by KL Donn
Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.
Only thirty-six more hours until Nox could see Soph again. He didn't like the time apart. Not seeing her and knowing for himself that she was okay was messing with his concentration once again.
Hearing the rumors Levi had told him made a sick sort of sense with the way she was treated at home. The idea to confront her father, at the very least, about it lingered in his mind. His only fear was the trouble it would cause for his girl.
He decided to send her a quick text before leaving for work for the day.
Nox: Good morning beautiful. Have a wonderful day, call me when you get up.
Slipping his phone into his pocket, he walked out to his car and was backed out of the drive and on the road in record time. He had appointments lined up all day, so he was hopeful to be kept busy until it was time to close shop.
Traffic was heavy for only six in the morning as he made his way downtown. Hitting every red light on the way made it feel even longer of a drive.
When he managed to get to the shop, he was shocked to see Levi’s Charger parked out front already. His brother wasn’t much for being early for anything, especially work.
Parking, he made his way around back where he was sure the younger man would be. Unlocking the entrance gate for where parts get delivered, he was shocked to see Levi slumped over alongside the auto parts office door. His face a mix of black and blue, and his shirt was ripped at the collar.
“Shit, Levi.” He rushed over to his brother. Shaking his shoulder, Levi swung as he was startled to consciousness. “What the hell!”
“Oh, Nox. Sorry.” His voice was muffled by the fat lip he was sporting.
“What the hell happened?” Nox asked, gingerly helping his brother to his feet. Steadying him with a shoulder under his arm as he unlocked the door allowing them into the building.
“Some dick jumped me,” he mumbled.
Nox wasn’t buying it.
Levi had been off for a while now, and he was worried. He always had a bruise from something somewhere on his body, and every time he or Loch would ask about it, he’d shrug it off as nothing.
Nox wouldn’t back off this time. He couldn’t. Something was seriously wrong with the man, and he was determined to find out.
Stumbling into his office, he dropped his brother on the small couch with a groan as he landed. Going to the mini fridge in the corner, he grabbed a bottle of water. Tossing it to him, he went for the Tylenol he kept in the top drawer of his desk. Shaking three out, he handed them to Levi as he walked up to him.
Waiting as the man downed the medication, he crossed his arms leaning against his desk. “What is going on with you, Levi?”
His brother eyed him with the one he could open, assessing Nox like he was the one that kept coming to work bruised. “It’s fine, Nox. Leave it alone.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He exploded, arms thrown wide as he took a step towards his brother. “If I didn’t know you so damn well, I’d think you were in some kind of trouble, but I know you’re not that stupid. That Pop didn’t raise you to be such an idiot. So I’ll ask again, what’s going on?”
Pain had flashed in the other man’s eyes before he looked away. “I’m just not ready to tell, okay?”
He could hear it. Something was going on, and for whatever reason, it made him too nervous to share with Nox.
“Fine. But Levi,” he waited for him to look into his eyes, “I’m here. Just because we’re blood doesn’t mean we ain’t friends. I won’t judge.”
Levi nodded in relief. “Thanks, bro.”
“Not me you gotta worry about. It’s Ma when she finds out.” He laughed, walking out of the room as Levi cringed thinking about the reign of terror their pint-sized mother would bestow upon him the first time she saw him all bruised up.
Dismissing his brother’s beating, Lennox got to work on the engine of one of the sweetest sixty-six Chevelles he’d ever laid eyes on. The owner had been restoring it for years, and Nox finally got to put the engine together and, hopefully, hear the beautiful rumble by the end of the week.
Going to his work station, he put some classic rock on the radio to listen to as he began reading the original engine manual. Double checking parts as he went, not wanting to have to take anything apart once he’d started.
As his mind was quickly consumed with the task at hand, and the music pumped through his blood, he never felt the phone vibrate in his pocket.
Sophia sat in her father’s empty office, waiting for the man to show up. She felt like he was avoiding her because when she’d called to him as he was walking out the door, he’d stopped for a second before continuing on his way.
His pause baffled her.
Everything was confusing her.
There were more bodyguards around the house than when she went to bed the night before. Had the threat gotten worse? Was it no longer just about her? And what about the things her mother had said when Lennox had dropped her off after their date. Was it true?
She had so many questions, and nobody seemed to want to answer her.
“Sophia.” Braxton’s voice from the door drew her back from her thoughts. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
Her eyes narrowed on him as he held the door open for her, obviously thinking she’d leave. “No. I should be in here. Everyone keeps acting like I’m some fragile little pixie and not telling me a damn thing! I won’t leave until I have answers. And since this is the only place my father will step foot in within the house, I’ll either wait here or leave and never come back.”
His bark of laughter at her threat was insulting. “Where are you going to go, Soph? Do you have a friend that would let you stay for free with no job and no skills? What exactly are you going to do?”
His words punctured a hole into her heart.
“Don’t be stupid, Sophia. You can’t leave. It’s not safe out there for you.” Braxton continued on.
There it was. Even someone she considered as a new friend thought her stupid.
