LOGINShare
27 | Choices
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Plinio's POV:
I can see her walking towards the door, towards me. She has not seen me yet but I can see her clearly. She's wearing a maroon apron with Kent embroidered with white thread at the top left corner.
Her lips are pursed with distress. It is both mind-boggling and relaxing to see her, all my raging nerves have calmed down and I know exactly where I have to be; beside her.
She pushes open the glass door and once she has spotted me, she stands in front of me, folding her arms.
"What?" She snaps and despite the anger in her tone, it still sounds like a melody.
But then her eyes widen with horror and it confuses. I look behind if there's someone bu
Related chapters
Beautiful & Battered 28 | Damages
Plinio's POV: Could I have hidden and not run with Celeste? Of course not. But she said I had a choice and according to her I made the decision to take the risk. If it's possible to rewind the day to where she knocked down the thief, I would still grab her hand and do the same thing again. And again. I can, and I always will take the risk for Celeste. But how can there be a choice every single time? It is bound to run out one way or another. For starters, when Ryder passed that nasty remark about me and I beat him to a pulp, going to the detention center after that, could I not keep walking and just ignore him? Or that
Beautiful & Battered 29 | Try
Celeste's POV: "I lost the match, Celeste. I lost and I'm not sad about it." "What match?" I ask Plinio, pulling the phone to my other ear and looking out of the dirty window of the taxi. "I am so happy that I could jump if I had the energy to. Ow!" "Why are you happy and in pain too? Plinio?" I exclaim through the phone. This boy will drive me insane. "And where are you?" "So many questions, Celeste," he laughs. "I'll be found in my bed for a few days now." "Plinio, you didnotget into another fight, right?" I ask only to receive a guilty silence from the other side. "I'll be at your place in ten mi
Beautiful & Battered 30 | Moment for me
Plinio's POV:I don't remember the last time someone made soup for me or stayed beside me or listened to me talk till I slept.I want to believe Celeste in all that she says about hope, second chances, and everything else she told me last night. But when I look at myself in the mirror and look at the reflection of my eyes, I see everything I've done wrong and everything that I could have done differently. Now there's no going back.I am rubbing the hard-boiled egg on the swellings and it's actually soothing. Better than ice even. It has just approved my opinion of never negating Celeste's idea. She is so f*cking nice to me it hurts. She had left a note for me on my study table."Just keep breathing," it reads.
Beautiful & Battered 31 | Between Two
Celeste's POV: I don't know much about others but my brain definitely works in the most bizarre ways. Plinio's gaze has been lingering at me, longer than it does, making me elated, intoxicated even and I shouldn't be feeling this way but why on Earth was I on the verge of telling him about Kathy? I don't want to be called a liar when I'm told that it's necessary to hide the truth. I don't want to face the looks of sympathy or insult once the illusion I've created is shattered. I have to keep up with this act and this sudden attraction for Plinio which is uncalled for, and most probably a spur-of-the-moment attraction, I have to get over it. I have Kevin and he loves me and I... I love him too. I agree that Kevin and I ha
Beautiful & Battered 32 | Would Never
Plinio's POV: "I think you should talk to Ryder," suggests Celeste. "It will do good to you." Good to me? Some talk can't erase what I've done. Making me feel good is far from it. It is easier for Celeste to propose such heavy words because she doesn't know what I've done and how horrible I am. "Just talking won't help me sleep at night," I tell her, taking a bite of my cheese sandwich. Since Kevin is with his coach and I'm ignoring Logan, the two of us are sitting together in the cafeteria. "You don't know that yet," she replies, her eyes on the untouched tray in front of her. She has told me that she doesn't have an appetite today. "Don't get me wrong," she looks cautious of me, "why did you beat him in the first place?"
