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

42. Brave knights and blind spots

"Now you understand why I said that I killed them." His words were met with a deafening silence. A long stretch of time passed by, without anyone saying anything. His deep voice poked through her ears in a small whisper. "Look at my face. The shrads of glass from the accident tore through almost every part of my face, as if to remind me that I wasn't worthy of being look at, after everything. It was the worst day of my life and my aunt blamed me for it. Too bad she wasn't wrong."

The Larkin in front of her was an old version of him that she didn't expect to see. An unhappy Larkin. The sadness that he hung around his shoulders seemed to weigh him down even more than usual. All that was left was the defeat lurking in his eyes. Watching him pour out the hardest time in his life brought out the rawest side of him. He was still a teenager who dragged around the memories that tore him apart. Just like how she used to do.

Uncertainty clawed on her face, when she said. "But she is wrong. You couldn't have predicted all the bad things that would happen. This was beyond you, Larkin. You did everything you could. For all we know, the criminals wanted to kill all of you. If you didn't run then you would have died too. You are alive because you ran. You can't alter the fact that you drove the car through that road, but you can attest to the fact that your stubbornness kept you alive."

"But was it worth it?" Beneath his stiffened posture, Larkin's eyes turned dark again, with unexplainable emotions sailing in. "Was it worth losing them in the process?"

"I don't know. I can't tell you how to feel your pain but you need understand that you can't hold on it forever." Callie drew a long breath and held his gaze. She spotted a twinge of vulnerability filling those green eyes. Her voice came out softly. "It will destroy you, Larkin. Don't let it destroy you."

"I'm gonna need another cup of coffee." A muscle in his jaw twitched. His icy tone made Callie upset. She whirled towards him with determination blazing around her. It looked like she was going to say something again, but he beat her to it. "I think I need a moment alone."

"You can't push me away, Larkin." Her chest rose and fell when she forced out an angry sigh. Callista's ragged breathing slowed down when his eyes lingered a little longer on his face. She wanted to yell at him. He was pulling away again. Other times, she put up with him and respected his feelings but he needed to talk to someone. Even if that meant her.

Larkin gritted his teeth. His voice, low and steady. "Why does everyone think that I'm pushing them away? I just want some alone time to think. To clear my head. Is that so much to ask for?"

With a resigned groan, she huffed out. "Fine. But don't say that I didn't try. I just don't want you to punish yourself. You're a good person and you deserve to be happy."

He pressed the grip on his walking stick and approached her. Larkin stood right in front of Callie, taking her breath away with his beautiful face. His fingers brushed off the waves of her hair from her face. Her sweet scent once again filled his nose. Magnolia. A rare floral choice. His mom used to have a garden full of those flowers, so he knew that intoxicating scent by heart. "What makes you think I'm not happy right now?"

Her eyes lifted. Her heartbeat thundered at his proximity. Larkin's fingers caressed her cheeks lightly, raising her chin slightly. She shivered by his touch. His head lowered and Callista's eyelids closed, anticipating his mindblowing kiss. She could feel his soft lips grazing above her eyebrows. A motion that made Callista flutter her eyes open.

She scowled. That was what she was getting? A kiss on the forehead? What was she? 5 years old?

Callista scowled again when she noticed his right hand had stretched out expectantly. "My cup."