Finding Beauty

Chapter 13

~Beauty~

I decided to go to dinner tonight and when I told Carina she showed me her several shopping bags from Forever 21. All contained beautiful clothes and accessories my size. There were elegant outfits, causal outfits, and sweatpants and big t-shirts for resting. She bought me more clothes than I had at home.

"You didn't have to get me all this..." I said trying to wrap my head around the amount of money she must have spent on me.

"No, I wanted to, dearie. It's the least I can do." She patted my head and pulled out an elegant, navy blue jumpsuit and silver necklace. "I think you should wear this to dinner."

She walked me to the mirror and held the outfit over me. "Beautiful."

I couldn't help but smile. This is what I always wanted from my mother. No, not the expensive clothes. The time she could spend doing girly bonding things with me. "Thank you," I said tearing up. I was wondering how my mom was doing at the moment.

"My pleasure."

Now I stand in the navy blue romper and diamond necklace with my hair in a neat ponytail. This sure isn't what I expected would happen when The Beast kidnapped me, dressing up all fancy to go to dinner.

Part of me wants to see the good in him and thinks he's trying to be nice. That maybe he's just a confused young man, and doesn't realize what he was doing when he kidnapped me. Another part of me is worried, picturing the worst. That maybe he's making Carina doll me up so he can sell me into some slave market or hurt me himself. I try to listen to the more positive side because even if he is planning to hurt me, there is nothing I can really do about it.

Carina bought me makeup but to be honest I've never really touched makeup before. Though to make her feel good I apply the strawberry lip gloss and winged eyeliner, hoping I look alright.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door to my room and begin to go downstairs. But the words coming out of The Beast mouth make me come to a hault. He says them in a hushed tone just downstairs. So I hide behind a wall and listen.

"I want her to like me, Carina. She thinks I want to hurt her and I don't. How do I get her to trust me?" he asks.

"Trust is earned, Gale. You can't get it over one dinner," Carina replies. "You can start by losing your bad temper and not throwing her in the basement when she says something you don't like."

He sighs. "I guess your right. Anything else?"

"Get to know her, ask her about herself. I feel like she has a lot intresting things to say," Carina adds. I hear her shifting the plates she holds in her hands.

"I think so too. You can see it in her eyes. They're like little flames." I smirk at Gale's comment. Grayson said a similar thing to me once.

I decide to reveal myself and step down the stairs. "Good evening."

"Oh!" Carina squeals, almost dropping her plates. "You look absolutely stunning!"

"Indeed," Gale adds with his face filled with awe. I shift under his gaze, feeling uneasy.

"I'm going to finish setting up the table," Carina says. Before she leaves I hear her mumble to Gale,"Stop drooling, you'll scare her."

I smile, pretending I didn't hear. Gale quickly recovers and smiles back. Then he gestures to the dining room and offers his arm. "Be our guest."

"Why thank you." I hesitantly link arms with him and walk into the dinning room. He pulls out my chair for me while I think back on the conversation him and Carina shared. He said he didn't want to hurt me and wanted me to like him. Maybe that part of me was right. He's just a really lost person, not evil. The thought makes me feel more comfortable and confident.