The Beauty Beneath

by DC Renee

  “Wham bam, thank you, ma’am,” he joked. “You know, getting kicked out after a quickie? This sure as hell feels like it. And let me tell you, I’ve never been on this end.”

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

  “You seem to be a first for me quite a bit,” he said, sounding a little confounded.

  “I guess you can add that to my list of things we learned about each other,” I said as I cleaned up, giving him more than enough hints that it was time to go.

  “Okay, okay, I got it. I’m heading out; no need to force me out. This was fun, Em. We’ll do this again next week.”

  “We’ll see about that,” I mumbled to myself, but apparently, he heard me.

  “Yeah, I guess we will. Bye, Em,” he called out after I had practically pushed him out the door.

  It was only after I heard his car drive away that I released the breath I was holding. I came to one conclusion – Carter Anderson was bad for my life. He was so very bad for my life. Yet a tiny part, deep down inside, that part I thought I’d buried so many years ago, said that Carter Anderson was good for my life. So very good for my life.

  Eight

  Carter

  Emerson seriously fascinated me. It made no sense to me; she made no sense to me, which is why I pondered her as if she was some kind of math equation I was determined to solve. And the fact that she didn’t at all seem fazed by me was equally puzzling. I mean, she had mentioned she appreciated my looks and my charm, so why wasn’t she fawning all over me and demanding my attention instead of kicking me out? And let’s face it—her looking the way she did and me looking the way I do—she should have been all over me.

  “I don’t get it,” I said as I walked through my door.

  “Don’t get who?” The voice came from my kitchen, and I’m man enough to admit I jumped and maybe even shrieked.

  “Beth, what are you doing here?” I asked, staring at my sister tinkering around in my kitchen.

  “I got back into town early, and I wanted to surprise you. Surprise,” she said as she lifted her hands up in the air.

  “If I had known you were back, I would have been home earlier,” I told her as I pulled her into a hug.

  “Well, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, C,” she responded and rolled her eyes. “And what are little sisters for if not for surprising their favorite brothers?” she asked in her best innocent voice.

  “I’m your only brother,” I countered.

  “Still the favorite,” she tossed back, and we laughed.

  “Where were you, anyway? And who don’t you get.”

  “I was with Em, and it’s her I don’t get.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day my brother was confused over a girl!” she squealed and actually jumped up and down clapping.

  “No, no, it’s not like that,” I told her as I furrowed my eyebrows. “She’s just some girl,” I started.

  “Don’t they all start that way?” she teased.

  “Yeah, wiseass, they do. But not this one, trust me,” I stressed the words. “She is not my type, capital not. I mean she’s ugly.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” she scolded as she slapped at my arm. “What if someone talked about me that way?”

  “But you’re beautiful, Bethy,” I responded with a smile.

  “Call me Bethy again and you won’t be so beautiful.”

  “Okay, but seriously, where do I even start.” And so I told her everything. I didn’t hide things from my sister.

  “You’re so cruel,” she told me at the end.

  “How am I cruel?” I asked.

  “Because you and your buddies are pigs, first and foremost, and second, you guys picked her because of the way she looks. You don’t think she knows that?”

  “Of course, she does.”

  “And you don’t feel even the tiniest bit guilty about that? You don’t think even the most beautiful girl doesn’t have some insecurities? And you’re all but telling her she was the butt of the joke.”

  “I didn’t pick her,” I pointed out.

  “Semantics.” She waved me off.

  “But she’s so cool about everything,” I added. “Even my friends love her.”

  “You still suck.” She stuck her tongue out at me, and I chuckled. “But she does sound pretty awesome.” She smiled. “And you like her!” She raised her voice on the last sentence.

  “Yeah, I guess as far as chicks go, she’s pretty cool.”

  “So what are you guys now? Friends?”

  “She doesn’t do friends, remember?” I told her, recalling part of the whole package that was Emerson.

