Beneath Your Beautiful

by Tamsyn Bester

  Our heads all spin around at the sound of Brody’s angry voice.

  “He beat you up and you don’t want to press charges?”

  “Don’t yell at her!” Huntley scolds.

  “Brody,” Demi says, “He found out about us and got angry. What did you expect? You know he has a temper on him. What we did was wrong. How do I explain this to the police and to my family?”

  Brody walks over to us and kneels in front of Demi. “I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to yell. But he needs to know that he can’t get away with it.”

  Demi cups Brody’s face and the gesture appears very intimate. I feel like Huntley and I should leave and give them some privacy, but I’m beyond fascinated by the tenderness between the two of them.

  “He’s right Dem,” I say. “We need to have it seen to immediately. They’ll need to take pictures of your face and get a statement. You might not want to press charges, I get that, but we have no way of knowing whether or not he’ll come back. The least we should do is try get a restraining order. I can call my dad and have him meet us at the police station.”

  Huntley grips her hand tight and nods. The look that they exchange doesn’t go unnoticed, something about it unsettles me. Demi sighs, “OK. But then can we go home please?” she pleads, looking at Brody, his expression contrite and angry.

  He slips his arms under Demi’s legs, lifting her off the bed. He cradles her in his chest and leaves the room. Huntley and I follow behind and I make sure the front door is bolted until we can get it fixed.

  I watch as Brody puts Demi in the front passenger seat of his truck before pulling away.

  Huntley’s in my truck when I get in. She’s fiddling with her fingers nervously so I grab a hand and thread our fingers together, hoping to reassure her.

  I kiss the back of her hand and say, “Everything will be ok my beautiful girl.”

  Her mouth tilts to the side slightly, and I know somewhere deep down she believes me.

  I pull away from the sidewalk outside mine and Brody’s house and follow Brody to the police station. I give my father a call and ask him to meet us at the police station. They start processing Demi’s clothes, take pictures of her face and then proceed to take hers and Brody’s statements.

  A few minutes later, two officers drag Tommy through the door. When Demi sees him, she immediately stands behind Brody and starts crying. Her tiny frame shakes uncontrollably, making her look like a terrified animal.

  Tommy tries to lunge for Brody but the officers stop him. “You asshole,” he yells. “You were supposed to be my friend!”

  “I’m sorry we betrayed you. But our friendship ended a long time ago.”

  “So that gives you the right to fuck my girlfriend?”

  Brody hangs his head and for the first time I can see that he’s ashamed of what he’s done. But I also know he’s the kind of man who will take responsibility for his actions.

  “What we did was wrong Tommy, and I’m sorry. But you had no right to do to Demi what you did.”

  Brody reaches behind him and pulls Demi to his side. She hesitates, and Brody looks down at her with reverence and adoration shining bright in his eyes and over his features. “It’s ok,” he whispers, “I’ve got you.”

  When Tommy see’s the condition of Demi’s face, he pales and stares at her, completely immobilized. The realization of what he’s done hits him like a freight train. “Oh God” he breathes. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…” he trails off, leaving the remainder of what he wanted to say hanging heavy in the air.

  Just then, my father walks in. He stops short when he sees what’s going on. “Are you ok son?” he asks me. I nod, “Yeah Dad, we’re fine. Demi is the one who needs your help.”

  My father smiles at Huntley and gives her a quick hug before walking over to where Brody and Demi are standing. “Officer Parks, I am this young lady’s legal representation,” he says. His stance is rigid, and you can almost feel the authority roll off his body. The officer scurries behind the desk while my father talks to Demi and Brody in hushed tones.

  I wrap my arm over Huntley’s shoulders and pull her into my side. Her rigid body relaxes and leans into mine.

  “I’m ok.” She doesn’t make eye contact with me, which is a sure way of knowing she’s lying. But I don’t blame her. In some way she’s trying to be strong for her friend. I get it.

