sadie gave a gentle nod. "You've seemed like you're somewhere else. Not in a bad way. Just... distracted."
Scarlett looked down at her hands. "I feel like something's pulling at me. But I don't know why."
"Then start there," Sadie said softly. "You don't have to explain it to anyone. But at least be honest with yourself."
Scarlett gave her a tired smile. "That's the hardest part."
Sadie stood, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. "Well, if you figure it out and want to talk, I'm around. And I'll always bring tea."
After Sadie left, Scarlett sat alone in the dark, knees tucked to her chest. Her room was quiet, but her thoughts weren't.
What was this thing sitting in her chest?
Not a crush. Not desire. Something else.
Something uncomfortable. Restless.
She thought about Camille.
Thought about Brian's silence. The way he'd looked at her without looking. The way the world had gone still for just a second at the lake.
He hadn't made a move.
She hadn't asked for one.
And yet, she couldn't let it go.
She didn't know what she wanted.
She didn't even know what she was feeling.
But for the first time in a long time, she wasn't sure if she could trust her own focus.
And that scared her more than anything.