Don't Make Me Beautiful by Elle Casey

Author:Elle Casey
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Elle Casey
Published: 2013-09-09T10:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Seven

BRIAN KEEPS A CLOSE EYE on Nicole. He wants to get her to talk, to tell him which of her memories or thoughts are torturing her into silence and continued nightmares, but every signal she’s sending is telling him to leave it alone. So he does.

Instead, he focuses on giving her affection as much as he can without smothering her, trying to convince her that she’s valuable and important to him and Liam, and showing her that she’s welcome here in his home for as long as she wants to be there. And he also keeps an eye on the neighborhood. He’s only ever seen John once, and that was when the guy was washing his truck out in his driveway. Brian drove past like he didn’t even notice him, but a glance in his rearview mirror told him that John had recognized his face. That was the last time he went that direction to do a delivery.

“What’s this?” Nicole asks, holding up a piece of paper.

Brian glances at it, recognizing the logo at the top of the sheet. “It’s a receipt.”

“I can see that. But it doesn’t have a job reference on it. I don’t know which job to attach it to.”

“It’s not for any of my existing jobs.” He moves into the kitchen, acting like he’s suddenly very hungry and has to get something to eat that’s very deep in the fridge. He dives in up to his shoulders, this mystery food he must have buried in some unknown location.

“What do you mean?” She’s followed him into the kitchen and is standing behind him. “Is it for an old job?”

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Just put it off to the side.” He moves three jars of mustard over to the right. He has no idea why there are three jars of a condiment he rarely uses. He begins pulling them out and a bunch of other jars that could possibly have botulism spores growing in them, placing them all on the counter next to the fridge.

“What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find it.”

“A snack.” Confident that she’s been distracted enough to risk no longer refrigerating his head, he backs out and stands up, opening the freezer next. He shuffles things around, hoping she’ll go back to her work.

“Do you remember which job it is?”

“Nope.” He takes a popsicle out of a box he finds buried in the back and grabs the old jars of crap from the fridge. Walking around the kitchen, he makes a big show out of throwing them and the popsicle wrapper in the garbage. Even though the can is only half-full, he takes the bag out and walks to the door that leads to the garage where the bins are kept.

“Are you running away from me?” Nicole asks, like she’s not sure she believes it.

“What? No. Don’t be silly.”

She’s waiting for him as he steps back into the kitchen, her good arm folded over the one in the cast. “Time to confess.

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