Chapter 210 - Sloppy Scarlet

After battling with grammar and phrasing for so long, Scarlet had completely forgotten about what she was wearing. The only thing that she could think of was her rumbling stomach and how divine the pasta Edward was making smelled.

Edward didn't need to turn around to know that Scarlet was out. For some reason, her footsteps were less coordinated today as if she was still half-asleep even though she was awake. Scarlet didn't seem like her usual energetic self either and that was rather surprising. Even though they have been living together for a while, Scarlet had been nothing but sharp and polished even when she was relaxing. Perhaps it was some unknown training that she had gone through as a rich heiress?

Whatever the reason was, he was actually glad that he got to see Scarlet in her natural habitat. He knew that he liked watching her focus on something she was passionate about. It didn't matter if it was on stage performing a concert or on-screen as an actress. He liked her serious attitude and enjoyed watching her chase after her own success. When Scarlet was working hard on the group project, he didn't disturb her and was waiting for it to be all over so that he could spoil her rotten. Who knew that he would come home to Scarlet secretly working on something else?

He didn't recognise what she was doing but he had a feeling it wasn't the school project that Scarlet was engrossed in. Many things about her behaviour tonight pointed out that this wasn't a side of Scarlet he was acquainted with yet. Edward didn't know what she was up to but he was enjoying this cat-like version of his girlfriend who was asking to be spoiled.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, darling. Why don't you sit down and wait for a little? Any drinks for you?" he asked when Scarlet nuzzled his back like a cat trying to get his attention.

"I'm hungry," she whined and Edward had to bite his lips to stop himself from turning into a puddle of slush at her feet. It wasn't often that Scarlet acted spoilt. She always acted way too a.d.u.l.t-like and Edward had to admit, he had zero immunity to her cuteness when she was like this.

"I know, baby. You must be tired as well. Why don't you rest for a little first? I'll get you when everything is ready."

Scarlet didn't protest and shuffled off to lie on the couch sprawled out much like a lazy cat and yawned. The girl was behaving rather undignified but Edward preferred to see her like this more often. Scarlet is usually rather tense and he wasn't sure if she knew the meaning of relaxing at all. Today, he was glad he came home late to witness this. Scarlet might be sloppy but it just added to her natural charm.

Once dinner was ready, Edward went over to the couch and kissed Scarlet on the cheek. "Dinner's ready," he said.

Scarlet cracked open an eye and looked at him. Instead of getting up, she reached his arms out to him. "Help me up?" she asked.

Who was Edward to deny her anything? Edward smiled and hoisted her up, not letting it end there as he carried her in a princess carry to the dining area. where he tucked her into a chair. Scarlet didn't squirm in embarrassment and Edward found it amusing. So Scarlet could be spoiled after all. She just had to be in a mood. This was reassuring.

The normal Scarlet would be hard to please and Edward sometimes wondered if doing more was a good or a bad thing. Scarlet often rejected his offers with a blush or came up with some sort of retort. This sloppy version of Scarlet who couldn't even be bothered to use both her hands and utensils was a refreshing change from their usual chase. Scarlet slouched and toyed with her food even though she was hungry and Edward laughed when she got sauce on her cheek.

Without another word, he wiped the sauce off and Scarlet looked at his finger stained with sauce. Scarlet wasn't thinking when she leaned down to lick his finger clean, shocking Edward a little. This version of Scarlet might be cute but she was also dangerous for him. Thankfully, they weren't outside. He wouldn't see tomorrow if she did this outside and Edward made a mental note to not bring Scarlet out when she was in such a mood.

"Are those actual glasses?" he asked in between bites. Scarlet blinked.

"What do you mean?"

Edward pointed to the pair that she was wearing and Scarlet touched it. Then she remembered what they were and smiled. "Computer glasses. Only use them when writing."

"Writing?" Edward couldn't help but be curious.

"Yeah. Writing. I was editing my manuscript. Chapter sixteen is still not done but I was hungry."

Edward didn't ask further. Chapter sixteen? He knew some things about Scarlet from Elfie but he didn't know anything about this. 

"You write?"

Scarlet froze mid-bite, realising what she just admitted to. Edward noticed the 'oh shit' expression and wondered what Scarlet was going to do next.

"We can talk about it later after dinner. Or we can forget about it if you don't want to share. It's fine with me, don't freak out," he told her and Scarlet blushed, returning to her normal poised and proper self.

Edward chuckled. It was indeed a shame. He enjoyed the sloppy version of Scarlet a lot and wished that the fun wouldn't be over too soon.

