Finding Beauty (Rewrite)

Chapter 15

~Beauty~

Bethany stood against the wall watching Teigan carry the rickety table out of the hallway. She expected him to walk it down the stairs but he surprised her when he carelessly tossed it. It flew over the first few steps and then tumbled down the rest, ending in a loud bang.

"I would have helped you carry that but seeing as you are the super strong - super human one and you kidnapped me, you owe me a bit."

She delighted in the eye roll she got from him as they laid the tarp on the hardwood floor. The carpet that had been draped on it resided at the bottom of the staircase too. As she secured its ends, he brought over the paint they had picked out which was royal blue.

He frowned at her attire. "You're going to wear that to paint?"

She looked down at her gray v-neck and blue jeans. "I don't have anything old or ugly to mess up. Carina's just too good at shopping."

"Wait here," he said as he disappeared into his room. She gave a dry chuckle. As if she could go anywhere else - that was the whole point of being held captive. She mentally slapped herself on the wrist for thinking that. It was hard for her to get it in her head that he had never meant to take her, that he was working to move so he could let her go. It was much easier to function around him when she remembered that. Maybe she was going crazy or developing Stockholm syndrome but she believed it. She was tired of being so angry.

He emerged from beyond the door frame and tossed a crumpled up black tee at her head. She caught it and held it in front of her. It was plain with a neon skull in the middle. The smell of lavender and ginger filled her nose - not so smelly for a beast.

She pulled it over her clothes, letting it fall to her knees. "Thanks."

He smirked, his face finally visible as the painting activity had forced him out of his hoodie. "You look totally punk."

"I feel ready for a mosh pit."

He crouched down and opened the can of paint. "Nah, you'd get trampled. You're too tiny."

"Um, I'll have you know I've been to a rowdy concert or two." She brought over the tray for him to pour the paint in and grabbed a roller. She was aware of her height, there was no point in arguing against his claims.

"A concert is very different from a mosh pit."

She shrugged. "Have you ever been to one?"

He laughed. "Tons."

After they had claimed their perspective portions of the wall to paint, she tried to picture Teigan without his upturned nose and twisted skin. She pictured a younger version of him - perhaps he was more lanky or had a mohawk - dancing around at a dark venue with strobe lights, bumping into strangers without a care. It was hard to imagine his face unguarded enough to enjoy music.

"What got you into rock music?" she asked, glancing back at him. He was making far more progress than she was.

He took a step back and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Uh . . . To be honest, it was a phase in middle school I never got out of."

"But who introduced it to you? You know, the bad influence with dyed hair, a trench coat, and a smoking habit?"

"There was no such person. My friends weren't that quirky."

Beth smiled at the paint that was drying onto her hands. "You've certainly outgrown them then."

She couldn't see it but she was sure she had earned another eye roll.

"You're saying you discovered rock all by yourself? No epic tale to go along with it?"

He blinked at her. "You're bored out of your mind aren't you?"