Read Online Paint Me Beautiful by C. M. Stunich - Free Book Online

hires him but invites him over for dinner. How awkward is this going to be? When Big Bob realizes this is the same guy that I hopped into a two-seater with, he's going to flip.
    I sit up and wonder if I really am overreacting. I imagine my mom sitting on one end of the table and my dad on the other. I imagine Emmett Sinclair sitting across from me and Marlena next to him. There will be plates of steaming food, trays of baked goods. There is no doubt in my mind that mom will outdo herself; she lives for dinner guests. I'll have to pile food on my plate, food that I can't eat. I rub my hands down my face. I wish I could just skip out on dinner, but then Emmett will think that I'm avoiding him … I pause and repeat the thought. If I skip dinner, Emmett will think I'm avoiding him. That's what I want, right? To get rid of him? I slam the butts of my hands against the side of the desk and watch my lamp shake precariously. Damn you, Marlena, for putting me in this position.
    I stand up suddenly and grab my keys and my water bottle. I have a very specific destination in mind, and I hope I'm still welcome there.
    “ Where are you off to, honey? I'd like you home early to help me set the table.”
    “ Marlena can do it,” I say as I move down the stairs at a brisk jog and wonder how many calories I've just burned. I pause when I reach the bottom because my dad has just come in through the garage door and is staring at me with a weird expression. It's like he doesn't even recognize me. I don't like it, not one little bit. I turn away and keep going.
    “ You'll be here, and you'll help your mother.”
    “ Or?” I ask, still in mid-stride. If I slow down again, they might trap me here.
    “ Or I'm taking your car away,” my dad says. His tone is very matter-of-fact. I pause near the front door.
    “ I'm not in high school anymore,” I say without looking at him. I can feel his eyes boring into my spine, testing me, gauging my resistance.
    “ No, you're not,” he says. “And that's the problem. You need to wake up and realize that you are an adult, Claire. I'm not going to make your car payments forever, and the two hundred dollar jeans, those purchases have got to stop.” I don't tell my dad that he's crippling my dreams, that the clothes I wear to my castings need to make a statement. I just walk out the door more determined than ever to meet my goals.
    I will be weightless; I will float away; I will become somebody.
    I get in my car and drive all the way out to that lonely parking lot with the broken glass and spend an hour tramping through the forest looking for that secret hideaway, that little haven of escape and peace.
    I find nothing and end up sitting on the curb and crying. I cry until I feel numb and then I cry some more. Something is wrong with me, and I don't know what it is. Lucky for me, there's someone who does. His name is Emmett Sinclair, and he's going to be at my house in less than three hours. Guess I better find something to wear.

 

    I war with myself for awhile, wondering if I really should dress up for Emmett. I think it's my perfectionist side that gets the better of me and makes the final decision. I can't go downstairs looking like shit. That just isn't going to happen. I need to push him away, but I don't want to. Two completely different sides of me war so hard that I find that my hands are shaking violently as I apply liquid eyeliner very carefully along my upper lids.
    I met a guy two days ago, and despite my best efforts, I can't seem to get rid of him. I still don't believe in that most horrible f-word of all: fate. But what I do know is that Emmett is like a planet of calm, and I am now in orbit. His peaceful, cheerful demeanor calls to my colder side, beckoning me towards warmth. I slam my makeup down on my vanity table and sigh deep and heavy. I let my eyes flutter closed for a moment and try to breathe. I can't let myself get too stressed out or I won't sleep well. Then I'll end up with