Scarred Beauty

by Sam Crescent

  The woman on the reception desk gave him a welcoming smile, which he ignored. On the way up, he rubbed his chest. The pain increased with every step he took. Every step reminded him of what he’d lost.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next two weeks passed in a blur for Noelle. The media went into a frenzy over the woman Isaac had been seen eating a meal with. She’d rented an apartment on the other side of town. Switching on the television the evening news came on. Isaac, walking away from his office building, was being badgered by a well dressed reporter.

  “Mr. Welch, could we ask about the woman you were pictured with?”

  “No comment,” Isaac said.

  “What about news of a meeting with your father?” another reporter asked.

  “Why is she a scarred beauty?”

  At the last question Isaac turned to the media. He looked fierce and every one of his forty years. A hand went to her mouth as she gasped at the change within him. He looked angry.

  “I never want to hear these questions again after this. Am I understood?” Murmurs echoed from each member of the press. “The woman I was having dinner with is a budding artist whose work is the best I’ve ever seen. Noelle Evans is an up and coming star. Our relationship is nothing more than a business one. Good day.”

  Hearing her full name from his lips was a heady experience if not a little upsetting. She was angry with him for the lying, but to completely blank their relationship as nothing but business ... hurt. Turning the television off, she went and stood next to her window. As she had known would happen, the city was alight with the approaching festive season. A month was still to go before the big day. The city would work for a few weeks to get every light looking perfect.

  More than she liked to think about, her thoughts drifted back to Brad. She knew there would come a point where she would have to talk to him again.

  Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her coat from the door. She intended to go see her best friend. The ringing of the telephone stopped her in her tracks. Frowning, she waited for the voice mail service to pick up.

  “This is Noelle Evans. I’m not in right now, but please leave a message after the beep.”

  The sound of the machine beeping kicked in.

  “Noelle, honey. It’s your dad.” A cough and the sound of muttering came over the line. “I spoke to your friend Bradley, and he gave me this number. He said you two had a fight and had moved out. Well, I guess I’d better tell you why I called. We want to see you, honey. Me and your mum. We want you to come home for Christmas.”

  A pause and more rustling around.

  “I better go. Take care, Noelle. Love you.”

  The click of the message finished. She pulled away from the door and went over to the phone. She pressed the play button, listening to the message again. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about her father. She would have to visit him soon. Sitting down in the seat beside the phone, she stared at her hands. In the space of two years so much had changed. She wasn’t the eighteen year old woman who’d run out of her home to get away from the man she felt was responsible for ruining her life. The relationship she had with her father had been an excellent one at one point. When she had gone to school, and after the accident which had given her the scars, that relationship had been tested.

  Seeing her faults with a clearer eye, she knew what she had to do. She would visit her parents closer to Christmas.

  First, she needed to go to the loft to collect her paintings from Isaac. She had an appointment with a man who was interested in selling her paintings at auction, but he wanted to see what she had to offer before he did.

  Grabbing her keys from the side by the phone, she called a taxi and waited outside. The journey to the loft which Isaac had bought was a long one. Every passing second she wanted to ask the driver to turn back. She didn’t know if he would be there or not. When the man pulled up she asked him to wait for her.

  “It will cost for me to keep the motor running.”

  “Of course.” She no longer expected anything else. Everyone wanted more money or quicker ways of getting out of paying. Staring up at the building she squared her shoulders before entering.

  At first glance it looked like the loft was empty. The furniture hadn’t been moved, and her art-work remained in the same place. On closer inspection she saw that her paintings were placed around the room, each one in clear view of the sofa.

  Isaac sat on the sofa staring at her art work.

  “I didn’t expect you to be here,” she said.

  “You sent me a text to say you would be taking your art work, and you think I wouldn’t be here to try and convince you to stay?” He turned his gaze on her.

  “Why would you try to do that?”

  “Because I love you, and no matter what you think that will never stop.”

  His words struck deep in her heart.

  “I’ve come for the paintings.”

  “Then take them.” He gestured to each one. Opening and closing her hands, she stared at him not wanting to move. After several minutes passed Noelle pulled herself out of the trance and began to gather her work.

  Isaac sat on the sofa, watching her but not making a move. When she pulled the last painting off the easel, she felt him behind her. Spinning around, she gasped as he pressed her against the wall.

  She didn’t have time to protest as he slammed his lips down on hers. The kiss wasn’t gentle or soft but hard and demanding. At first she denied him, fighting against his hold. All too soon she was melting into his touch, her lips opening to accept the invasion of his tongue. Their moans mingled in the air around them. She sank her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck as he ran his hands down her body. She was drowning in the sea of his touch, and she couldn’t find a way out.

  It would be all too easy to give herself to him, but what would happen afterwards? He would go back to his life, and she would return to hers.

  Pushing him away, Noelle broke the contact.

  “I don’t want this.”

  “I can feel the fire of your passion, Elle. You want me.”