She was so tired of feeling like nothing and nobody to everyone around her. She was never treated as an equal. Barely tolerated as a human being.
Standing up, she smoothed the skirt of her pleated dress against her thighs before walking forward. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, refused to let him know the words he’d spewed had hit their mark.
Stopping after she’d walked past him, she said, “If I’m such a nobody, why are you here?” She didn’t care if he responded or not. She left.
Going up to her bedroom, Sophia switched out her pumps for the Chucks she’d bought forever ago, grabbed a jacket because the sun wasn’t out, and her purse. Quietly walking down the staircase, she heard voices from her father’s office as she passed. She stopped only long enough to make sure that Braxton was in there with the man and to be sure the coast was clear.
Leaving through the massive front doors that always seemed more pompous than welcoming, she walked on down the driveway and to the street. Pulling her phone from her purse, she searched for Lennox’s body shop, hoping she wasn’t being too forward by showing up unannounced. Deciding she’d send him a quick message, she saw that he’d sent her one early that morning.
Sophia: Good morning. I have to come downtown today, was hoping I could stop by?
Putting the phone back, she resumed her trek. With nearly twenty miles to walk, she knew she would either have to hail a cab or catch a bus, eventually. While not out of shape, she certainly wasn’t prepared to walk such a far distance.
The cloud-covered sky and cool breeze made her decision quicker than she anticipated. Shivers racked her body as she walked until finding a bus stop. With a quick search on her phone, she found the next bus would come in eight minutes.
Lucky timing on her part.
Searching through her wallet, she found the right amount of change. Now she just hoped she wouldn’t get lost when it came time to switch buses. The wait was nearly torturous as it seemed like
time stood still and the wind picked up, making the small bus shelter basically ineffective.
Her cell phone chimed in her purse just as the bus made its appearance. Once on and her fare paid, she sat in the first available seat, hoping she didn’t sit in gum or something else. Pulling her phone out, Braxton’s name flashed across the screen as a missed call and two texts. She debated even opening them, not wanting to speak to him after his harsh treatment of her.
As she put the phone back, all those TV drama shows passed through her mind about tracking through cell phones. Quickly making a decision, she shut her phone down, hating that if Lennox did call or text her back, she would miss it.
Hopefully, she would be with him soon, if she didn’t get lost first.
The bus was mostly empty, only a few young kids sitting at the back talking. Being on it, she realized just how sheltered she was. It was quite literally the first time she’d taken public transportation.
It wasn’t horrible, but the smell of stale sweat made it not so great either. Watching as the neighborhoods passed by, going from her upper-class community into what she thought would be the working class was depressing. Seeing her nice clean streets turn into these cracked, pothole-filled ones made her sad.
What made rich people so special that they got an entirely new road when potholes occurred? Why did they deserve all the finer things? She’d bet her bottom dollar that the families living in these homes paid more in taxes than hers did. She hated that there was even a difference in society.
Before her mind could get too lost, the bus pulled into the depot where she was to catch her next one. Stepping off the vehicle, she searched the signs for the number of her connection.
Men watched her as she walked, almost like they knew she didn’t belong there. That she was too rich to be taking public transit. Technically, she wasn’t rich, her parents were. Sophia didn’t have a dime to her name other than the trust fund her Aunt Millie had left her, and she couldn’t touch that until she was twenty-five.
Seeing the sign with her next bus number on it, she took shelter in the small structure just behind it, sitting next to a young woman with a small child of about five. They were huddled in coats that had to be two sizes too big.
“Hi,” the little girl whispered once she was settled.
Looking down to the crystal clear blue eyes staring at her, she smiled. “Hi.” Sophia’s voice just as quiet.
“You have pretty hair like Cinderella.” Her voice was full of wonder.
Smiling bigger. “Thank you. I always liked her.” Sophia looked up to the mother, wanting to make sure she wasn’t upset by her child speaking to a stranger. The other woman smiled softly with an encouraging nod. “Do you have a favorite princess?” Sophia asked the girl.
She thought about it for a minute before answering. “I really like Belle. She’s not a real princess, but she sure is nice.”
“You know, I think being a princess is more about being kind to others than having a title,” she told the girl.
“I like that.” The child grinned as a bus pulled up. Seeing it wasn’t hers, Sophia continued to wait as the pair got up to leave. “Goodbye.” The girl waved.
“See you, princess.” She winked at the little one’s surprised face.
Some things never ceased to amaze her as their bus left. One short conversation about princesses with a small girl, and she felt her mood lift. The pain and hurt from that morning still lingered but not as deeply. She didn’t feel suffocated by the hateful words anymore.
She still didn’t want to go back, though. Going back would mean losing another piece of herself. Going back would mean facing people who cared nothing about her. As her bus pulled up, she didn’t know what she was going to do, just that she needed a new perspective.
As “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man blasted from the speakers on his radio, Nox continued to work on the sweet ride under his hands. He was fitting the dynamics of the engine in and replacing corroded wires when Mac, one of his newest hires, called out to him. “Yo, Nox! You got a visitor.”
“Who?” he called back, not looking up from the line he was trying to disconnect.
