He smiles back in the gentlest of ways. “You’re welcome. And feel free to stay as long as you’d like. I quite enjoy having someone to talk to once in a while.”
I look up at him, the smile on his face something unfamiliar to me. Even though my spirit is broken, this man manages to capture what’s left of my heart.
I hug my legs, not giving a shit that he can see my deformed hands.
Not once has he looked at my fingers or asked why they are the way they are.
Papa always told me the world would be cruel, but this man has shown me kindness, and nothing but grace and decency is in his eyes. Something I thought was severely lacking in my life before.
One thing that wasn’t lacking—cruelty.
The kind my father and Lex candidly dished out.
And even though I left that hotel room in tears, I’m no longer crying them over my father. I refuse to. He doesn’t deserve these tears.
So I smile until all of them have disappeared, listening to the rain pitter-patter onto the carton while the man in front of me slowly crawls onto the floor and closes his eyes.
And I watch him fall asleep with a kind of peace I’ve rarely ever seen.
A peace I wish I could feel deep down in my heart.
But I don’t know if I could ever reach that point.
That point when I know life will be okay.
Not without Beast.
CHAPTER5
Aurora
When a bright lightenters my eyes, I jolt up and down, my head bumping into the carton box. Blinking rapidly, I gaze at my surroundings. The sun is out and bursting with radiance.
Did I … sleep?
A yawn immediately leaves my mouth.
It wasn’t an amazing sleep, but apparently, I felt safe enough to doze off.
“Well, good morning,” Dirk says with a happy smile. “Sleep well?”
I stretch out a little. “Okay-ish.”
“Ah, you’ll get used to it.” He waves it off as he gets off the floor and starts rummaging in his stuff again. “I don’t have cash, but I definitely have some leftover food from yesterday if you want some.”
Even though my stomach is growling, I’m not looking to get a stomach bug right now. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
He holds up a stale half-eaten sandwich. “You sure?”
I nod, smiling. “Of course. Take it.”
He sits down and happily munches on the food. “Tastes better the next day.” He laughs in such a funny way that it makes me giggle. “Everything is better the next day.”
“You really think so?” I ask.
“Yeah. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” he muses, gazing around. “That I become homeless?”
I smile. “That’s a positive outlook.”