  “Well, then be her first. Everyone needs a friend whether she realizes it or not. You’re a good guy underneath all this cocky swagger you have going on, so be a good guy for her.”

  “Cocky swagger?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Oh, shut it. You know what I mean.” She laughed. “Any girl has the ability to be beautiful to someone. Short, fat, ugly, pretty—it doesn’t matter. If they take care of themselves and find that one right person, they won’t be—what is the word you used? Oh yeah, ugly,” she said with disdain. “But said girl needs to be out in the world in order to meet the right person. So help her break out of her shell. Show her it’s okay to let people in.”

  “I think you’ve got it wrong, Beth. You’re the good one in this family.”

  “I had to learn it from somewhere, C.”

  “This is great and all, but it’s easier said than done. She’s a freaking rock.”

  “And I don’t recall a rock ever standing in your way. You just shove them aside with your freakishly muscular arms.”

  “Hey, watch it. The ladies love my arms.”

  “Ugh,” she said, and I smiled at the way she reminded me of Emerson right at that moment. My sister would love her. “I want to meet her,” she said as if it was a given that she was going to meet her.

  “She hung out with my friends because of the whole bet thing, but getting her to agree to meet my sister is another thing.”

  “So we’ll ambush her. No, wait!” she practically yelled. “Bring her this weekend to my place.”

  “Again, how am I going to drag her there?”

  “I’ll have a little get-together. Your friends always come, and you obviously will too. So that means she has to come, right? Otherwise, your friends won’t buy that you’re dating, and she’ll be forced to meet me.”

  “And you said I was cruel? Orchestrating a get-together just to meet a girl who doesn’t want to be met.”

  “I have good intentions at heart. You, dear brother, didn’t. But with my help, we’ll change that. You are going to be her very best friend.”

  “And what’s in it for me?”

  “Oh please, you’re already halfway there, and I didn’t even know about her. Stop pretending like you don’t like her.”

  “I never said I didn’t. I’ve just … I’ve never been friends with a girl before.”

  “Well, there’s a first for everything.” I laughed. It must have been some weird girl telepathy thing going on because no way did my sister just say the same thing not a couple of hours after Emerson had.

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to see that.”

  “Good. Now, catch me up on the rest, and then we can figure out what you’re going to do about Emerson next.”

  I knew what I was going to do about Emerson. I was going to figure her out.

  Nine

  Emerson

  A party. A party. A. Party. Carter had called it a “get-together,” but it might as well have been a party for me. Any way I said those two words – a party – didn’t seem to fit well with me. Probably because I didn’t seem to fit well period.

  I briefly, very briefly, wondered if I should change my clothes to something a little less awkward, but then I shook the thoughts out as quickly as they appeared. This was me; this was who I was going to be. I wasn’t changing for anyone, least of all
not some random guy and his friends, especially since said guy and his friends were all in on a bet revolving around me.

  Besides, it’s not as if I had anything else to wear. When I first started my new look, I had kept my old clothes, but I was too tempted to wear them. I felt bad just trashing them. But I was only twelve then, and I had long since grown out of them anyways, so they went into the trash after all,and I never looked back.

  “What now?” I asked when Carter had called a couple of days ago.

  “I’m glad that my voice makes you so incredibly happy,” he teased, and I smiled, not bothering to fight it since no one could see anyway.

  “If I didn’t know better,” I joked right back, “I’d say you were flirting with me.”

  “I’m just naturally charming.”

  “You’re naturally something, all right,” I mumbled mock begrudgingly and laughed. He laughed in return. Then I quietly scolded myself because I actually liked this banter and that was a big no-no. “Okay, Carter, spill. What is it that you need this time? Someone to push your ego back into its proper place?”

  “Ha-ha. You’re so funny, I forgot to laugh,” he said, but I could hear the smile through his words.

  “And you’re so cliché I should have guessed.”

  “You can never just let me be on top.”

  I burst out laughing. “Oh God, Carter, I really shouldn’t let that one slide, but it’s like messing with an inexperienced baby. Oh man, the comebacks are mounting,” I said between laughs.

