Don't Make Me Beautiful (49 page)

His lawyer grabs his forearm and tries to get him to sit, but John jerks away, knocking the lawyer back a little.
 
“I’m not doing that shit!
 
You hear me!
 
You can’t make me do that!”

“Yes, I can, and I will,” says the judge very calmly.
 
“And I suggest that rather than considering it a punishment, you consider it the blessing that it is.
 
You need help.
 
I’m getting it for you.”

“Fuck you and your help!”

The bailiff moves from the corner of the bench and approaches him.

“Bailiff, take him into custody please. I’ve heard about enough.”
 
The judge gets up and turns around, ignoring John’s struggles with the police officer and disappearing inside a panel in the wall behind her chair.

“Fuck you, bitch!
 
I know you hear me!
 
Fuck you!”

John’s lawyer’s face is beet-red as he packs up his papers.

John kicks the table as he’s escorted out of the courtroom.
 
“Fuck you too, jackass lawyer.
 
You suck!”

Nicole smiles just as John turns his head and catches her eye.

He somehow breaks away from the slightly overweight bailiff and shuffles a couple steps away.
 
He stares at her the entire time, hunched over like an ape.

As the officer grabs him around the shoulders, John says, “Nikki?”
 
He’s confused, probably trying to figure out why she looks so familiar and then again not at all like she used to.

She stands up and steps sideways to leave the long bench-seat she was sitting on.
 
She steps out into the aisle and doesn’t look back, even when he’s yelling at her back.

“You used to be a lot prettier you know that, Nikki?!
 
Beautiful!
 
Now you’re not!
 
Now you’re just … you’re not!”
 
A door slams shut and his voice disappears.

“Yeah.
 
I know,” she whispers, smiling as she leaves the courtroom and joins her family waiting out in the hallway.

Taking the baby from Brian’s arms, she buries her face in her tiny neck, inhaling the smell of lotion and baby sweat with every bit of her breath.

“Everything go okay?” Brian asks as Liam swings on his arm while holding his feet up in the air so they won’t touch the ground.

Nicole smiles as the scent of her baby and her husband mingle and put her inside a happy fog.
 
“Yes.
 
He’s going to be gone for a long, long time.”

“Hold up for a second, Li-Li,” Brian says.
 
“Time for a family hug.”

“Familyyyyy huuuug!” Liam shouts, throwing his arms around his dad’s and step-mother’s legs.

Nicole and Brian each put a hand down on Liam’s back and Brian puts his other one around Nicole.
 
“I love my family,” Brian says, looking down at Liam.

“I love it too,” Nicole responds, kissing him on the cheek.

“Oh good, I’m not too late,” says Helen, coming up behind them and putting her arms around the group.
 
“How’s my baby girl Briana Helen doing?”

“She’s good,” Nicole says, closing her eyes as she soaks up the love.
 
“She misses her Auntie Helen, though.”

“Well, hand her over, then,” Helen says, detaching herself and holding out her arms.
 
“Come see your favorite and only aunt.”

The baby holds out her arms and smiles, revealing her first tooth.

Nicole turns her attention to her husband as Helen steps away with the two kids.

“You did it, babe,” Brian says.
 
“You stood up to the monster and you won.”

“Yeah, I did.
 
But I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Yes, you could have.
 
But I’m glad you didn’t.”
 
He leans in and kisses her gently on the lips.

“Me too.”

“So what’s next?” he asks.
 
“You have the world at your feet.
 
Say the word and we’ll make it happen, whatever it is.”

She bites her lip as she considers saying it out loud.

“What?
 
Tell me.”

“I think I might like to go to school.
 
To college.
 
I met John in my first semester and never went back.”

Brian smiles hugely as he pulls her in tight.
 
“I think it’s a
great
idea.”

“But I’m going to need help.
 
With Briana.
 
I hate to put anyone out over it...”

Brian play-frowns at her before responding.
 
“Listen, girl.
 
I don’t know how many times I have to say this.
 
Everyone
needs help.
 
And I’m Briana’s dad.
 
What kind of dad holds his baby’s mom back because of a little daycare issue?”

She shrugs, almost not daring to think too hard about her life, about her luck, about all the love swirling up around her.

“A bad one, that’s what kind.
 
And I’m no bad dad.”

“No, you’re not.
 
You’re the best dad for my baby in the entire world.”
 
Nicole kisses him hard and then hugs him as tightly as she can.
 
“Thank you, Brian.
 
Thank you for everything you’ve done and for all the love you’ve given me and Briana.”

“It’s not that hard at all,” he says, “especially for a girl as beautiful as you are.”

She pulls back.
 
“Please don’t call me beautiful.”

“I’m not talking about your face.”

“You’re not?”
 
She smiles vaguely, taken aback by his serious expression and tone.

“No.
 
I’m talking about how you are on the
inside
.”

He looks as earnest as she’s ever seen him.
 
Her heart begins to melt as he continues to pour a balm on her scarred inner self.

“You are, hands down, the most beautiful woman I have ever known.
 
Your heart is made of gold.
 
