The Devil's Bride (Book 1)

Chapter 8- Band Aids

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1 HOUR LATER

I may have underestimated the time it would take me to calm down. I stared into the mirror of Grant's bathroom, tears falling down my cheeks. Everything had been going smoothly, until he brought up one topic I couldn't forget. He mentioned my ex-boyfriend, Harry, and I can't go back into the dining room yet. Harry didn't hurt me psychically, but he hurt me mentally. I thought I loved him, but he did something no woman should have to live through. He broke my trust, and he broke my love. He cheated on me. He wasn't faithful, and I know I spent all of my time with him thinking about the life we could start together, but we weren't truly in love, because no one is these days, because we give in to the unrealistic dreams that television and films give us. No one will find true love, because when we think we find it, the other person is constantly looking around them. Looking for who they think is true love. I knew that the day I caught him, his naked body draped across her like he ruled over her skin, that I didn't need him, because he was addicted to fun, to sex, and I hadn't been giving him the fun he wanted, I hadn't been there for him each and every day. He cheated on me with some random slut, and I hated him. I was glad it wasn't someone I knew, but I hated him for cheating. Unfaithful.

I clear the tears from my eyes when I hear him calling for me. "Rey, do you need anything? Can I fetch you some chocolate or something?" I hear his offering and laugh, pushing the door open.

"Thank you, Grant. Could you?" He laughs, stepping back towards the kitchen, my feet fresh behind his. He laughs once more, opening the refrigerator to search for something, chocolate I suppose. He reaches into a drawer, taking a bar of milk chocolate from within. My eyes light up, and I smile. Chocolate, a girl's true best friend. Forget diamonds. Forget Harry. Forget him. For now, I'm here and I don't need to fall back on someone, because I don't need to. I can live my life by myself, people need to remember that. I don't need Harry. I don't need my parents. I don't need Grant, but I like to have him around. I like to have my parents by my side because I'd hate to be alone.

"Enjoy. Now, can we sit down and enjoy the rest of the evening, we could always watch a movie?" He smiles as I did, and we walk towards his lounge room, the small brown couch sitting in the centre of the back wall, the larger size television perched on the cream coloured walls. Two portraits of landscapes, one of a babbling brook, the other of a calm and gentle countryside with a smaller farmhouse, line the walls of the small area. I smile as he leads me to the small brown cupboard under the TV, piled high with films and television shows. Heaven. No matter how much you try to pry my fingers from the stacks of movies in this little brown cupboard, I won't be going anywhere. Grant turns back to me, opening the glass doors. "Your choice, my lady." He bows and moves to the side as I perch down to stare at his collection.

"You never told me you liked half of these movies, there's some real classics here." He smiles as I turn to face him, before retreating to the stack of movies. That is the interesting part about a man who walked into your life when you were 11. He's full of secrets that you won't uncover until you're older, and you only start to finally get to know him when he's that one step further into the relationship. I didn't spend a lot of my time with him after I first met him, but I wish I had. I wish I had come here earlier and spent a week with him, exploring this town, a world of mystery. I didn't know where to go, I didn't know who to be, I didn't know how I was going to live my life. I wish I had spent more time with Grant, a man I could learn so much from. As I continue to flip through the titles, I think about how each movie had a story, something you could pull apart and rip away like a bandage, to get to the core. Humans are bandages, the deeper you go, the more you know. You get to the core of a person and you begin to know how they work, how they react. I hardly know anyone enough; I just know them slightly. Except for my parents, and Faith. I miss her.

"Have you found something to watch yet, Reyna?" I had finally finish flipping through the movies, and I know which one we have to watch. I may look like your average girl at this age, but I'm definitely not picky. I turn towards him, placing my hand over the title of the movie.

"As a matter of a fact, I have." Pulling the movie from his elaborate collection, he smiles at my choice. "I never thought of you as a Disney man, but I'm glad. I say I'm in the mood for Princess and the Frog. I know I'm growing up, but my movie choices shouldn't have to, uncle."

"I wasn't judging you. I like it, Rey." He takes the case from my hand and moves towards the DVD player, sliding in the disk after turning on the power. "You won't cry, will you?"

"Is that even a logical question? Of course I will." He laughs as I take my comfortable position on the couch, comforting my fall. He smiles as the beginning of the film begins to play on the television screen, and even though we are two adults, we're happy, because it is the company that counts. Grant and I, the uncle-niece team at last. The movie plays out on the screen, and I smile because for these moments laughing at his reactions to my decision, I had forgotten about everything else around me. I had forgotten that I was stressed over Brady, I had forgotten I'm angry about Harry once more, and I had forgotten about the possibility of a killer coming after my back.

"I'm glad you took the time to come hang with me, Reyna," he replies, smiling with so much happiness in his eyes that even looking at him I can feel the happiness reflecting off him. He reaches down and takes a sip from a can of cocoa cola. 

"I'm glad you asked me. I needed a night to relax with my favourite uncle."

"Stop it." I smile after he finishes speaking , and he does too.

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TWO HOURS LATER

The taxi dropped me off at the edge of my property, and I smile when I see the darkness shrouded around my house. Tonight had been perfect, and while he had brought up someone I couldn't bear to hear about, I was grateful we were spending time together. It's better than nothing.

I approach the stairs to my bedroom, ready to slip into something more comfortable for sleeping when my phone begins to ring. Is it Cassandra, at this hour? Is it Grant, had I left something at his house? The ID name flashes over the screen.

Harry. Shit.

What does he want?