Beautiful & Battered 33 | Primrose
"What?" I stop short and furrow my eyebrows. "I don't hear anything." Celeste puts her finger on her lips and then cups her ears. There can't be any wild animals here. It could be just a dog but I highly doubt that and I'm not in the mood to run. Her stun pen won't work on any animal either. Wait, I do hear it. "Is there a stream near us?" I question and walk towards the source. Celeste follows behind. "Yes," she grins. "I read it online. Some streams and lakes branch out from the river Conemaugh. And, fortunately, we might be near one." "No way!" There is a damn stream flowing through mossy stones in front of our eyes. It's not deep, just a little way below our knees I think. The water is the shade of mud lying undernea
Beautiful & Battered 34 | Black, white and grey
Celeste's POV: Sometimes I think it is easier to prefer one thing over the other when we see in either black or white. The grey can complicate things. Plinio can either realize his mistakes or wallow in its aftermath, either take shit from Logan or ignore him completely, either apologize to Ryder genuinely or break his bones when he pisses him off, either be adamant to know my truth and break hearts or be satisfied with what I tell, either be my friends within limits or kiss me. I would have kissed him if there were no greys. Both of us would have regretted it later because I have a boyfriend and he is just confused. To help him clear his confusion, I leave for school with Kevin earlier and go straight to the art room. Whatever opinion Mrs. Hannah or an
Beautiful & Battered 35 | Makes us Human
I take Forman to an empty room where I can be alone with him.I try to contain my raging nerves after seeing Forman at the gym. I control it in the best possible way I can. He flinches under my touch. Pressing my lips together, I withdraw my hand and close the door behind me.“Go away, Forman! Why do you even come here? Go away and never come back!”He is scared of me and it's natural. I abused him. And that's why I don't understand why he shows up here. He should be complaining against me, doing everything he can to make sure I never touch him again.“Dad doesn't listen to me," he mumbles, standing at a safe distance from me. It's hard to grasp why a father won't listen to his son. But who a
Latest chapter
Beautiful & Battered Epilogue
Plinio's POV: “Today marks our last therapy session, Mr. Murray,” my prison psychologist, Dr. Sean Evans, says with a hint of honor masked by his usual placid tone. “And you still can’t call me Plinio or Nio as I have asked you a hundred times already,” I smile, shaking my head. The first session was in the first week of my three-year sentence. I was handcuffed, and my legs were chained to the hooks on the floor. Two officers were standing outside, and one was behind my psychologist. In this very room, I was asked several questions to be diagnosed with any kind of mental illness. But, I was neither suicidal nor dangerous nor depressed; in fact, I was quite content, I still am. I have had the lowest number of sessions among all the inmates. And, now, no metal is holding me in place, and only one
Beautiful & Battered 56 | Goodbye
Plinio's POV: Getting my battered face cleaned and bandaged has never been as painful as it is today. It is not only my swollen jaw and smashed lips that hurt; the heartbreak in Celeste’s eyes is more painful. Watching the raw emotions swimming in her moist blue eyes and seeing her shaky hands with which she puts a bandage across the cut on my forehead, I can’t fathom her answer to what I’ve told her about the upcoming situation. “Say something,” I hold her hand and make her sit on the bed beside me. She releases a wobbling breath, and her chest heaves as she places the cotton and the ointment on the bedside table. “Mary will hire a lawyer for you. She’ll bail you out too.” She gives my face a brief look, her eyes falling back to her lap two seconds earlier. “I don’t s
Beautiful & Battered 55 | One last fight
Plinio's POV: As I expected, gym Grandé is open, and Logan is sitting in his room. He is looking out the window with his phone pressed to his ear and his back facing me. He is completely unaware of my presence at the threshold of his room. I am making no sound to grab his attention either. His words to the person on the phone somewhat pique my interest. “Yes, you got that right. That’s exactly why he asked you not to send your son here anymore.” There’s silence, and Logan is nodding with his cheeks raised, giving space to one of his menacing smirks. There’s an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I choose to ignore it. “I am sorry for everything that happened,” Logan lies. The Logan I have seen is never sorry. “Of course, I will send the video. Yes, see you soon.”
