Every Beauty Deserves a Beast

Chapter 2

Chapter two

[Ray’s POV]

I could practically feel my face turning red with the exertion I was putting myself through. Having spent years in the Air Force I didn’t like to show the pain I was in, and instead preferred to work even harder. I had eventually been discharged from the hospital and was looking forward to finally getting out of the sterile building.

The bright sun felt amazing as it lightly sizzled against my skin and I heaved my large duffel bag over my shoulder as I hobbled down the path with my crutches to the closest cab. The driver nodded as I fell into the back seat and I felt the whole cab sink much lower under my weight. “Where to, Sir?” he the driver asked lazily as he started the engine.

I smiled softly to myself before fixing my stern expression back on and replied in my clipped commanding voice. He nodded again and slowly pulled out of his spot while I leaned back and closed my eyes, ignoring the throbbing pain in my thigh. Once the car began to move a little more steadily I opened my eyes and watched the scenery pass the window.

Home.

I hadn’t been back in my hometown for ten years and it while it hadn’t changed, it also had in a way. The small beach side town with a population of roughly three thousand people still housed the laid back and happy townspeople. Children laughed loudly while they played on the side of the street, or in cases of the teenagers on the street, while the adults watched from cafes or restaurants.  The sun shone brightly with no traces of clouds and the black silhouettes of seagulls hovered in the sky before squawking and diving down for their meal.

What had changed were the buildings and shops that lined the street and the newly built houses that didn’t look familiar. My eyebrows rose in interest at a new gym that seemed quite popular, if the amount of people inside had anything to say – Shell’s Gym. Sounds... well, it suits the beach I guess. As we drove further I saw a few more gyms. I kept their names and location in the back of my mind for when I started my physiotherapy and was allowed to do more physical work.

I scoffed.

Allowed to do more physical work. The concept of not being allowed to do physical labour was such an alien feeling and I didn’t like it one bit. I was used to hard, physical and almost bone-breaking labour that lying or sitting down like I’d been doing over the last few weeks was torture. I hated not moving around, using my hands to do something or at the very least being useful!

I caught sight of myself in the rear view mirror and took a moment to really look at myself. I’d lost some weight since leaving the base and was also a little paler. Despite the weight loss I was still much bigger than everyone at the hospital and noticed that they still gave me a wide berth whenever I was in the hallways. I rarely spoke when I was there, only speaking when I needed to and even then it was short sentences.

I was never rude, though. No, I was brought up well to be a gentleman by my mother. She always taught me to respect my elders, to be straight forward and honest. I was to be firm and strong-willed towards men yet respectful and gentlemanly towards women. Suffice to say, my mother was my hero and I didn’t care what anyone else at the base had to say... I loved my mom and would carry the world on my shoulders for her.

Almost as though my thoughts had been preparing me, the cab stopped outside the familiar peach painted house with white framed windows and I felt a sense of welcome and ease overwhelm me. I thanked the driver and threw a couple of bills at him, offering him a generous tip before hauling myself out of the car with my crutches and duffel bag in hand.

I was home.

I shouldered my bag and crutched my way along the shell paved driveway towards the front door. I was excited and yet so nervous. Of course I’d always written my mother whenever I could and sent her money to help her out so she wouldn’t have to work so hard but I hadn’t seen her since I graduated and became a full pledged officer. She never visited me at the hospital simply because I never told her I was there. I didn’t want to worry her and have her see me attached to machines and tubes. She didn’t need to see that.