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Chapter 73
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Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 74
Days passed as I resolutely avoided Brax and Dillon, my phone vibrating with unanswered calls and unopened texts from Brax. I told myself over and over that it had to be this way. I had to let go of them both and focus on my plan to take Steve down. Walking through the school halls, the cacophony of teenage chatter seemed distant and uninviting. Alone, I felt the weight of my decisions, but I knew it was all for the best.As I got to my first class, I felt an unwelcome buzz around me. The teacher's droning voice faded into the background, the words blending into a monotonous hum. Just as I tried to settle into my seat, the door flew open with a crash, startling the entire room.“Braxton Young! What do you think you’re doing?” The teacher’s voice was shrill.Brax scanned the room, his intense gaze locking onto mine. My body went rigid. His eyes held mine captive, and his presence pierced through my carefully constructed walls. "Willow," he said, his voice cutting through the fog in my
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 75
Willow's POVDavid's weathered eyes bore into mine, searching for something hidden deep within. "I want to know your plan for taking Steve down," he said, his voice steady yet laced with urgency.I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse quicken. This moment had been hanging over my head like a storm cloud for as long as I could remember. "I know it was him who burnt the hospital down," I began, my voice trembling but resolute. "And I can get a weapon he used for a killing not long ago."David's face didn't register surprise but rather a thoughtful contemplation. After a long pause, he shook his head slowly. "That's not enough, Willow. Steve is powerful. He will find a way out of those crimes. We need cold, hard evidence."David's expression darkened, the lines on his face deepening as he leaned forward. "We need hard evidence to bring him down. Your initial plan, while brave, isn't enough. Steve is slippery—he'll wriggle out of anything less than concrete proof." I took a deep breath, tryin
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 76
Brax’s POVSitting in the living room, I felt consumed by thoughts of Willow. Every minute without her felt like an eternity, and the grasp of her absence ate at my soul. Kasey and Nat were here too, but their presence seemed superficial compared to the shadow Willow cast in my mind. Kasey's voice broke through my thoughts, although it was muffled—as if he were speaking from underwater. He had been talking at me, not realising I wasn’t listening. His voice grew more urgent, trying to snap me out of my reverie.“Brax!” Kasey’s yell finally dragged me back to the present.I blinked, focusing on him. “Sorry, man. What was that?” I asked, trying to catch up.Kasey sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "Man, you need to let her go. She's not worth all of this. You and Dillon haven't spoken since the party. I miss hanging out with my two best mates. You shouldn't be fighting over a girl."His words hit me like a blow to the chest. I leaned forward, burying my face in my hands, my fingers
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 77
Brax's POV"Dillon, give it to me straight. What have you found out about Willow?" My tone was steady, masking the storm roiling inside.Dillon hesitated, then handed me a thick brown envelope. "Here. This will explain a lot."I snatched the envelope, tearing it open. Photos spilled out, capturing Willow with Steve in various locations: parties, leaving his house, and many more, all taken within the fast two days. Some showed them standing close together, their expressions unreadable, but one thing was constant—Willow's eyes. They were vacant, like she had lost a will to live."Dillon, what the hell are these?" My voice struggled to remain calm as I held up a photograph showing Willow and Steve sitting at a table at a party, their hands almost touching."I didn't call off the men following her," Dillon explained, his tone grave. "When I found out she'd been spending time with Steve, I asked them to start taking photos.""She looks like she's dating him," I said, my voice barely a whi
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 78
Willow's POVI stood staring at my reflection in the mirror, the woman staring back at me almost unrecognisable. My cheeks were hollow, my blue eyes sunken deep with dark circles beneath them, and my once vibrant hair hung limp and lifeless. The long, low-cut dress clung to my body, a testament to the weight I’d lost. The high slit up my leg seemed to mock me, revealing not just skin but the fragile state of my soul.How had I come to this? Again? The reflection seemed to ask me. Only a few weeks ago, I was a fearful but hopeful teenager. I had come a long way before, I believed, and now, I was just a shell worse than I had ever been. I had seduced Steve to gain his trust, systematically tearing down my own barriers, piece by piece. In some twisted way, I hoped it would all be worth it—worth the sleepless nights and the constant dread gnawing at me. If I could just gather the evidence and bring him down, I could protect the people I loved. Brax, Nat, Kasey, and Dillon deserved better
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 79
Brax's POVMy father’s office was a cavern of tension, the kind of place where power and fear seemed to hang in the air like a toxic mist. I stood there, arms crossed, doing my best to remain composed, but my thoughts were a storm of conflict and fury. The call from my father had been cryptic but urgent, demanding my immediate presence. As I waited for him to arrive, I couldn’t help but glance at my phone, the screen taunting me with its silence. Willow hadn't responded to the dozen messages I'd bombarded her with over the last few days.With a shuddering sigh, I unlocked my phone and typed out another message: "Willow, please. I need to know you’re okay."My thumb hovered over the send button, but before I could press it, the door swung open. My father strode in, his imposing figure filling the space with an oppressive authority. His eyes were sharp, cold, and calculating, a stark contrast to the man I used to see as a protective figure."Brax," he said, acknowledging me with a curt
