Scars To Your Beautiful : A Modern Beauty and the Beast retelling ✔

49. Exes and Oohs

The birds chirped louder than usual and the sun cast a small shadow over the window. Today had every element to be a perfect evening but lately for Larkin, everyday seemed to drag him into an abyss. With the realization of losing his family's house and possibly Callista, he forced out a frustrated sigh. It certainly felt like his whole life was suffocating him.

With every morsel of strength left in him, Larkin took slow, sturdy steps out of his room and headed outside. He needed to clear his head and the only way he knew how to do that was to walk his dog.

Larkin knew he had big decisions to make and it worried the hell out of him. Since the party with the board members was coming up tomorrow, Larkin's mind reeled through his plans for the company. He knew he wasn't a really good boss and he'd been absent for a year, but he wanted to turn things around. To affirm their faith in him and prove his aunt wrong.

Another sigh made its way out. If only it were that simple.

On his way out of the living room, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed Becca standing in the hallway, wearing a bright, floral dress and a sheepish grin on her face. Callista stood by her side with a guarded look that made his heart sink.

Larkin quickly suppressed his shock and swept his gaze between the two of them. It eventually settled on the redhead in front of him and his lips pressed into a scowl. "Becca, what are you doing here?"

Becca always had a habit of blushing whenever she was nervous or caught off-guard, he remembered that well. And now, a hot, rising blush shot through her cheeks despite the warm smile on her face. The color looked almost as red as her flaming hair.

Callista seemed to grimace at everything around her. Turning her head to Callista's direction, Becca regarded her with an apologetic tone. "Okay, I lied. Larkin isn't expecting me. I just needed a reason for you to let me in. I'm super sorry about that." Then she shifted her eyes back to his face, blue eyes tipping with warmth and reminding him of memories when he used to go crazy over those eyes. "It's not like I'm completely lying. I did tell you on the phone that we needed to talk."

"Yeah, you did." Larkin answered wryly. "But I had the impression that it'd be when your school semester was over." He really wasn't ready to see her now. He already had enough problems. He wasn't ready for more.

"Oh wow. You two still keep in touch." Callista had spoken softly.

Becca didn't seem to notice the slight crack in Callista's voice but Larkin did. He always noticed everything about her. Even down to the simple denim dress she wore, and to the cute way she always pulled her hair up. It wasn't easy to ignore how crazy hot Callista looked in the short dress and right now, it was harder not to stare.

With a snort, Becca responded. "Yeah, this dipshit hadn't reached out in almost a year. His phone had been turned off too. But we've been talking this past one week. It's been fun." She paused to smile again. "I actually wanted to surprise you. A hurricane's about to hit LA, so we were asked to evacuate the school premises till it ends. That's why I'm back in Jubilee Grove. I didn't realize that I'd get a hostile response like this, considering how chummy we are on Facebook."

Larkin didn't respond for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut and drew a long breath. He only reached out to her so he'd move on and let go of the anger he felt when he thought of her. Larkin wanted to prove to himself that he could be a better person. He certainly didn't expect to see her so soon.

Having Callista and Becca in the same room would only bring more trouble than he could imagine. The pressures in his life weighed him down more than he could imagine, so this visit was definitely a painful bonus. His eyes fluttered open to see them staring at him expectantly, but it was the level of agony in Callista's stunning, bronzed eyes that twisted his heart.