Bewitching the Beast

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Ainsley

After I wash my face, I look at my reflection and I begin touching up my makeup. I calm my breathing and I walk out to the sitting area to found Nathan pacing back and forth; it reminds of the day when he told me that he was a werewolf.

He looks up at me and his eyes are filled with so much emotion. For a second I can’t breathe and I start to panic.

“Ainsley, you don’t have to tell me anything, I just wanted to know you are alright.” He says quietly.

I inhale deeply and say, “I should have said something about it before, but I n-never like talking about it. I’m sorry.”

“No you have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong; always remember that.” He answers as he hugs me tightly.

I relax into his warm embrace and I feel safe. He makes me feel safe; something I have felt since I was young.

“I want to talk about it; I want someone I trust to hear it from me instead of articles online.” I whisper to him.

Pulling back from me, he looks done and says, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do something you aren’t comfortable with.”

“Yeah, I need to tell you.” I answer as I lead him to the small couch.

Sighing, I say, “My mother did giving birth to me and my father didn’t want anything to do with me. An elderly man who lived just out of Mobile took me in when I was two. His name was Richard Bennett; he treated like a granddaughter and I even took his last name. He was an amazing person and taught me about cars, how to fish, and he was hero. When I was ten years old, he had a heart attack and died. I was sent to live in a group home in downtown Mobile with a middle age woman and her three sons. Now she was one of those types that did things for the community to get her name in the paper and she was seen as a model citizen. The money she got from the government she used on alcohol and each night see would drink herself to the point she couldn’t remember.”

“When I got there, I was the third oldest out of seven. Hector was the oldest at thirteen, Sammie was eleven, and everyone else was younger than me. Mrs. Anderson’s sons were triplets and they were only sixteen. They never really talked to us and if they did it was only to say something nasty. Hector was our protector; if one of them tried to hurt us and they did try, Hector would come save us. He was the one who taught me to play cards; he always said that if I couldn’t use my brains to get out of something, betting on cards would save me.” I say and I feel tears fill my eyes.

I look at my hands and continue, “When I was twelve, Hector was killed by a drunk driver. It was during summer and the triplets were already away at college so we were safe. They only came home for Christmas, but they didn’t bother us. When they came home for summer and by that time Sammy ran away, she said in a letter that she couldn’t handle it. At that time I didn’t understand what she meant, but now I do.”

“One night after Mrs. Anderson passed out; the triplets began beating up on one of the younger kids. His name was Jake and he had a learning disability and was really small. I got so angry, I couldn’t let it continue so I called them out and I got the beat to a bloody pulp. It happen every time they came home; they would attack one of the little kids, I would call them every name under the sun, and then they would direct their fists at me.” I say and Nathan balls up his hands, but remains quiet.