The Ice-Cold General Learned Regret in the Language of Roses Novel

" Ethan ... I'm sorry . I have no idea why Scarlett went down to the morgue or how she ended up locking herself in there . I was just messing with her and told her I'd left the box there for her to find . I never thought she'd actually go ... Now the police have shown up and said I could be charged with false imprisonment . What am I supposed to do ? " There was a beat of silence , and then Ethan's low voice came through . " I've already signed a statement , as her family , saying we won't press charges . It'll be fine . Don't be afraid .

" Lying on the cold hospital bed , listening to them talk just outside the door , Scarlett felt like her heart was being sliced open , the pain almost unbearable . Nora had nearly left her to die in that freezer - cold morgue , and Ethan had brushed it the charges for her like it was nothing . i signed away Blood pounded in Scarlett's head . She grabbed an empty glass medicine bottle someone had left by the bed and hurled it at the door with everything she had . The door flew open from the hallway a moment later . Ethan walked in with Nora at his side .

His brows pulled into a deep frown when he saw how pale Scarlett was . Scarlett pushed herself upright with effort , every muscle trembling , her gaze locking on Ethan . " She almost froze me to death in there , and you signed away the charges ? " Something complicated flickered in his eyes at the sight of her , but his tone still swung to Nora's defense . " Scarlett , Nora wasn't thinking . It was a stupid joke that went too far . She didn't expect you to take it literally . " " A joke ? " Scarlett let out a sharp , humorless laugh . " Ethan , you know me . I'm not letting this go .

" Looking into those cold , stubborn eyes , he knew she was truly furious this time . He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose . " Then what do you want ? " Scarlett didn't look at him . She turned to his aide instead . " Go get a full set of weighted gear - forty - five pounds . " The aide froze , then glanced over at Ethan . Ethan gave a short nod . Before long , a weighted vest and sandbags were carried in and laid out . Scarlett led them downstairs and pointed at the heap of gear on the ground . " You , " she said to Nora .

" You're going to strap all of that on and run six miles around the track behind the military medical center . When Chapter 7 23.33 % MOMMY , WE ARE you're done , we're even . " " What ? " Nora stared at her in disbelief , then turned to Ethan in panic . " Ethan , I - I can't . My body can't handle that . The doctors said no intense exercise . " Ethan stepped in immediately . " Scarlett , don't be ridiculous . You know how fragile she is . That could kill her . " " She didn't seem too worried about killing me when she locked me in the morgue , " Scarlett shot back .

Nora looked at the sandbags , her face gone chalk white , eyes brimming with tears . At last Ethan drew in a long breath , shrugged out of his uniform jacket , and began strapping the sandbags onto himself . " Fine . If this is what it takes , I'll do it for her . " " Ethan , no ! You're still not fully healed , " Nora cried . " I'm fine , " he said calmly , as if they were talking about something trivial . Watching him go this far for Nora , Scarlett felt as if something had speared straight through her chest , leaving it raw and bloody . So this was how much he loved her .

Ethan secured the last of the weights and looked back at Scarlett , his eyes carrying a trace of warning and exhaustion . " I'll run it for her . When I'm done , I expect you to stop going after Nora . " Scarlett said nothing , meeting his gaze with an icy stare . Ethan turned and started toward the track . The instant his back was to them , Scarlett moved . She grabbed Nora by the arm , yanked her forward , then drove her foot into Nora's back with all the strength she had , kicking her toward the man - made lake in the back courtyard , its surface skinned with thin ice . " Ah- !

" Caught completely off guard , Nora shrieked as she plunged into the ice - cold water . Ethan whipped around at the sound . When he saw what had happened , his face drained , shock and fury slamming across his features . " Scarlett , what the hell are you doing ? " Scarlett stood at the edge of the lake , looking at him with eyes like frozen steel . " She likes freezer - cold morgues so much . I just gave her a bigger one . Isn't that fair ? " A tidal wave of rage flared in Ethan's eyes , but he didn't have time to say a word . He dove straight into the icy water .

In his haste , his elbow smashed hard into Scarlett as he jumped , slamming into her where she stood at the 23.33 % edge of the water . She stumbled , pitched backward , and her head slammed against one of the decorative stones by the water with a sickening crack . Pain exploded through her skull . Warm liquid poured down from the wound , streaking across the cold rock beneath her .

Her vision kept flickering in and out as she watched Ethan fight his way through the freezing water toward Nora , cradling her carefully in his arms and calling her name in a panic , never once glancing back at Scarlett bleeding on the shore . Scarlett clenched her teeth , pressed a hand to the wound to slow the steady stream herself , step by agonizing step , to turn away and walk off . Later , in the ER , she got seven stitches . od , and forced As the nurse wrapped the bandage , she clicked her tongue . " How did you manage to get hurt this badly ? Where's General Foster ?

" Scarlett kept her eyes closed and didn't answer . During the rest of her stay , she still couldn't escape the nurses ' hushed gossip about how Ethan was barely leaving Nora's bedside after she came down with a fever from the fall into the lake , how gently and tirelessly he was caring for her . Scarlett listened , her chest numb , unable to squeeze out even a single tear . Before the stitches were even ready to come out , she signed herself out of the hospital . Over the next few days , sho leave for good .

stayed home in silence , packing up her life one piece at a time , getting ready to 23.33 % admin