Beautiful & Battered 54 | Still a Monster
Plinio's POV: "You knew it, didn't you?" Hayley shouts, letting herself inside the apartment. Her hands are above her hips and her nose is constantly flaring. "You knew Logan's plan." Confusion takes over me and other than the sudden flip in the atmosphere, I hate the thing she's accusing me of. I don't even know what she's talking about and yet, here she is, barging at my apartment and shouting at me. "What's wrong, Hayley?" Celeste steps beside me, putting her hand on my shoulder. "This guy you're standing next to is wrong and his a***ole of a friend is the worst." She's better when shy, what's gotten into her today? "Can you please elaborate?" I maintain my cool despite my raging nerves.
Beautiful & Battered 53 | Learning
Celeste's POV: "Kathy, meet Plinio." Her brows meet in the middle and her brown orbs flutter between me and Plinio. Her small warm hand is holding my hand and she blinks rapidly. I have no idea what is going on in her head. "She doesn't like me," Plinio states with dread beside us. He heaves a deep sigh and looks around the playground, shaking his left leg like he does when he's anxious. "Wait for a second, will you?" I crane my neck back at my sister. Though, it feels good to know that he wants my sister to like him. "What is he to you and why did you not c
Beautiful & Battered 52 | Makes strong
His touch is intoxicating. Whenever his breath traces my skin, I feel like drowning. He's so full of love and care for me. And I still can't get enough. He has a way with words that play with the strings of my heart and then there's his cooking. That morning when he baked the cake for me reminded him of his mother a lot, I could see it in his eyes. But, he didn't let it stop him from doing what he loves. There's no reason why I can't love him because I do. Kevin's parents, Max and Rachel, have called me to their home. Plinio was adamant about going with me but there are some challenges I have to face alone. Now here I am, sitting in the lounge of my ex-boyfriend where Kevin and I talked about our dream college. I haven't heard from him for two weeks now. Our brea
Beautiful & Battered 51 | Stunning
It feels like some weight has lifted off my chest. I can talk about my mother and she can talk about her family. There is no more hiding between us. About our relationship, we are taking things slow. She says that she doesn't want me to think that I'm some rebound or anything. I doubt that I'm any of that. Our relationship is built on friendship and trust and even if I were a rebound, we would have had sex till now then. Kevin has called on Celeste's phone many times. But she switched it off. I'll probably land a lunch on his face if he comes in front of me. "Can I come inside today?" I ask Celeste, standing outside her house. We've come to take a few things that she'll need. Till her wounds heal, she's staying at my apartment, or even longer if she wants to.
Beautiful & Battered 50 | My love
Thanks to the king-sized bed, we lie next to each other. My eyes are facing the ceiling with my hands behind my head and Celeste is probably awake too. The lights are off and only the moonlight seeping through the white curtains is dimly illuminating the room. Her rhythmic breathing and the chirping of crickets outside are in harmony with each other. "I was going to break up with Kevin even before Trevor told me about Kevin and Stella," she owns up in a hushed tone. "Even before Kevin did what he did." Yes, I wanted her to break up with Kevin for my selfish reasons but I wish she had broken up with him the very first time he hit her. I wish she had broken up with him for herself, for the care one must-have for one's body. I turn to look at her, putting my hands b
Beautiful & Battered 49 | Another Victim of Abuse
Plinio's POV: Sierra's headlights illuminate a meek figure on the side of the street. How much I wish not to see Celeste like that, but it is she. She is shaking while sitting on her knees. Halting my car, I hop out of the car and run to her side. Her shoulders heave up and down as she tries to calm her breathing. Her hair has fallen to her face but I know there are tears behind it. What must have happened? "Oh, Celeste," I slide away from her hair with my fingers. A reddish shade rests on her jaw. If I'm not hallucinating, then it is behind to swell too. My heart falls to the pit of my stomach and a gasp leaves my mouth. She glances at me through her tear-filled, piercing blue eyes. "Who did t