  Another hour later, we are finally ready to leave. My father was able to secure a restraining order against Tommy and even called Demi’s parents. Apparently they weren’t too concerned about what happened. They decided to finish their vacation regardless. Assholes. I never understood their blatant disregard for their daughter. At least Demi has my parents and Brody’s parents who pretty much adore her.

  We park outside Huntley and Demi’s apartment building and before we catch up with them, I lean over and give Huntley a kiss on the forehead. I so badly want to tell her I love her, but after the last few hours, I can tell it’s just not the right time.

  Not yet.

  Chapter 17

  ~Huntley~

  It is impossible to describe what it's like to walk into a room and find your closest friend beaten black and blue, covered in a mixture of her own blood and the blood of the bastard who beat her. Finding Demi in that state sucked the air out of my lungs, not only because it was difficult to see her that way, but also because I had been there.

  What most people don't know is that it only takes an incident like this to happen to you once, in order for you to understand what it's like for another woman to endure it. It was like a punch to the stomach and enough to break something in me. The look in Demi's eyes when she saw me, told me that she knew I understood. My past wasn't something I openly discussed with her, but something passed between us earlier, something that connected us in an unimaginable way. Her fear became my fear and it stripped away the Band-Aids I'd used to cover up what I so desperately wanted to hide from everyone else.

  "Hey, you ok?"

  My head snaps up and I find Grayson watching me. We've been back at my apartment for a while now, given the ungodly hour, and I haven't moved from my spot on the couch. The atmosphere in the apartment was melancholic. I’ve been in my own haze ever since we left the police station

  I offer him a weak smile but don't respond. He'll know I'm lying if I told him I'm fine, my reaction to what happened to Demi was anything but fine, and if I told him how I really feel right now he'll most likely push for answers. The thought of sharing this part of my past with Grayson terrifies me and has coaxed me into believing that once he knows, he'll leave me. The thought of him walking out on me makes me curl up to his side and get lost in his protective warmth. He kisses me on the top my head and rubs lazy circles on my back. It only soothes my fear-ridden thoughts temporarily but for now, it is enough.

  "Where's Brody?" I ask, nuzzling into his strong, safe chest. I'm afraid that if I look into those crystal Jade eyes of his, that he will somehow know I'm hiding something shameful.

  "He's with Demi," he replies softly. The sadness in his voice is evident and I know he's worried about the mess Demi and Brody have landed themselves in.

  As if hearing us, Brody walks into the living room and sits down, breathing a heavy sigh as he flops onto the couch. He looks exhausted and so very lost. I feel for him. He is a really good guy and I find that our friendship has grown throughout the last few weeks. He's the big brother I wish I had.

  "You ok man?" Grayson asks, looking at Brody. His chest vibrates against my skin and the sound is strangely reassuring. Calming.

  Brody brushes his hands over his tired face and rests his elbows on his knees. "Yeah," he replies, his voice soft and gruff. "Demi wants to talk to you though Huntley."

  I thought she might.

  "Ok, I'll go see her.” I uncurl myself from Grayson's side and he kisses my temple. I love it when he does that. "Why don't you boys order some Chinese?" I suggest. "I'm starving and I'm sure that Demi would like to eat somet
hing before she goes to sleep."

  "Ok baby, whatever you girls want."

  I leave the living room and quietly walk into the guest room that became Demi's not too long ago. I thought having her live with me would be difficult but it isn't. Maybe that's because we each have our own bathrooms or maybe it's because we're more alike than I realized at first.

  Her tiny frame is curled up in the bed and the light next the bed is on, casting shadows over her bruised features. She looks smaller like this, child-like almost. I walk quietly to where she's laying down and carefully prop myself up on her giant bed. Her eyes open and start tearing up at the sight of me. "Sshh," I whisper, "It's ok Dem. You're safe here. Brody and Grayson won't let anything happen to you."

  I tentatively wipe the tears from her face and she moves so that she's in a sitting position. "Are you ok?" I ask. Of course she isn't, I'm not an idiot, but this is the only way to coax her into talking about what happened. Keeping it all locked up inside isn't going to make this incident erase itself from ever happening.

  "As ok as I can be I guess."

