Read Online Other Side of Beautiful (A Beautifully Disturbed #1) by Sarah Zolton Arthur - Free Book Online Page A

“What time?” I ask.
    Kelly tells me we leave at five, after Elle’s last class of the day. Now I have another hurdle to jump. The one where I head back home with my tail between my legs and beg my best friend to forgive my stupidity.
    I head back toward civilization, making a quick pit stop at a liquor store for Col’s favorite imported beer. It’s expensive but clearly I have some sucking up to do.
    About halfway home from the liquor store, I start to pass a little bakery which makes these mini sausage, kale, and mushroom quiches which I know he loves too, and swerve hard without braking, getting a whole lot of horn and middle fingers from the people passing me. It’s so early in the morning that they’re actually open now. A dozen fresh from the oven quiche later, I pull into my parking spot. Kip’s car is still out front. That’s good. Col shouldn’t have been alone.
    He’s not in the living room, but I hear voices coming from his bedroom. They’re just soft murmuring voices, nothing hot and heavy. And without giving myself time to think or back out, I push the door open, striding in like nothing about the situation is odd.
    Collin and Kip are lying on the bed talking and certainly don’t expect me to climb on but I do, crawling between them, setting the box of tarts next to Col, the six pack I drop on his crotch. He grunts, sitting up fast and grabs his junk. I flip around to lean my back against the headboard.
    “So beer and quiche are supposed to make everything better?”
    “No. The quiche is to soften you up. The beer is to get you drunk enough to forgive my stupid ass. I have my phone ready to record your forgiveness. That way when you’re sober and don’t remember, you can’t renege.”
    “Well…they are really good quiche.”
    “Col, I am so damn sorry. You have to know how embarrassed I am.”
    “Everyone gets stupid once in a while. This was your one for the decade. Don’t let it happen again because that face is far too pretty, and I will mess your shit up.”
    After leaning over to hug Col, I turn to Kip who really doesn’t expect me and hug him too. “Thank you. For being there, for taking care of him.” Kip nods, and I can tell he wants to say something more, but he won’t do that to Col. He hasn’t been around long enough to drop his two cents in on this conversation. I certainly hope he stays around. Collin deserves someone to care for him that way.
    “So what are we doing about Elle?” He hands Kip off a quiche and beer, then hands me one of each.
    “I have a plan.” We twist off our caps and clink our bottles.
    I have a plan.
     

 
    Chapter 10
     

Elle
     
    I couldn’t face Benton after Wednesday night, which unfortunately meant I had to keep my distance from everyone else as well. Which is really hard. I hate not seeing their smiling faces. These people are the closest people to me in the world. But at least Kelly knows now. I spilled my guts to her about the bar when I got home that night. Cleaned up first, but spilled. She had a terrible, spiteful look about her, jaw ticking as she sat in front of the television with her arms crossed over her chest. Kel wouldn’t make eye contact with me as I passed her for my room. There’s me, all crusty snot and blood spatter—dirty, confused, and slightly irrational—and she pretended like she didn’t see me. After a quick shower and slipping into my pajamas, I went out to face her. She was just leaving the kitchen. Her expression was unreadable. I knew I had to tell her something, plus she carried a fresh package of crack that she waved temptingly in front of my face. And by crack, I mean Oreos.
    Friday, during my two hour break from classes, instead of heading down to The Brew where I’d normally go, or even back to the apartment, I decide to go for a walk. It’s peaceful. It’s cold, the biting wind keeping the smarter students inside bundled up. I don’t mind so much. As a writer, I’ve spent my fair share of time