Beauty and The Beast • book one of one

|||Chapter 16|||

Dear Brock

And to think... You know what

Bye
***

Renee's POV

I slipped on Brock's hoodie before and put the hood over my head before stepping out of the car and into the rain.

In the short walk to the door, the water had already soaked through the jacket and when I stepped into the building, I almost froze to death.

"Nice Jacket." I heard Roman say as I passed them, "Get it from the second hand store?"

"You mean she got it from the same place you bought Galina's wedding ring?" Dean said to him and Roman glared at him which caused me to smile slightly as I continued to walk on.

I stripped out of my jacket and slung it over my shoulder as I continued to walk through the building, reviving hatful glances and comments from some, while others actually gave me a small smile or a compliment.

"Good morning Eva." I say to her as I pass her and Summer, "You too Summer."

Eva waved and Summer just glared at me. I was trying to just this new thing where I just ignored them and put on a smile.

I was happy with my Brock. He was happy with me. It's about damn time that I stopped caring about what everyone else was going to think or say. They were gonna talk regardless and I was just gonna do me.

I felt my phone buzz as I approached a table at catering and I pulled it out to see a message from Brock

Brock: Good morning sunshine❤️ Taking you out for lunch today. Love you.

I smiled at my phone and sent him a text back just as someone pulled back a chair at the table. I look up and see Nikki sitting down and Brie pulling out the chair next to her.

"Wow Nae." Nikki said, "I feel like it's been forever since we've talked."

"Uh yeah." I say to her, "I guess so."

"We've missed talking to you." Brie said to me.

"Sure you have." I say while propping my feet on the table, "Need anything?"

"Why do you assume we need something?" Nikki asked.

"Just a wild guess." I say to her.

"We don't really need anything..." Brie said while exchanging glances with Nikki, "More like we want to show you something..."

"I don't wanna see it." I say to them, "I really don't."

"No," Nikki said while pulling out her phone, "You're going to want to see this Renee."

"Just.." Brie started then sighed, "Just look."

I groaned as Nikki went to her photos and slid her phone over to me.

"What is this?" I asked as I looked at screen shots of messages.

"Paige sent those to me." Nikki said, "She told me not to show them to you, but you two are friends, I think this is something pretty huge to keep from you."

My eyes scanned across the message that were apparently exchanged between her and Brock and it made my blood boil at how sexual they were, but there's no way she'd send this.

"She didn't send these." I say, trying to convince myself that these were fake.

"Renee." Nikki said, "Stop trying to deny it-"

"But there're not real!" I shout at her while tossing her phone back at her and standing up.

"Believe what you want." Nikki said while raising her hands up in surrender.

"Weren't her and Brock walking together earlier?" Brie asked Nikki and she nodded.

I shook my head and walked out of catering and down the hallways. I hate the fact that they had to go to such extreme lengths of lying to try to get to me. Paige would never do that to me, and Brock wouldn't let her.

Just as soon as the though crosses my head I saw Paige leaning against talking to Brock.

I stopped walking and watched them as Paige played with her hair and they both laughed at something that she had said.

'There just talking...' I tried to convince myself as she pushed his shoulder slightly and he laughed. 'Paige is my friend, one of my only friends left for that fact. She would never-'

My thoughts stopped as I saw he raise up on her toes and give him a quick kiss on the cheek before waving and walking in my direction and smirking.

"What's the matter Nae?" She asked me with a smirk, "Seen a ghost?"

I remained silent and seethed as she laughed as she continued to walk down the hall.

Brock had finally looked down my way and his expression changed dramatically.

"Renee." He said while walking towards me.

"Get the hell away from me." I shot at him and walked away from him.

"Renee," he called after me as I walked ahead of him, "Stop walking and just listen."

"Listen to what?" I stop and shout at him, "That you didn't think she was going to do that? That I tried to stop her? Cause that's a fucking lie! I saw the entire thing Brock!"

"Renee listen." He said as I continued to walk outside and I to the rain, "I really didn't think that she was going to do that last part ok? We were just talking I swear."

"Sure you were." I say as the water soaked through my clothes, "Cause that's exactly what it looked like."

"I don't give a damn what it looked like." He snapped at me, "That's what the fuck it was."

"And I guess those messages were nothing huh?" I shout at him over the thunder.

"What fucking messages?" He shouted back at me.

"Don't act like you don't freaking know!" I shouted at him, "You and Paige texting."

"I don't text Paige!" He shouted back at me, "I don't even have her number! God, I don't know why your getting all worked up over a kiss on the cheek when you fucking kissed Seth!"

"I did not kiss him!" I shouted at him, "I made this very clear that he kissed me!"

"That's what it looked like!" He mocked me and I clinched my fist.

"You know what?" I say to him while throwing up my hands, "I'm freaking leaving."

"Like I care." He shot at me but something in his eyes pleaded for me to say.

"Have fun with Paige." I shot at him before walking off to the car with lightning and thunder flashing and roaring in the sky.

He stayed silent as I got in the car and slammed the door. I started the car and drove out the parking lot as fast as I could, leaving all that hurt me behind.