  "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

  She shifts and fiddles with a rumpled tissue in her hands.

  "It will help," I encourage, "I promise."

  She looks up at me and I hold her hand as a sign of support.

  "I've made a real mess of things," she breathes in a shaky breath and bites her lip to stop it from quivering. I listen attentively, giving her my full attention. This is what I needed the most all those months ago. Instead, things went from bad to worse for me. I squeeze her hand in my grasp, a little nudge to urge her to continue. "I was waiting for Brody, and I guess when I ignored Tommy's call for the zillionth time, he came and found me. Brody and I have tried to keep it quiet but we got a little sloppy." Her voice is filled with regret, the kind that only comes from being caught doing something you shouldn't, not from doing the act itself.

  "I thought you two couldn't stand each other."

  It's impossible to miss them when they're shooting daggers at each other from across a crowded room. But maybe that's what they wanted people to see. They wanted to fool people.

  "Oh sweet baby Jesus he drives me crazy. Half the time I don't know whether I want to screw him silly or slap him in the face."

  Her mouth lifts to the side before the tears start falling down her cheeks again. "I'm so damn in love with him it scares me to death. My mamma always told me to never to let a man hold my heart unless I was sure he deserved it, but what do I do when my heart has never really belonged to me? Because I'm sure he's had my heart since were six years old."

  I pull her into a hug and she let's go. Her body wracks with her muffled sobs. What she says makes sense and I understand why she would feel so conflicted. Until now, Tommy has been the safe choice, but Brody is who she craves more than air. Looking at the turmoil on her face now, I realize that she really does love Brody, and it’s the grow-old-together kind of love you read about in books like Pride and Prejudice. He's her Mr. Darcy and she's his Elizabeth Bennett.

  There's a soft knock on the door and I turn to see Brody walk in. Demi right's herself, wiping her tear-streaked face and laying her head down on her pillow. I cover her in a blanket and meet Brody in the doorway. He looks so adrift, and confused, but I see love and adoration burn bright in his eyes. I hug him, something that comes easily to me now that I'm comfortable around him. He kisses me on the top of my head and I watch him disappear into the room, closing the door behind him.

  The food must've arrived a little while ago because the kitchen counter is covered in Chinese take-out boxes. The smell tickles my nose and ignites my hunger. I haven't eaten at all today and I'm suddenly ravenous. Grayson is busy pulling out plates when I wrap my arms around his waist from behind, pulling him into me as close as I can manage. I sniffle.

  "Hey now beautiful girl," he says turning to face me. He kisses my forehead, under each eye where my silent tears have streaked down, and finally my lips. "We can't have you crying like that anymore. I hate seeing you cry." He's being so gentle with me, like I was the one battered and bruised. What he still has to find out is that I am. On the inside. Seeing Demi so hurt has brought a lot of unwanted feelings to the surface. I'm just not sure how much longer I want to hide it all from the beautiful, gentle man taking care of me.

  "Let's eat, and then I'll draw you a nice, hot bath."

  "Hmmmm," is my only response. It sounds enticing. And soothing.

  After getting some food into my hungry belly, and soaking in the bath Grayson promised me, we're laying on my bed. My head is on Grayson's chest and I'm listing to the steady beat of his heart. It has becomes one of my favorite sounds to fall asleep to. Our legs are tangled and he's playing with my hair, one of the other things that I love. We're both a little lost in thought and as tired as I am, I can't switch my mind off.

  I don't realize I'm frowning when Grayson asks, "What are you thinking about so hard over there?"

  I look up at him and smile when he smooth’s my furrowed brow with a gentle rub of his thumb. The muted light from the lamp makes him look gorgeous. I sigh. Looking at him never gets old.

  "Do you think Brody and Demi will be ok?"

  He sighs. "I think they've made a mess of things, and Demi should've just ended things with Tommy rather than cheat on him. But now that it's out, Brody and Demi can deal with it together." Something tells me he disapproves, not of their relationship, but because Demi was unfaithful to Tommy. His voice is laced with understanding, but from what side? The cheater? Or the cheated?