  “I really did set myself up with that one.” Carter laughed just as hard as I had. When we both finally calmed down, he told me why he had called. “We’re going to my sister’s this weekend.”

  “Uh, say what?” I think I screeched.

  “Yeah, my sister’s place?” He said it like a question.

  “I’ll pass,” I stated.

  “You can’t. This is part of the bet,” he responded.

  “And how the heck does your sister factor into this bet? And why would you want me to meet your sister? We’re not really dating, Carter. We don’t actually like each other. And even if we did, I highly doubt this isn’t considered way too soon.”

  “Of course, you like me,” he said as if it was a fact. “Everyone likes me.” Notice, he didn’t say that he liked me. Ass. “Besides, this is for the bet because she’s having a get-together and my friends will be there. If we were really dating, I would be taking you. So you have to be there.”

  “I don’t do parties,” I told him.

  “It’s a get-together,” he said, and I swear I heard him roll his eyes. “Besides, it will be good for you.”

  “And why is that?” I asked with attitude.

  “You should be going out, having fun.”

  “Who are you? My mom? My savior? I’m perfectly happy with my life.”

  “Are you?” he shot back.

  “Yeah,” I responded, but even I could hear the hesitation. I hadn’t truly been happy since I was twelve.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said after a beat. “I need you to come with me. Please, Em, we’re supposed to be helping each other. And this is you helping me.”

  Damn. He got me. “Fine,” I muttered.

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at eight.”

  And that was how I found myself in Carter’s car on the way to his sister’s house.

  “Relax, Em,” he said and put a hand on my shoulder. I flinched, and he lifted it away without a word. I felt bad, though, because I’m sure he was offended. I’d be offended, and I didn’t really have those kinds of feelings anymore. “It’s just a few people. You’ve already met my friends. My sister is great; you’ll love her. She’s kind of like you. Ballsy. Doesn’t hold back.”

  “Yeah,” I simply responded.

  When we finally got there, a beautiful blonde bounced over to Carter and wrapped him in a bear hug. Based on the quick glance I got, I knew it had to be his sister. They looked way too much alike not to be, which meant she was absolutely stunning.

  And then about two seconds later, I was wrapped in arms so tight, I could barely breathe. “You must be Em,” she said as she held on tight. “I’ve heard so much about you.” I wasn’t sure I liked that she was so damn friendly, that she called me Em like we were well acquainted, and that she had “heard so much” about me, but then I realized I did like it. I liked it a little too much, and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

  “Hi, yeah, you must be Beth,” I said as she released me. “I’ve heard a lot about you too,” I said with a friendly smile.

  “Love the glasses,” she said. “Very hipster.”

  “I, uh, thanks,” I stuttered. I never, and I mean never, considered myself a hipster, but oookay. Oh damn, I stretched out the word, even in my mind. Stupid Carter.

  “What are you drinking?” she asked as she pulled me aside.

  “Beer?” I said like a question.

  “Sounds good.” She led me away and got me a beer. “Carter doesn’t keep secrets from me,” she said quietly when we were a little bit away. “He told me everything. He’s an asshole on the outside”—she chuckled, and I snorted—“but he’s a really good guy on the inside. And you’re apparently a saint for putting up with this shit. But I do think it’s kind of funny. And I like you, so it all works out.”

  How the heck could she like me if she didn’t even know me? I guess she read the question in my eyes because she answered for me. “From what Carter has told me, you’re kind of a ball buster, and Carter and his friends definitely need someone like that. And this thing you have going on …” she said as she waved her hand up and down. “Guys are dumb. Okay, some girls are dumb too, but you’re not fooling me. You’re hiding something, Em, that’s obvious, but don’t worry, I won’t pry. You’re secret is safe with me.”

  I tensed up, wondering just how much she knew. She was Carter’s sister. What would she tell him? “You said you and Carter don’t keep secrets from each other.”

