Beautiful Misery |1

2. SHACKLED TO MISERY

I hadn't been an easy target; he enjoyed that the most—breaking my will power and forcing me to subdue—he knew exactly how to bait me. Growing up fighting my way through this world I learnt quickly to hide my weaknesses, the walls I'd built up around me were of no consequence to him. I let Mr Hale too close, mistaking his deception for kindness. What little resistance I had left in me had been snuffed by the justice system our country prided itself on. I was brought to my knees by the incompetence of a police force, who'd made an oath to serve and protect, and a board of trusties willing to cover up the murder of their kin, in order to save their cowardice hides.

Expelled for having the audacity to discredit the board's screening process —when hiring a psychopath to teach and take advantage of students—I was shunned by the community. Mocked and humiliated by every journalist and spat on by those I considered friends and family. Macy and her parents had been the only ones in East LA to believe and to whatever end possible, support me. It was with their encouragement that I applied to college again, away from it all.

Macy kept calling it a second chance, I'd lost the battle back home but I was still alive...it was time to start embracing that. Ruining this for either of us wasn't an option.

"So this cousin, I don't remember ever meeting him." Raising an eyebrow, she smirked mischievously. Rolling my eyes, I relaxed a little more knowing that Macy's playful side was slowly returning.

"He's sexy, rugged, dangerous...almost as fine as Joey." Shaking my head I offered her a soft chuckle.

"Rayne..." I whispered the name, testing it. He sounded intimidating. There was this inexplicable air of power, strength behind his name. "Rayne." I said again, slightly jolted by how sensual it sounded from my lips.

"Damn, do you need a little privacy?" Mace burst into laughter, flushing I sank deeper into my seat. Groaning, I almost slammed my face down on the dashboard.

"I didn't mean what does he look like, I meant how is he? Personality wise." I clarified. Biting back another laugh she nodded teasingly. "Fuck, so I'm going to be totally ambushed by whatever this guy may perceive to be acceptable behaviour towards an unexpected houseguest." Muttering sarcastically, I glared at my best friend—who found the situation at hand alarmingly amusing.

"Relax, he's cool." Cool...fucking cool? That was hardly a commendable list of characteristics, shit it was a single adjective left open to interpretation. Was he a pot-head? Beach-rat? Skating junkie? "Stop over analysing it babe. You'll both make your acquaintance shortly." Tapping her fingers on the steering excitedly, she began to hum a rather disturbing tune. I had to admit it did wonders towards my tendency to worry.

"You're so weird." I muttered before returning my attention to the suburbia we were navigating our way through. If Rayne was anything like Joey then there wasn't any real cause for concern; they were family after all, how different could they be? I'd met Joey around the time Macy had, just over a year ago, he was a total sweetheart—that or a flustered mess whenever Macy was around. Joey I could be comfortable around...

***

The abrupt absence of the engines familiar roar jolted me from my restless nap. Blinking the exhaustion away, I rubbed my fisted hands against my slightly swollen eyes. Macy's excited squeal pierced through my ears, my closed door barely an obstacle for the pitched sound, as she ran full speed towards the handsome giant awaiting her at the base of the stairs. Getting out of the ute I pushed my door shut with a heavy thud. Scooping Macy's tiny frame into his arms, he took her lips in a starved kiss.

From the looks of the warm mix of purples and oranges in the sky we'd arrived a little earlier than expected. My lips curved in admiration of the slowly sinking sun, my smile quickly faltered when the awareness of what it meant for the sun to sink, hit me. It was getting dark. Fisting my hands at my sides I refused to survey the area. No Gia, second chance...it's time to forget.