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 80: Haunted
Willow’s POV Leaving Brax in the bathroom felt like tearing away a piece of my soul, the guilt almost suffocating. My body ached for him, not just from the fiery passion we had just shared but from the security he gave me, a sense of safety I could never afford to crave. Making my way back through the party, I forced a smile at the curious onlookers, pretending I was just another guest in the swirling chaos of music and laughter. Brax's desperate words replayed in my mind as I reached my stepfather, Steve. He was lost in conversation with his guests, but his predatory gaze caught me the instant I returned to his side. If only he knew what had just transpired, that the girl standing before him was a maelstrom of defiance and fear. But Steve, always overconfident, didn’t suspect a thing. That ignorance was my only card to play. "Where were you?" Steve asked with a slight slur, his eyes narrowing. "Bathroom," I replied nonchalantly, avoiding his gaze. As the night dragged on, I remai
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 81: Breaking Point
Willow's POVWhen Steve finally left, the room was a void, even the moonlight refusing to pour any sympathy through the curtains. I remained motionless for a moment, limbs heavy, feeling as if they'd been pinned down by invisible weights. In this silence, I fought against the shadowy grip that tried to pull me into that dark place in my head. It was a sanctuary built of despair and survival, a useful lie to mask pain. But I couldn't hide forever. I dragged myself up, muscles protesting, and rolled off the bed onto the floor. My body felt cold against the hardwood, a stark contrast to the heat of shame still burning my skin. Wincing, I crawled towards my clothes, each stretch and pull of muscle reminding me painfully of everything I wanted to forget.I dressed with mechanical efficiency, my mind a tiring hum of self-preservation tactics. The dress felt heavy and wrong, unlike the armour it was meant to be. But I didn't have time to dwell on the broken pieces. Grabbing my backpack, I s
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Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 92: Lost in Shadows
Brax’s POVThe stairs creaked beneath my feet, snapping me out of the daze that clouded my mind. The room I was leaving behind still held traces of my last distraction, yet there was only emptiness echoing in my heart. I passed by a mirror in the hallway and caught a glimpse of myself—a mess of unkept hair and a face that seemed older than its years. Even the girl up there, with her long black hair similar to Willow’s, didn’t fill the void.Descending the stairs, I grabbed a drink from the makeshift bar on the kitchen counter. The cool liquid burned, a somber reminder of how far I’d fallen since Willow left. A chorus of familiar voices floated in from the living room where the guys were gathered. I moved over and dropped onto the couch, positioning myself where I could observe quietly.“Hey, man, you good?” Dillion asked, glancing at me over his shoulder.“Yeah, just tired,” I said, feigning a lightness in my tone that I didn’t feel. My eyes followed Dillon’s line of sight, noticing h
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 91: A Knock at the Door
Willow's POVThe echo of the knock startled me, piercing through the silence like a knife. For days, I had waded through the murky waters of my thoughts, lost in the whirlwind of emotions that defined my existence. The flat was my sanctuary, yet it also felt like a cage, confining me in its walls while I waited for the chaos to unfold around me.Steve was away, and although his absence lifted a heavy weight, the uncertainty that loomed was almost worse than his presence. Marco had not called on me since I last saw him, which was a relief but also a worry at the same time. And Brax's image danced through my mind—haunting and unattainable.Bracing myself, I tiptoed toward the door and peeked hesitantly through the small window. Relief and confusion swept over me at the same time when I recognised Brody, David's son, standing on the other side, shuffling his feet nervously.I hesitated for a moment before opening the door, expecting anything but this. "Brody? What are you doing here?" My
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 90
The moonlight cast long shadows on the dimly lit alleyways as I ran, each breath a reality crashing down on me as tears streamed from my eyes. My feet pounded the pavement, echoing the decisions I couldn’t walk away from. There was no time for hesitation or second-guessing. The stakes were too high, and Brax’s life was on the line. Once home, I threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie before grabbing all the things I had stolen. Every part of me screamed to stop, to breathe, but all I could think of was making my way to David’s. The pounding dread surged through me as I pushed past the front door, launching myself into the night.David’s house loomed before me, a beacon of what little hope I had left. I banged relentlessly on the door, my impatience punctuating each knock until finally, Brody, his son, swung it open.“Is your dad home?” I blurted out.“No, he's at work. What’s going on?” he asked, concern furrowing his brow.I thrust the bag into his arms, urgency lacing my voice. "Give
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 89: The Party