  "He loves her," I say, more so to myself than to Grayson.

  "I know. He's loved her for most of his life. When we were six, Brody started picking on Demi on the playground and the one day she threw a mud pie in his face because he said her dress is ugly. From that day, Brody has loved that girl more than life itself. It was like that right through high school. Demi dated a few guys but we all knew she was waiting on Brody to make a move but when he didn't, she stopped waiting. It killed Brody when she started seeing Tommy and when he found out he'd taken her virginity at seventeen, he went off the deep end for a while."

  "Why did he never make a move if he knew she was waiting for him?"

  "He didn't think he was good enough. He grew up a little differently to how we did, and he assumed that she wouldn't be interested because his family didn't come from money like ours did."

  I frown at the logic, even though people are rejected because they're poor all the time. "That's silly."

  He chuckles. "I know, baby, but he didn't know any better at the time. Maybe now that he can take care of himself, he'll feel differently and realize what a dumbass he was."

  The thought that Grayson wouldn't want to be with me if he thought I was poor bothers me. My father came from old money and when he died, he put it in a trust fund for when I got older. My mother had permission to use the money to live off of, but she insisted we get by without it. In the end, my stupid trust fund is what got her killed. Her last boyfriend, the one behind bars for her murder, found out about it and when she wouldn't give him a cent of it to support his alcohol habit, he killed her in a blind rage.

  This is yet another secret I choose to keep hidden.

  "Huntley?”

  I snap out of the memories that sometimes hold me captive and realize I'm clutching Graysons t-shirt in my fists. I look into his warm green eyes and smile weakly. "I'm fine." The lie falls from my lips with ease. Grayson's expression tells me he doesn’t quite believe me but he doesn't push it. Instead, he takes his shirt off, knowing I like the feel of his skin on mine, and slides further into bed. He covers us with the comforter and I snuggle into his chest, blanketed by his strong, muscular body.

  Sleep eludes me, my thoughts troubled and plagued by the things that I'm keeping from Grayson, things from my past that I should've shared before we started dating. I clutch him tighter. Once I tell him, he'll leave me.

  I need to enjoy this moment, hol
ding him to me.

  Because tomorrow this could possibly no longer be mine.

  He could possibly no longer be mine.

  ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

  I wake up to Grayson's sleeping form. The sun shines through the curtains and casts a dim light on his face. I wouldn't mind waking up to this every day. He looks peaceful and almost God-like. I resist the urge to run my fingers across his slightly parted lips and slip out of bed as quietly as possible. When I'm dressed, I walk into the kitchen, finding Brody already making coffee.

  "Good morning," I say. I grab a coffee mug and stand next to him.

  Brody is also quite the looker. He has bronzed skin and a completely ripped body. His hair is a dirty blonde color that hangs on his forehead. It's a good thing that seeing him shirtless doesn't make my belly flop the way it does when I see Grayson shirtless. Or when I see Grayson, period.

  "Hey you," he replies, his voice thick and husky with sleep. But judging from his eyes it's from a lack thereof. "How'd you sleep?"

  "Not so great." I take a sip of coffee and let it warm me from my belly to my toes. Coffee and chocolate are two things I will never be able to give up. Ever.

  "Me neither, " he sighs.

  "How is she?"

  He looks at me with sadness and regret in his eyes. "Ok I guess. She had nightmares last night, woke up every thirty minutes screaming 'Please stop!'. God, I feel so helpless. And guilty. I know what we did is wrong, but I couldn't stop it, even if I wanted to. God Himself could not stop me from being with her."

  "You guys will figure it out," I say. I wrap my arm around his waist and hug him. He needs comforting as much as Demi does and my heart breaks for both of them.

  "I hope so," he says, sipping on his coffee. "Where are you off to?"

  I shrug. "I'm going to see Aunt Emma about something. I'll be back in a little while.”

  I grab my keys just as he says something about Grayson but I miss it when the door closes. I waste no time getting into my Jeep and heading over to my aunt and uncles’ house. I need her advice, it's the closest to motherly advice I'll ever have again.