  Staring at him she shook her head in denial. Pulling out of his hold, she grabbed her paintings from the doorway.

  “I may still want you, but that all changed when you weren’t honest with me.”

  She pressed the elevator button and began the journey to the taxi. The meeting with the man who wanted to sell her paintings was in the afternoon. She checked the time on her phone and decided to go straight to the man’s office.

  The changes in her life were necessary. She took a quick glance up at the window and saw Isaac staring back at her. The intensity in his gaze could be seen from where she stood. She didn’t know why she felt that way, but she did.

  She got back into the taxi and drove off. The desire to look back was strong.

  ****

  Ben waited for Brad at the cemetery where he’d told the other man to meet him. After his meeting with Noelle, Ben knew it was only a matter of time until he told Brad the truth. He flicked the cigarette he was smoking out of his fingers when he saw Brad approaching.

  “Thank you for calling me,” Brad said.

  “I don’t want to talk. I just want to show you, so we can move on.” Ben needed to get past the hate and guilt inside him. The emotions were threatening to destroy him every day. He walked through the cemetery, past the main gravestones and along some bushes.

  Ben came to a stop out one gravestone at the edge of the cemetery near the fence.

  “What’s going on, Ben? Why have you bought me here?”

  “I can’t go on with you not knowing about your past. Our past. The only way we can move on is for me to tell you what happened.” Ben moved some of the leaves that had blown onto the grave. He rubbed his hands along the lettering, and once again his heart began to ache. So many lies had been told over the years, and he hated himself for it. When he was younger coming out of the closet had never been acceptable. For years, he’d kept his se

xuality a secret from his parents, his work colleagues and even his wife.

  “You came into the bar one night, and we hit it off. I’d never met anyone like you. You were so confused but yet knew who you wanted to be. Compared to everyone I knew, you were a breath of fresh air. We started dating. I know you were young, and I shouldn’t have acted on my attraction to you. But I did.” Ben ran his fingers through his hair. He was shaking from the memories of his affair with Brad. Never in his whole life had he been as happy as when he was with Brad. “We said we’d keep our relationship a secret. You promised you’d never hurt my wife.” He heard Brad gasp, and he turned away to carry on with his tale. “I didn’t know about your drug and alcohol problem. One night you came to club when my wife was visiting. You were out of control, shouting and bitching. I’ve never seen anything like it. That night, you told the whole club and my wife about our affair.”

  “I’m so sorry….” Ben stopped him from talking.

  “She couldn’t cope. I dealt with you, and when I tried to talk to my wife, she ran out on me. That night, I lost you, my wife, and my unborn child.”

  Brad was crying, and Ben knew he’d broken through that wall inside him.

  “I don’t just blame you. I blame myself. If you hadn’t walked inside the club I would have remained faithful to my wife, and she would be alive and so would my child.”

  “I don’t understand. Why do you have a wife if you like men? What did I do?” Brad asked. The tears were endless, and Ben hated himself for the added pain he was causing.

  Ben closed his eyes, and he turned away from Brad. He needed to get himself together. This wasn’t entirely Brad’s fault.

  “I’m bisexual, Brad. You’re the first man I’ve let myself get close to. I never cheated on my wife with another woman, but with you, I had to have you. My wife died because she heard the way you were bragging at the club, and she asked me if it was true. I told her it was, and she ran out, taking the car and drove into a fucking tree.”

  “Why is that my fault?” Brad asked.

  “Because if you hadn’t come into my life, I would never have cheated on her. I fell in love with you, and it kills me to know that inside I’m still fucking happy that you’re alive. If you’d kept your mouth shut she’d be alive, and I would have you and my wife and baby.” Ben watched as Brad turned away from him and walked out of the cemetery.

  ****

  Brad needed to get away. He felt Ben was being a selfish prick after what he’d said. Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to understand everything that had happened. There was no way he could be responsible for the death of Ben’s wife.

  He fought with his own demons, and he couldn’t stop thinking that it was his fault. His hands were shaking as he walked back to the apartment. The paintings Noelle had drawn were up taunting him. He looked at the paintings and saw the loss of friendship and the added loss of Ben.

  The urge to lose himself in drink was strong. Ben held him responsible for the death of his wife and child. A part of him was arguing with the statement while another knew he should have kept his mouth shut.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The taxi driver kept the engine running. Two years had passed since she had last seen her parents. Staring at the house with the Christmas decorations made her chest hurt. Not too far from the house, her dad had had the accident which had altered her life forever.

  “Do you want me to keep going, honey?” the man asked.

  “No. I think I’ll stay for a while. Thank you for taking me.” She handed him the bill. He got out and gave her the cases. She moved her hair out of the way, the blonde locks reminding her of Isaac. He loved to brush her hair when she got out of the shower. Shaking her head to clear the images she thanked the man.

  He gave her a warm smile. She waited for him to drive away before turning back to the house.