Brax's POVThe taste of whiskey burned like fire, numbing every part of me that still felt pain. It was my armour of choice tonight—a shield against memories that refused to stay buried. Dylan and Kasey watched with eyes full of quiet concern, but they understood. Sometimes, all you could do was let the liquor drown the ghosts before they drowned you.Stumbling through the party, the music pounded around me, a relentless rhythm that shook the ground. It promised a temporary escape, a distraction from Willow's haunting presence. But tonight wasn't about peace; it was about surrendering to something primal, something that roared inside me at the sight of Lana across the room.Lana had been an escape before—a fleeting, physical release. As I staggered towards her, the rage inside me simmered. Her friends barely blinked when I grabbed her wrist, pulling her away. We lived in a world where such bold moves were neither new nor shocking."Brax," she breathed, a sultry promise layered in ever
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 88
: Brax's POVSilence enveloped the room after Willow's departure, a vacuum so absolute it felt almost tangible. I stood in the chaos we had created—the shattered dish on the floor, the imprint of my fist on the wall, and the lingering echo of her defiant words. Anger, confusion, and an aching sadness twisted inside me, each emotion wrestling for dominance. I ran my hand through my hair, tugging at the roots in frustration.How had we gotten here? I wanted to hate her for pushing me away, for labelling me as not enough. Yet, underneath the fiery surface, I knew the truth—my heart had chosen her long before I was ready to admit it, and now I was stuck in limbo, unable to move forward without her.Disgusted with the state of things, I left the room, forcing my leaden feet down the stairs. Kasey and Dillon were still in the foyer, their faces reflecting concern and questions they dared not voice aloud. I couldn't deal with their probing eyes or the pity masked as sympathy."Brax…" Dillon
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 87: Unravelling
Willow's POVWatching Brax leave the room felt like watching safety slip through my fingers. The clatter of the lock was a reminder of the mess my life had become. It was ironic being locked in a room that felt more like a sanctuary than a trap.My mind was a mess of worry; Brax could have just wrecked everything I had been working so hard towards. However, Macro had already been useful in getting me into places that I would have never been able to do on my own. But now it all might have been for nothing, all because Brax couldn’t do as I asked and leave me alone.As I sat there trying to work out how I was going to get out of this mess, I felt the pills I had taken before going into the room with Marco take effect, which wasn’t a good thing. I needed a clear mind to talk my way out of this with Brax and get back to Marco before he went to Steve and everything that I had done was worked out.Getting up, I headed for the bathroom, not because I was obeying Brax but because I hoped a co
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 86
Brax's POVMy hands shook as I clutched the doorframe, the sight in front of me branding itself into my mind. Willow—my Willow—entwined with another man. Her naked body pressed against him. I couldn't believe it. Anger exploded, every rational thought igniting in a blaze of betrayal.My voice came out like a low growl, a thunderous roar that reverberated off the walls. "Willow!"She spun around, her eyes wide with desperation, her body scrambling for cover. Panic painted her features as she grabbed a bedsheet, clutching it to her skin. The man beside her had the audacity to open his mouth, likely to threaten me or beg for mercy. I didn't care.Before he could utter a word, I crossed the room and grabbed him by the collar. My fists flew, driven by a vengeful fire. Each punch landed with a satisfying crunch, a symphony of anger echoing within the confines of the room."Brax, stop!" Willow's scream pierced through my fury, her voice laced with panic and something else, something I couldn
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 85
Brax’s POVMy mind was an unending loop of worry that circled around Willow. Weeks had passed since I last saw her face or heard her voice, and her absence carved a hollow ache in me that I couldn't ignore. The reports from the men I had watching her became increasingly sparse, as though she had somehow worked out that they were following her and had found a way to avoid them. She wasn’t at school, avoided parties, and anywhere I expected her to be.Work from my father kept me preoccupied, but it brought no peace. Meetings filled with strained respect and unspoken threats blurred together with each assignment he gave me. This life, the one paved for me before I was even born, was all I had known. But since Willow, all I ever did was wish for an escape. My father’s expectations loomed over me like a persistent shadow, whispering of future obligations I didn’t want, but I would take if it meant keeping her safe.I stood at my front door, the day’s stress weighing on me heavily. The fami
Pathetically Beautiful Chapter 84: Into the Darkness
Willow's POVThe fight with Nat replayed in my head, and guilt ate away at me. My phone hadn't stopped buzzing for hours with calls and messages from both Brax and Dillion. I knew that Nat would go back to them and tell them everything. Looking down at my phone, Brax’s name flashed across the screen. I picked it up, holding it for a second. Rage bubbled within me. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone? I couldn’t take it anymore. I threw my phone as hard as I could at a tree, watching it smash into pieces.Standing up, I left the park. If I was going to get things done, I had to turn off all my emotions. I needed to be stronger and smarter. And then the idea came to me. Turning around, I made my way to one of Steve's houses, where I hoped Marco would be.The house wasn’t far from the park. I had been here a few times, and I knew Marco spent a lot of his time there. As the house came into view, my heart began to race in my chest. I stopped pulling the pill bottle out of my pocket and
