Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Either someone is trying to get a message to you or send you one, or they are just using it as a dumping ground and it’s completely unrelated to you. Whoever it is, I think you need to find them. Maybe compile a list of people you’ve pissed off.”
“That will be a pretty big list.”
“Just do what you have to do and get the job done.”
Beast spun on his heel and started to walk away.
“What is all this shit with Charity?” Dwayne asked. “I wasn’t doing her any harm.”
“Did you fight for her?”
“What?”
“You heard me. All I did was pass on a message to you about Charity. You didn’t put up a fight. Do you want her?” Beast asked.
“When you were with Hope, what was it like?”
“I’m still with Hope, Dwayne.” Beast’s arms were folded. “She became everything I thought about. In fact, I couldn’t go or do anything without wondering if she was okay. She consumed every single thought that I had and then some. I wanted to know she’d be fine without me. If her day was any better. The truth was and still is, that she became my whole world overnight and I couldn’t for a second imagine life without her. I wanted to kill anyone that hurt her, and for a while that meant myself. By giving her father the gun, I felt like I’d taken everything away from her.”
“It’s not how it works.”
“I get it, but it doesn’t make the guilt go away. This past week without Charity, what has it been like?”
“It has been torture. I’ve wanted to reach out, to make sure she’s safe. I can’t just ignore these feelings that she inspires inside me.”
“Then don’t, but be prepared to have to fight for her. Are we done with the man-to-man talk?”
“Yeah, we’re done.”
“Good. Come to dinner on Sunday.”
He watched Beast leave first before checking the time. It would be touch and go to make it to her school, but he was willing to risk it. Glancing down at the letter in his hand, he quickly tore into it. It was just a single page, folded.
To Dwayne,
I’m sorry. I know this is lame and you probably hear this a lot, but I am sorry for everything. For saying those things. You didn’t deserve them and I hope you can forgive me. Thank you for coming to save me. For helping me. It means a lot to me.
Love, Charity
Love, Charity?
The fact she’d taken the time to come and deliver a letter had to mean something. Now he just felt like an asshole for pushing her aside.
Climbing into his car, he put the letter in his jacket and turned over the ignition. He had time to make it to the high school.
This time when he finally arrived, he didn’t just wait beside his car. He got out and moved toward Charity’s car. There were students milling around, trying to look cool. There was a time he’d been part of all that. Leaning against cars, laughing with girls. Doing everything he could to get in their pants and to hide the darkness within his soul.
When he was with Charity, she made him forget who he was. The killing, the need for blood was nothing more than a distant, faraway memory, but still there. He could remember the look on his father’s face when he got angry. When the need to hurt, to put him and his mom in their places was present in his mind. Damn, it seemed so long ago to even remember that.
He’d often have to wait, staring out of his bedroom window, watching to see which man came back home. The monster, or the man that wished to be a good man. It would always be in that vicious cycle. One, then the other, sometimes just one.
Girls passed him, pushing out their tits as if that would get his attention. They’d already shortened their skirts, and he wasn’t interested. A couple of the men were trying to appear cool and calm, but he made them nervous. It reminded him a little of when Beast would come to the school over some misdemeanor. His friends would pretend that they were all cool and tight with Beast. The truth was, his uncle only ever spoke to him, and then of course there was Hope.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he watched as Charity left the school. She was staring down at her bag, shoving something inside it. She hadn’t seen him yet, and for now that was a good thing. He wanted it to be a bit of a surprise. Not that he anticipated this being a good surprise. They hadn’t parted on good terms.
When she finally flung her bag on one shoulder and looked up, the instant she clocked him, he knew. Her walking slowed, coming to a stop, and she looked a little uncomfortable. Her eyes turned to slits as she glared at him, and then she finally started walking again toward him.