Finding Beauty

Chapter 54

~Beauty~

Gale's eyes are an ocean blue. The color swims around in his irises in smooth waves until it leaks out and trails down his face like tears. They continue to travel and then reach the ground where they form a puddle. The puddle's shape remolds into his signature black mask. The mask was used to cover up his face, the face of the man I ended up loving. He no longer needs it so I'm not upset as it melts into a rose. The rose isn't red. It's blue. Like his eyes.

The blue from the petals of the rose drip off and form an ocean. Sand blows in to meet the water and I find myself staring at the beach Gale had brought me to the day he let me go. Two sets of footprints form and radio music plays softly in the background. Then one set of footprints disappears leaving me to feel hollow inside.

An excruciating sound bombards my ears.

Boom!

The explosion of the building.

Dead, my mind reminds me. He's dead.

It's been two weeks and I still can't understand it.

Someone shakes my shoulder.

"Belle," they say. "Don't tell me you fell asleep! Are you really that bored?"

My eyelids open to be met by Gabrielle's figure with her ginger colored hair falling just past her shoulders, petite body, and enchanting green eyes. This is her natural state. Carina was never 'Carina'. She was Gabrielle. A forever 18 year old princess from the 14th century who ended up becoming an Enchantress.

She isn't much different from Carina. Honestly, the biggest change is in looks and after my whole experience this year, I've learned that looks aren't important.

"No, I'm not bored. Sorry, I just didn't get much sleep last night," I answer rubbing my eyes. Scowling, Gabrielle marches back to my closet.

"Sleep is extremely important. Prom is tomorrow and you need to look your best," she teases. She continues to shift through the vintage dresses she brought me from a shop she use to own named Rosalind's Magic Shop.

"I know. It's just I got some news on Grayson." She snaps around instantly making sure to give me her full attention.

Gabrielle was nice enough to help out Grayson. She felt partly responsible for his break down since she had some influence here and there. She let him find out about magic. She let him receive visions when he touched the roses in Gale's forgotten garden and she admitted that she shouldn't have. Learning that a whole other realm exists on top of losing your best friend does a number on your mental health. Furthermore, she sent him the note about going to the masquerade to find me. Giving him false hope also messed him up.

I asked her why she did it in the first place and she explained that she thought she was helping. She was trying to get Grayson to find me because at the time, she thought things with Gale and I wouldn't work out and wanted me to return back home. In a way, she was trying to save me from my kidnapper by sending Grayson. Only, I didn't need saving.

But anyways, because of all this she felt like she should help Grayson and used her magic to get him off the hook for arson and attempted murder. I'm not sure how. It all happened kind of subtly but I'm grateful. She also cleared my whole involvement so I could get back to my life.

"What kind of news?" She shifts from foot to foot.

"He's moving away. In fact, he already left." I reach over my night stand and take out of the note wedged in between my books. "Here, he sent me this."

Gabrielle unfolds the letter and reads it aloud,"Dear Belle, I'm writing this to tell you I'm leaving. I'm not sure where I'm going but I have to go. I want to heal, I want to get better. I'm not proud of what I've become. I love you and that will never change but being around you, being in this city, will only hold me back. I'm sorry I'm not saying goodbye in person, I just can't bear to face you after everything I've done. For now, I wish you the best. Love, Grayson."