  She snorted in response. “No, Em. I said Carter doesn’t keep secrets from me. There are some things that are better if he didn’t know.”

  “You know what,” I said. “I like you too.”

  “Good. We’re going to be great friends.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her I didn’t do friends when someone wrapped their arms around Beth from behind.

  “Who’s this?” he asked her with a slightly disgusted look on his face. He would have been good looking if it weren’t for the obvious asshole vibe coming from him. Even Carter, with his cocky attitude and his somewhat jerk-like tendencies, didn’t give off an asshole vibe. He stayed nice and hot as a result.

  “Matt, this is Emerson, Carter’s girlfriend. Em, this is Matt, my boyfriend.”

  “Seriously?” he asked with a laugh, but Beth elbowed him, hard. He shut his mouth, but the surprise and mock written across his features were hard to hide.

  “Hi,” I said. I knew the polite thing was to say, “Nice to meet you,” but I wasn’t feeling him. It really wasn’t nice to meet him. I mean I got that type of response all the time, but I didn’t associate with those people. Even Carter’s friends, who obviously picked me to make fun of me, didn’t make me feel like that when we hung out.

  Right at that moment, I felt a hand on my waist. I would have jumped if I didn’t hear Carter’s voice by my ear and feel the warmth of his body against mine. No more beer for me. Yet I had only taken a sip. “Hey Matt,” he said, without an ounce of friendliness in his voice. Matt nodded in response. “Hey Beth, mind if I steal my date back?”

  “No, no, not at all,” she responded with a sly smile.

  “I don’t like him, but my sister doesn’t listen to me,” he said as he led me toward his friends, who had just arrived.

  “I don’t like him, either.”

  “Smart girl, but I already knew that.” Huh, Carter kind of saved me from an awkward situation. And then he complimented me, and it sounded totally genuine. If it weren'
t for the party, I would have probably run for the hills. His niceness wasn’t good for me … at all.

  As it turned out, we ended up spending most of the night with his friends, and it was just as fun as it had been at the bar. Beth joined us a few times, and our personalities really were alike. I didn’t mind admitting that I hadn’t lied when I said I liked her. In another life, I would have enjoyed being her friend.

  “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked toward the end of the night.

  “Just down the hall, second door on the right.” Carter pointed me in the right direction, and I headed that way. When I came out, someone was waiting for the bathroom. Some guy who had been hanging with Matt, just as good looking but with the same douchebag vibe.

  “All yours,” I said as I walked out.

  “Yeah, babe, in your fucking dreams.”

  “I meant the bathroom, asshole,” I mumbled as I started walking away. “I wouldn’t ever want to be yours,” I added.

  “What the hell did you say to me, bitch?” he sneered and blocked my way. “You’d be fucking lucky to be with me. Shit, look at you, you little freak.”

  “Does it make you feel like a man to put down a girl half your size?” I asked in a mock-innocent voice.

  “More like twice my size, fatty.” He laughed. I hid my body well underneath the layers of clothes, but come on, “fatty?”

  “So original,” I responded sarcastically. “And I suppose I should lower myself and call you a high school dropout wannabe football star.”

  “Watch your mouth, you ugly freak,” he said as he got closer to my face, and I could smell the beer on his breath.

  “No, you watch your fucking mouth,” I heard from right behind the asshole.

  “And who the fuck are you?” the asshole wielded around asking Carter.

  The next thing I knew, Carter swung, asshole was on the ground, and Carter was standing over him. “Your worst fucking nightmare if you ever so much as look at her again. You’re lucky this is my sister’s place, or I’d do a lot worse to you. Now, get the fuck out before I throw you out myself.”

  I had been panting as if I had been the one to fight when I looked over Carter’s shoulder and saw practically the entire party behind him, staring at us with wide eyes. I caught Beth’s eye, and she mouthed, “Sorry,” to me. I nodded slightly in response. It wasn’t her fault, but I didn’t want to be there anymore.