“Alex,” she said, touching his cheek. “I’m not that fragile.”
“Can I kiss you now?” he asked.
“Please,” she laughed.
He cupped her face with his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. He moved his lips gently across hers, a kiss full of sweetness and promise. He lifted his mouth a hairsbreadth from hers. “I love you, Calli. I never imagined having someone like you love me back. My dad was right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
He smiled. “You’re worth far more than six thousand bucks.”
Calli laughed, and then he was kissing her again.
* * * * *
Sometime later, after Alex had put some clothes he’d brought over his bike shorts, they sat on the couch, Calli curled up against his side. He saw the letter from the University sitting on the coffee table. He knew what it was without asking. But he asked anyway. He pointed to it.
“Acceptance letter?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Is that where you’re going then?”
“That’s the plan. What about you?”
He shrugged. “I hadn’t ever really thought beyond now. Then this crazy, gorgeous girl came into my life and showed me that I have to start thinking like I have a future.”
“Good for her,” Calli said.
“So, I’m going to bite the bullet, I guess,” he said, “and go to college.”
Calli sat up and looked at him. “What do you mean, go to college?”
“I mean I’m going to go to college. Live on campus.”
“Alex!” She bumped him with her shoulder. “I’m so happy for you. I mean, honestly, it sucks, because I’m going to miss you. We’ve already spent too much time apart. How am I going to live without you?”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe you won’t have to.”
“What are you saying?”
He picked up her letter. “I’m saying I don’t know that I’m strong enough to be on campus alone yet. But if I knew a stubborn, bull-headed, funny girl willing to be seen with me, it might not be so bad.”
Calli tore the letter excitedly out of his hand. “You’re going here? Alex, don’t tease me,” she warned.
“I wouldn’t dare,” he said. “The infamous little bird told me that you were rooming with Brittany.”
“And who’s the famous little bird?”
“My new roommate, Brandon.”
“No!” Calli exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the couch on her knees. She threw her arms around him and planted her lips firmly on his.
“Yes,” he mumbled behind her mouth. She pulled back, and he said, “I figured if I have someone who looks like you walking next to me, maybe no one will notice me.”
“Are you kidding?” she said. “How many times do I have to tell you how amazing you are? I’m going to have to beat girls off you with a stick.”
Alex laughed and pulled her across his lap, kissing her.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“And I love you,” he said, kissing her. “Calli, you saved me.”
“What?”
“If you hadn’t come into my life, I’d have lived the rest of my miserable existence holed up in my room, raging at the moon every night. I haven’t felt the need to do that for almost as long as I’ve known you. You tamed the beast. You saved me.”
“And you saved me back,” she said, kissing him again.
# # # # #
Note from the Author
I hope you enjoyed Beautiful Beast. This story has been haunting me for a few years now with various scenarios, but always with the beast as someone burned performing, or attempting to perform a heroic act who feels forced to hide from the world, and the beauty as someone who becomes his friend, then his love. Once I began writing this version, I couldn’t stop until I had finished it. I wanted to know how it was going to turn out! It is the first story in the Enchanted Fairytales series. Once I have all of the short stories released, I will combine them together in an anthology. Watch for the release of my full length Rapunzel story coming from Sweetwater Books February 2013. And remember, “Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” ~Anonymous.
Thank you for reading Beautiful Beast. – Cindy C Bennett
About the Author
Cindy C Bennett is the bestselling young adult author of Geek Girl (a Sweetwater book), Heart on a Chain, Immortal Mine, and Reluctance (a Noble YA book). She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her high school sweetheart who also happens to be her husband. She's the proud mom of two sons and two daughters, as well as two daughter-in-laws. When she's not writing (or any of the many activities that go hand-in-hand with that) you might find her on her Harley Davidson, cruising the canyons near her home. She happens to adore her readers, and is grateful to them for reading her work and giving her the chance to do this thing that she is so very passionate about. Yup, she's living the dream!
Connect with Cindy online at her website: www.cindycbennett.com
At Facebook (search Author Cindy C Bennett)
At Twitter (@cinbennett)
Email her anytime at [email protected] and she promises to answer!
Discover other titles by Cindy C Bennett
Geek Girl
Heart on a Chain
Immortal Mine
Reluctance
Beautiful Beast Page 11