Bully And The Beast

Chapter 1 Fifteen years seems like a long time to stay away from a place you once called your home, but for Ava it didn't seem like all that much had changed since she left.She didn't want to return to all the familiarity of the echoes of her past, but only a few things could pull her back into this world she tried with her last breath to walk away from.It was him..and death that called to her. She needed to see for herself. She loved both him and Daimen.. Though at separate times,she loved them in very different ways.It was the death of him that made her come back so unexpectedly. She had to see if she could still find the boy she knew even through all the pain... the grief, the loss... before memories of what drove her out that night consume her completely. Ava's POV. The air is thicker than remember, though I don't know how that could be possible. I grip the steering wheel tighter as the GPS indicates I'm less than eight miles from my designation.The sun is almost setting and the streets will soon lose their familiarity.I don't why I'm back..I bite my inner cheek knowing that's a lie, even if it's to myself.I just want to slip in, pay my respects and leave before anyone even notices I'm there...But mostly to see them both... the boy who was once kind to me, and the other who destroyed me. Both broke my heart in very different ways.His death brought me back here.. I needed to say goodbye to him. His touch on my hand was still a sense of comfort for me. I know I wasn't strong enough to face all of demons.Especially with eyes like his, so deep that I could become completely undone by him with just one look... and he knew it. My mouth became dry, and my back began to stiffen in my seat as I got closer to the church.It was mid-August, the late summer heat causes the scent of of last night's rain to still linger. I lower the dial on my stereo down as I round the corner as if somehow that'll help me locate a parking spot close enough to the exit. The streets are packed with cars, everyone must already be inside, I creep into a spot and turn off the engine, and freeze as my hand begins to pull on the door handle. It's been so long since I've been back... but he deserved to get a goodbye from me. He didn't get it the last time I had made up my mind to leave... I take a long, drawn-out breath before getting out of the car.I slammed the door behind me, and the sound was deafening against the empty street. As I climb the cobblestone steps, a feeling of uneasiness begins to wash over me.I use what seems to be all of my strength to push open the dark Oakwood door as my hand struggles to hold onto the brass handle.The long white marble corridor is bathed in shimmering blues and greens from the stained glass from above. I quickly make my way down the hall and take one final breath before opening the last door to the chapel. The hum of people quietly whispering slowly dies down as the pastor says they are about to begin. I sit in the back row in hopes that no one will notice me, his voice echoes against the limestone walls about God's plan and about how God needed Daimen home to find peace... and without thinking, I mutter bullshit under my breath. Fearing someone might have heard me, I slump further into the church pew as if somehow the action will let my body fuse into the wood itself...make me invisible. I can't bring myself to look straight ahead... to look at him laying there.... he's pale. He was always pale, even in the middle of July after swimming all day at the public pool... His skin was always like marble. But he was too still. One thing about Daimen was he could never sit still for too long, even when he slept... if you could call it that. The constant tossing and turning.Seeing him still like this, I felt a tear fall before I could stop it.I pull at the loose thread at the hem of my dress and scan the room.That's when I see a pair of familar eyes staring back at me.His eyes call to me, and for a moment I find myself lost in his deep amber stare, twisted in our past and I'm powerless..unable to move. I feel his rage seething, ready to fill the empty space between us.The pastor asks if anyone would like to come up to the podium and speak kindly of our fallen Daimen. Those words break whatever hold I may have on him, and he rises from his seat. He stands there a moment as if a lifetime of memories flood his core til he nearly drowns in them, until he is reminded what he is doing and why he is here... why we're all here. His voice is as heavy as his heart. I watch his every move as if there's no one else. He pulls a folded up piece of paper from his jacket pocket and places down and begins to read from words that don't sound like him.At first, his words are hollow with sincerity." ...He may not have known how much we all cared, but.." He pauses when he looks up from the podium and notices my eyes on him."No... you know what he was an asshole. He didn't give a s**t. He was reckless, and every single one of you know it."... Something in his words takes all the air out of the room." He didn't give a shit.. you hear me." He stares into me as his words drip with venom. The hatred in his glare causes my entire body to respond, and I rush towards the door. I storm out, and I'm met with a coolness in the air as it hit my face.I make my way towards my car, digging in my purse for my keys. I'm angry at myself..." What were you thinking coming ba.."I was too busy struggling with my purse. I didn't see.. I feel a firm, familiar hand grab my shoulder, forcing me to face him as he pushes me hard against the cool metal of my car door.Part of me wants to scream, but being this close to him... I can't move. "What the f**k are you doing here?" His voice is low, hushed but full of anger.But before I could answer he pushes me further into the car.His hands feel warm against my bare skin and I have a sense of uneasiness. "I ....I jus.." My voice is trapped in my throat, and I begin to lose any bravery I may have had. His eyes begin to search mine, and I can finally see it... His eyes are glassed over, and he looks tired.. nearly broken.I take his cheek and rest my hand against it, to comfort him...and for a moment, he leans into it. He relaxes as my fingers gently grazes his stubble lines jaw. My breathing begins to match his, slow ...deep. For a moment I see him, then his fingers dig deeper into my arms. " It's your f*****g fault he's dead." My hand drops from the weight of his words. Before I could utter a single sound he pushes against the car with as much force as he can muster, then grabs my face forcing me to look at him. My teeth begin cut into my inner cheek. I struggle under him trying to get my words out... I can barely make a sound other then a small whimper under the force of his hand... he squeezes tighter and sees the pain in my eyes now matches his own.The expression on his face further darkens before he pulls me in and kisses me hard.His lips once soft and something I begged for now...cause me to fear what he'd do next....or worse what I'd do if he let me...