Scarlet was mortified. Firstly, she forgot about her attire and appearance in front of Edward. Secondly, she acted completely spoiled in front of him. To make things worse, she unintentionally let the cat out of the bag. How was she going to explain it all? Now that Edward found out, there was no more reason for her to hide.

"You're not shocked?"

"At what?"

Scarlet watched as Edward ate. Her boyfriend truly didn't behave anything out of the usual. He looked more tired but that was understandable. Somehow, she got the vibes that he was happier tonight despite being tired.

"You're not shocked at how shabby I actually am?"

Edward swallowed his shrimp. "Should I be? You look comfortable. Truth be told, I would accompany you to dress down in nothing but just my boxers like I normally do but your older sister's contract said that I had to be decently dressed around you. I don't want to jeopardise our relationship so I held back a little on getting overly comfortable. You're not required to follow that rule, though. In fact, you should have done this earlier. This is now your home too."

Edward's words made Scarlet feel a little silly for caring so much about her appearance. He was right. This was now her home and she shouldn't need to care about the opinions of others especially when she was at home. Why couldn't she feel at ease with Edward the way she felt at ease with Alex? So what if her desk was a little messy? Alex was ten times messier and she didn't care even though she was now living with Jasper. Surely Edward wouldn't mind a little bit of mess, right?

"I'll do my best. But please let me know if things are getting a little too out of hand. I can be very messy sometimes."

Edward laughed. He highly doubted it. Between Scarlet and Alex, his girlfriend was an angel. Scarlet didn't leave her paintbrushes everywhere and didn't occupy the entire toilet cabinet with her cosmetics. She kept everything in place with consideration. Edward couldn't ask for anyone better.

"Don't worry about it. I don't think you can be any worse than your sister so it's fine. Besides, I think this apartment can get a little homier with you putting your things around. Sometimes I come back and I have to search for traces of you around. Feel free to leave your things out if you need to, you don't have to keep everything in your room."

Scarlet blushed. He might be talking about her plot journal but Scarlet didn't know if Edward already knew about her little secret and was pretending not to know it out of courtesy. Still, she was slightly hesitant.

"Um... about the book you found the other day..."

This caught Edward's attention. Was she finally going to tell him about it?

"Yes?"

Scarlet hesitated for a moment. The food was getting cold like her hands and feet. Before she completely chickened out, Scarlet decided to blurt everything out in a burst of bravado.

"It was my story plot journal!"

Startled at the shout, Edward reeled and took some time to understand what his girlfriend was saying.

"Yes?"

Scarlet looked at him with resolution. "My part-time job... I'm actually a writer. I write books. Please don't tell anyone!"

Edward wasn't expecting to be told such a huge secret so suddenly. The fork in his hand clattered to the plate and they didn't say anything for a while.

"Ok. Cool. What do you write? Have I read any of your books before?"

Scarlet blushed. "I doubt it," she said. "It's not exactly published yet, this one."

Interested, Edward asked more and Scarlet shyly told him about her pen name and her first published book. He didn't ask many questions and listened attentively to everything she said. How Scarlet described the writing process was very different from how she gave interviews about the shooting scenes behind the movies. This writer Scarlet was very passionate and Edward thought that it might be better if Scarlet pursued writing as a full-time career.

"Why don't you consider becoming a full-time writer after you graduate? I'd love to see you publish more books. If it's about finding a job and paying for rent, you don't have to worry about it. I will work hard enough to support the both of us."

Scarlet wasn't expecting such support from even Edward but she was touched by his offer. To be honest, it was something Scarlet had been considering heavily. If Anastasia's case could be resolved, would she still continue the showbiz or would she retire silently to become a humble writer?

"I-I'll have to consider but thank you. I love writing but there are some things I cannot give up yet to do this. Still, thank you. It means a lot to me that you'll support me if I intend to pursue this path."

Edward blinked. "Is your family against it?" he asked softly.

"What? No! They aren't against it. I just have... other problems that I need to resolve before I can think about what I want to do with my life. Oh, thanks for cooking dinner even though you're so tired. Please rest early. I'll try to finish up the rest of that manuscript. Good night in advance," she smiled and left Edward all alone.

After Scarlet returned to her room and started editing, Edward sat there wondering what was the uneasy feeling in his chest when he found out about her writing career and reason for not pursuing it. He should be happy to know that Scarlet was entrusting him with more and more secrets. However, he kept getting the feeling that the more he knew about her, the further away she was becoming. It was ridiculous but he felt uneasy.

Since Scarlet was going to be working on it for a while, Edward decided to get back to his work and step up the matter with Anastasia. The faster that man was dealt with, the better it was for his current relationship.