  The whole street was deserted as a fresh layer of snow had begun to fall. Walking the path to the front door, her heart started to pound. Two years didn’t sound like a long time, but so much could happen in that length of time. The snow crunched under her feet with every step she took. When she got to the front door, she hesitated on the buzzer.

  She turning around to leave and then back again. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten and pressed the buzzer.

  She heard people moving around from inside. Biting her lip she saw the inner door open, the curtain being pulled back, and she stared into the eyes of her father.

  “Noelle?” He opened the door, and there he stood. The man who had caused her scarring. The man who had spent a lot of his time at the bottom of a liquor bottle. The same man stood in front of her as sober as she’d ever seen him.

  “Hi, dad,” she said.

  He engulfed her in a bear hug. The tears she didn’t even know she’d kept inside began falling as he held her and kissed her.

  “I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart.” She knew he was crying. She felt the tears on her neck.

  “I’ve missed you, too.” She held her dad as the years of pain and anguish melted away. He didn’t smell of alcohol. He smelt like her father with the touch of tobacco and the fabric softener that her mother liked to use.

  “I can’t stay long, but I thought we could spend Christmas together,” she said with her arms wrapped around him.

  “I don’t care as long as you promise to keep coming back. I’m so sorry, Noelle.” She heard the sob in her dad’s voice as he spoke.

  He pulled her inside, and the rest of her family began to embrace her. Her mother was there with tears in her eyes. The whole episode was a crying affair.

  Noelle embraced everyone, her heart breaking at the pain she’d caused many people. Staring at her father, she saw how emotional he was at the encounter as well.

  After some time passed and they asked her how she was getting on, her father told her cousins to leave so they could catch up. He took her hands and led her into the sitting room.

  He sat in the old armchair where she remembered sitting on his knee and reading a story to him as she grew up.

  “I can’t believe you turned up,” he said.

  “How could I not after these past two years?”

  “Two years? Is that all it has been? It’s felt like a lifetime. You’re looking amazing. How is everything with you?” he asked.

  She smiled at him, her heart slowing down as her nerves were replaced by the warmth of the family. “I’ve been doing well. I’ve got a collector or an auctioneer or whatever you call it who wants to sell my art work, which is amazing, I think.”

  “You were never one for finding out all the proper names of people.”

  They both laughed. Their bond was still fragile, and the threat of it breaking kept them in check.

  “Nothing much else has happened.”

  “What about this argument I’ve heard from your friend Brad?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She’d ignored his calls, and she hadn’t bothered to tell her she was going to see her parents. She missed Brad. He was like a constant presence in her life, and not being around him upset her. She wanted to make sure he was coping okay with her absence.

  “Men?”

  Noelle blushed as she thought about Isaac. No matter what she tried to do she couldn’t get him out of her head.

  “I met someone, but he wasn’t who he said he was.”

  “Then he’s no good for you.”

  She smiled and stared at her dad. He took her hand and smiled back at her. Licking her lips, she knew she had to say the words she’d been feeling for some time.

  “I blamed you.” She blurted out. He gasped, and the hand holding hers tightened. Instead of stopping, she continued. “Since the accident which gave me this,” she moved her hand over her face, “I’ve hated you for it. I felt that if it wasn’t for your selfishness, I wouldn’t be scarred, and none of this would have happened.”

  He went to speak, and she held her hand up to stop him.

  “Please, let me finish. This has been ten years in the making, and I think I need to get it off my chest. I promise I didn’t come here to start a fight or to make you feel bad.”

  He nodded his head and continued to hold her hand.

  “I never wanted to see you again and laid the blame at your feet for this whole thing. Over the past few months I’ve come to see that it was really no one’s fault. What happened, happened, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life being bitter for something that I can’t change. I love you, dad, and I forgive you.”

  He held her close, and the bond between them began to mend. Noelle closed her eyes as she thought about everything she had missed. She wasn’t just thinking about the last two years but what she’d missed since the accident. Time truly could heal old wounds.

  With that thought in mind, she wondered if she could forgive Isaac. In the moments of being in her father’s arms she knew she could forgive him.

  ****

  Noelle spent the next couple of days with her family. Her cousins were visiting from up north, and the family were having several trips down memory lane. She didn’t see her father drink once during their time together. He took her out to the local diner, and they ate together mending the barrier that had been erected between them. She knew she had to go back home but had promised to return for Christmas.

  On the day before her last, she was clearing away the dishes when the door bell rang. Her mother went to answer it as her dad and cousins were getting ready to watch a movie. Noelle put some condiments away in the cupboard.

  “Noelle, a gentleman is here to see you.” Her family charged toward the porch to see the man who’d come to call on her. Shaking her head and smiling at the same time she went to see who had decided to visit. She stopped when she saw Brad at the door. He looked pale and terrified. Staring at him, she knew something was wrong. His whole demeanour was off. When he saw her, she saw the relief flash across his face.

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