“Some sweet ride,” was all he said, walking away.
Mac was a man of few words, only speaking when necessary. At times, it annoyed the hell out of him, others he enjoyed the quiet.
Giving up on the line, he grabbed the cloth off the fender of the car, wiping his hands as he walked to the front office. Not seeing anyone, he looked to Mac with a questioning brow.
“Your office. She don’t belong out here.”
Which had him more confused.
Knocking on his office door so whoever it was didn’t startle, he walked in to see Soph. A huge smile lit his face at her presence.
“Soph? What are you doing here?” he asked walking over to her.
She turned to look at him, and he was bowled over with the dead emotion present in her gaze. “Hi,” she whispered, tears gathering on her lids.
“Soph?” Before he could say anything else, she seemed to transform before him. Her stance stronger, the tears gone, and her eyes no longer desolate. He wondered for a brief moment if it had even been there.
“I, uh,” she cleared her parched throat, “I hope it’s okay I came. I sent a message earlier but had to shut my phone off, so I don’t even know if you got it or not.” She was nervous and rambling.
“Damn girl, calm down,” he told her, leading her to the sofa Levi had finally left sometime while he was working.
“Sorry.” She murmured.
“I didn’t get your message, I’ve been rebuilding an engine all morning,” he explained.
A forlorn expression crossed her face as she answered. “I should go then. I don’t want to disturb you.” As she stood, he got a look at her. She was a hot mess. Her beautiful little dress did not match the chucks on her feet, and her legs were bright red as if…
“Did you walk here?” he asked, shocked. Grabbing her hand, he yanked her back down to the sofa.
She wouldn’t meet his eyes as she answered. “Well, sort of. I walked then took two buses, then walked again.”
He was baffled. “Where’s Braxton?”
She shrugged, still refusing to meet his eyes.
“Sophia,” he snapped. He wasn’t immune to the pain that still lingered in the depths of her gaze when she met his steely one. “What happened?” Something had to have. Braxton was supposed to be on her like glue when she was anywhere.
“Nothing,” she murmured, playing with her skirt.
“Christ, woman,” he growled pulling her into his arms, laying a light kiss on her head as she gripped his shirt. “Come on,” he told her, standing. “You’ll come work with me. You got a hair tie?” She dug through her purse and found one, whipping her hair up quickly. “Leave your stuff in here, I’ll lock the door.” She followed him out.
If he couldn’t get her to talk about what happened and why she was acting more skittish than normal, then he would keep her by his side.
As they passed Mac at the front desk, the man raised his brows at her appearance. “Grab me the smallest set of coveralls you can find,” Nox told him as they entered the shop.
“Wow,” she cooed. When he looked back at her, he saw her gaze riveted to the car and engine he was fixing up.
“You know what that is?” he asked her. She shook her head no. “A sixty-six Chevelle. Mint condition, all original parts. Seats were just reupholstered to their original glory.” He was shocked at how riveted she was to what he was saying. He didn’t figure her for having an interest in cars.
“And you’re building an engine?”
“Yes and no. It’s the same engine, I’m just modifying it. Replacing a few old parts with new ones. It’s still the original V-8 as when the owner bought it.” He smiled, hoping not to have confused her too much.
“Here ya go, boss.” Mac interrupted them, handing him the coveralls.
“Thanks, Mac.” The man lingered as
Nox led Soph to the bathroom to put them on. “Slide these over that pretty dress,” he said. As she closed the door behind her, he turned around to see the young mechanic still standing there. “Something I can help you with, Mac?” he asked, a bite in his tone.
“Uh,” he seemed to be dumbstruck before shaking the cobwebs from his brain, “Who is she?”
Nox didn’t hesitate in answering. “My girl. She comes in here, no one messes with her.”
“You got it, boss,” he agreed, walking away.
Some of his guys were real dicks. Soph was pin-up perfection as far as he was concerned. Her light hair, innocent aura, and flared dresses were perfect drooling material for them all. Thank God, she hadn’t worn her typical pumps coming in, or he didn’t think Mac would have been nearly as gentlemanly as he’d seemed.
“I guess my chucks match this, at least.” Sophia’s laughter had him turning around.
“I’d like to see it with the pumps, still.” He winked, she blushed. “Come here, sweet girl.” His arms were held wide for her.
She drifted into him. Effortless. Like they were meant to be in each other’s arms. Her deep inhale as she rubbed her nose into his neck went to his head a little. Knowing she was trying to imprint his scent on her synapses was intoxicating.
Pulling back reluctantly, he led her by the hand to the bench with his tools and the engine. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her to sit on a cleared spot beside the engine.
“Damn do you look stunning,” he muttered.
Seeing her prim and proper next to his dirty tools and a broken engine, the way her milky skin shined, was a massive turn on.
The look in Lennox’s gaze was predatory. His fists clenched at his sides.
“Lennox?” she whimpered.
He didn’t answer her, instead walking forward and capturing her mouth in a soul-defining kiss. The intensity rolling off of him in waves made her shiver in response as she tried to work her mouth with his.