Finding Beauty

Chapter 52

"You're a liar," he snarls. "You're here for him. Not me." He gazes at the landscape surrounding us, his brows furrowed. "You've changed and not for the better. It's all his fault. That monster did this to you!"

I give up my game. The anger bubbling in my stomach forcing me to. "I've changed? Grayson, wake up!"

His eyes widen at the sudden change of tone. I know this can lead to an even bigger disaster but maybe the truth will free him from the grip anger has on his heart.

"I understand. I was taken away and that hurt you. But holding onto all of that frustration and hurt is destroying you. I hardly recognize you," I admit. Tears brim in my eyes and my heart squeezes. His eyes soften. I plead with them.

Please. Please go back to being the Grayson I use to know.

"You are about to kill someone. Think about that." From his wandering gaze, the way his eyes travel over the field, my face, and the burning building, I can tell he is. I think there might be a chance of him changing.

But then, the police sirens sound. His fist curl.

My words come out in spiralling chaos, urgently trying to change his mind once more. "The Beast- he's going to lose his powers any second now! If you kill him he'll stay dead."

"Sounds like good news to me," he mumbles. My heart shatters. In a swift movement, he grasps my arms and drags me deeper into the grass field.

I don't have time to react before we reach a red pick up truck. I've seen it before. It's Carter's truck, a senior who's on the football team along with Grayson. He must have borrowed it or maybe even stolen it.

The car keys appear in his other hand and soon I'm being tossed into the back seat like a sack of potatoes. He slams the door shut right after and locks the car door.

He's trapping me here!

It suddenly feels like I'm being kidnapped by Gale all over again. Except this is a beast I'm unsure of. One I don't think will change. A reversed story of a man who transforms from a prince to a beast and not the other way around.

My hand leans on the glass window between us. "Grayson, please!" I shout at the top of my lungs. "Grayson, please don't kill him! I love him! Please!" I sob. Tears now stream freely down my face. Not seeing Gale ever again is one thing but knowing he's dead . . . That's a whole different, and greater pain. One I don't know I can take.

His eyes are emptied of their mercy. He turns around and walks away. He's walking away from me! From our friendship. From everything we've ever had. He's left me.

His figure disappears into the grass field and so has any bit of patience or sanity in me.

"No!" I scream while helplessly pulling and pushing on the door. "No! I love him! Please, please, please..."

My mind mocks me. Funny how now- -now that Gale's going to die, I'm able to admit this out loud. He won't ever be able to hear it from me. I won't ever hear him say it back.

My brain shuts down. It only knows one word now. One simple, desperate, plead. I don't know who I'm pleading to. God, Grayson, Gale, fate. Maybe all four.

I squeeze my eyes shut and utter it again.

"Please..."

There's a beast on the loose, that's for sure. But it isn't Gale anymore. It's Grayson.

~The Hunter~

As I get farther away from Belle, I start to walk with a sense of urgency. The police sirens are louder, the sky is darker. I'll need to get the cops out of my way and I know how.