And nothing and
no one
can ever change that about you, no matter how hard they might try.”

Nicole nods, knowing finally that he’s right.
 
John may have taken her outer beauty, but he could never touch her heart or her soul.
 
They remained safe with her all along, and now they’re healthy again and ready to share with someone who deserves her love.

“Ready to go home?” Brian asks, pulling out of her embrace and extending his hand.

“Yes. I’m ready to go home.”
 
Nicole puts her hand in his and leaves the court building, never once looking back.

If you or someone you care about is dealing with domestic violence, here are some resources that can help:

U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline
 

1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224

UK Women’s Aid

Women’s Aid
at 0808 2000 247

Australia Domestic Violence Helpline

1800RESPECT
at 1800 737 732

International Directory of Domestic Violence Agencies

http://
www.hotpeachpages.net/

List of shelters, state-by-state
in the United States

Help Guide
(in association with Harvard Medical School)

If you are being abused, remember…

• You are not to blame for being battered or mistreated.
  
• You are not the cause of your partner’s abusive behavior.
  
• You deserve to be treated with respect.
  

• You deserve a safe and happy life.
  
• Your children deserve a safe and happy life.
  
• You are not alone. There are people waiting to help.
  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elle Casey
is a prolific,
New York Times
bestselling American author who lives in Southern France with her husband (who sometimes wears a kilt), three kids (who never stop moving), Hercules the wonder poodle (who sleeps next to her side for every word typed), Monie the bouvier (who also never stops moving), and a few other furry creatures (don’t ask).
 
Her favorite things are red wine, pretty much anything with sugar in it, and sexy books.
 
If she has all three around her at the same time, please do not disturb … the writer is busy creating.
 
In her spare time she writes new adult and young adult novels (you can find her Women’s Fiction work under the pen name
Kat Lee
.)
 
She publishes at least one novel per month and has been accused of being a cyborg for her ability to consistently turn out captivating stories with characters that stay in readers’ heads long after the book is closed.
 
She neither confirms nor denies this accusation.

A personal note from Elle …

If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving positive feedback on Amazon, Goodreads, or any book blogs you participate in.
 
More positive feedback means I can spend more time writing!
 
Oh, and I love interacting with my readers, so if you feel like shooting the breeze or talking about books or your pets, please visit me.
 
You can find me at …

www.ElleCasey.com

www.Facebook.com/ellecaseytheauthor

www.Twitter.com/ellecasey

Want to get an email when my next book is released?
Sign up here:
 
http://eepurl.com/h3aYM
 
OTHER BOOKS BY ELLE CASEY
*= Coming Soon
 
NEW ADULT ROMANCE
Shine Not Burn

By Degrees
Don’t Make Me Beautiful

Hold Me Down*
Rebel*
Hellion*
Trouble*
Trainwreck*
YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Duality, Volume I (Melancholia)
Duality, Volume II (Euphoria)
YA URBAN FANTASY
War of the Fae: Book 1, The Changelings - FREE!
War of the Fae: Book 2, Call to Arms
War of the Fae: Book 3, Darkness & Light
War of the Fae: Book 4, New World Order
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 1, After the Fall
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 2, Between the Realms
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 3, Portal Guardians
My Vampire Summer
My Vampire Fall*
Aces High (co-written with Jason Brant)
YA DYSTOPIAN
Apocalypsis: Book 1, Kahayatle
Apocalypsis: Book 2, Warpaint
Apocalypsis: Book 3, Exodus
Apocalypsis: Book 4, Haven
YA ACTION ADVENTURE
Wrecked
Reckless

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book was one of the most emotionally difficult ones I have written to date.
 
As a teenager, I lived in a household with domestic violence, so writing this story brought back some unpleasant and uncomfortable memories that I haven’t taken out and examined for a long time.
 
But I think it’s important to do that once in a while, so I can appreciate where I am right now and were my loved ones are too - how we’ve not only survived but thrived.
 
I’d like to acknowledge anyone out there reading this book who might take a second look at her life and make some positive changes as a result, whether it’s to help herself or a friend or family member.
 
None of us is an island, and I can’t imagine why anyone would want to be.

As always, I must acknowledge my readers, the ones who make it possible for me to write for a living.
 
I have a crazy life, and it’s you who make it possible.
 
I love crazy.
 
I’d never go back to normal, not for anything.
 
I especially want to thank the ones who take the time to share my work by either leaving book reviews or telling friends about my work.

To my husband, who’d never lay a finger on a human being or animal in anger.
 
I’m so lucky I found him and that I get to have him in my life.
 
Not only is he kind and gentle, but he loves my books, he’s a wonderful dad, and he’s great in the sack.
 
What more could a girl ask for?
 
:)

To my editing mom (
www.editingbymargaret.com
) and my beta-reading workhorse/miracle worker Theresa, thank you for once again keeping me on the straight and narrow and for making it through this particularly difficult book.

For the bloggers who take the time to feature me on their pages, thank you so much!!
 
You have helped launch my career into the stratosphere by telling so many readers about my work, and for that I will be forever grateful.