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

53. Tales as old as time

"Is he okay? He seemed tense." Naomi said quietly, hoping to break the ice after long seconds of awkward silence.

Feeling angry at herself, Callie huffed out. "Larkin's complicated, but I'm sure he's fine." She could tell something was wrong but considering the situation with them already, she doubted that Larkin would tell her.

"Are you fine?" Her words coming out in a whisper, almost like Naomi was too afraid to say them.

"I will be when I try to figure out why you guys are standing here in Larkin's home." Callie said, a surprisingly, eerie tone filling her voice.

Pierce's voice came out more squeaky than expected. "Before you get mad, hear me out, mi bella."

Callie felt a river of annoyance bursting out of her. With hands balled into fists, Callie roared. "For the last time, stop calling me that. I'm not your Bella, okay. Stop hovering over my life. I am sick and tired of you acting like you can squeeze yourself through, when all I want is a breathing space from you. I don't like you, Damien. Not in that way."

His back hunched slightly, wearing a crestfallen look at her harsh words. "Wow, it's the first time you've called me by my first name. It's usually just Pierce this, Pierce that. I almost forgot what it's like to be a person without the Pierce name."

"Viola calls you Damien. I guess she sees you more as that."

"I can't like Viola. Not that she's not hot, cause Vi's stunning. But I guess it's not enough."  Damien Pierce frowned, his brain rumaging through reasons why he couldn't fall for Viola. She was always special to him. Always. But she'd always just be his best friend. Nothing more. It was something that they both accepted.

Callie's sharp words cut through like shards from an ice glacier. "And I can't like you either. You're very attractive, I'm sure you know it but that's all you'll ever be to me. The attractive schoolmate. That's all."

"Ouch. Cold." He muttered, with a touch of guilt.

"But necessary. I should have told you this a long time ago. I guess I was too afraid of the Pierce family, just like everyone else."

He glanced away briefly. Callie almost felt bad for him. It would have been easy to fall for him. But he wasn't the one she wanted. Not even his clear, electric blue eyes could change her mind. "I guess so. Maybe I won't be here embarrassing myself and you in front the actual person you like. That's how I am. Petty."

Naomi snorted, clearly not buying into his sentiments. "I agree. You are petty and manipulative. You already knew the truth, didn't you? I'm the one who looks like an idiot when I thought we were trying to protect Cal from Larkin. I had no idea he was innocent."

"Why does everyone think they have the right to protect me? Do I look like a 5 year old that needs to be spoon fed? Have I ever given you the impression like I can't handle my shit. Since when did I ever make you feel like I was a damsel in distress?" Callie snapped, wagging her finger at them. It was like a ticking bomb had been let loose inside her and they were the targets.

"That's the thing. You've never needed my help or anybody else's and I wanted to do something right by you for once. Besides, if you trusted me enough to tell the truth then I wouldn't need to do it behind your back in the first place. I did everything I could to give you space. I didn't pressure you because I thought it was what you wanted. But I let my doubts cloud my reasoning and listened to this asshole." Naomk glared, pointing at a shocked Pierce. She rolled her eyes at his panicked reaction, then turned her gaze back to Callie, accusing. "I wouldn't need to even listen to him if you just told me about Larkin. I thought I mattered that much to you."