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

alone. It’s what we do, always inside our own heads, figuring out worlds better than our own.
    The bench sitting in the middle of the quad, nestled between the shrubberies, would catch the attention of anyone having the slightest bit of artistic soul, with the normally flat black glistening gray under the fine sheen of frost covering its entire surface. Part of me feels bad for marring the natural beauty, but after swiping my hand across the seat, I sit anyway.
    What would I do if I couldn’t go back to group anymore? My sanctuary threatened, I contemplate just that, sinking deeper against the cold metal. He sounded so hurt. The man punched out another human being, turned it into an outright bar brawl to protect me. Benton Hayes acted like a true friend, and I didn’t even have the courtesy to thank him for that. No, I thanked him for turning up the heat. My chances are running out. One of these days he’ll realize how unworthy of his friendship I’ve been all these years and tell me to go take that really long walk off a really short pier. Clichéd? Absolutely. But that doesn’t make it any less true.
    “Elle, you look like someone shot your dog, revived it, and then shot it again for shits and giggles.”
    I bark out an obnoxious laugh, covering my mouth to try to stifle it. Collin. Goodness, I’ve missed him these past couple of days. But being Benton’s best friend could make our meeting problematic, to say the least. He sought me out for something.
    Collin strides up to me in his black leather jacket and aviator sunglasses, wearing an equally delicious boy-toy. He has his arm draped over the more conservative yet stunning man with hazel eyes and dark chocolate hair spiked at the bangs. Unlike Collin’s black leather jacket, the man wears a deep gray wool peacoat, along with a smile that could write its own peace accord and have everyone happily agree to the terms.
    Like Benton, Collin usually keeps his love life away from us because he too owns a serial dater’s club card.
    The men come to a stop in front of me, Boy-toy holding his hand out to me. I raise an eyebrow at Collin, but shake it just the same.
    “Kip Daniels,” he introduces himself. Sexy, deep voice. Collin could do worse.
    “You’re gorgeous.” It slips out unintentionally. “I mean, I’m Elle. Dinninger,” I amend.
    “Thank you. And I know. I’ve been waiting to meet you. The elusive Elle Dinninger.”
    Elusive? Even the new guy’s got my number? Collin pulls off the sunglasses to look at me, his left eye has a cut above it, and the whole thing looks black and blue. Someone landed a good punch Wednesday night. “I’d hate to see the other guy,” I tease, pointing to the bruise.
    “You won’t be seeing him for a while. Why have you been hiding from us?”
    “I haven’t been—you’re right. I’ve been hiding.”
    “Sabrina said you won’t answer your phone, and you haven’t returned a damn text I’ve sent.”
    “Does he hate me?” I hang my head, not wanting to see the truth in his eyes despite what he might try to convince me of.
    “Hate you? Elle, he could never hate you. Is he hurt? Sure. But Ben’s a big boy, he’ll get over it.”
    “So you came here to make me feel even worse?”
    “You asked. I came here for you to meet Kip.”
    “He said if I could pass the Elle Dinninger test then we could date,” Kip says.
    My head snaps up. “Date? As in an ongoing thing?”
    “Don’t sound so shocked. It happens.”
    “Not for you. Or for Benton. There must be something in the water at your apartment.”
    “Well, things might be changing for him as well. So the water must be purified now.”
    “Wow. He met his Ms. Right, then?” I shake my head, disbelieving. “Good for him. So, Kip.” The subject has to change before I lose it again. Benton in a real relationship hurts my head and my heart in a way I don’t want either of them to know. “What’s your major?”
    “RPW.”
    “You’re a technical writer?