Towards Redemption [HIATUS]

20. | Stars and Crosses |

Esmae doesn't mean to, but she can't help it. Holy fudgeballs! She was in love! In love with Grimm. Ofcourse it took a while for that mushy feeling she gets whenever she is with Grimm to register itself in her mind as love. But still, love! With Grimm. Esmae feels her face heat and she pats her cheeks impulsively a few times to get in under control. Blushing like a moron every time she thinks about love or worst yet, the name Grimm pops through her mind was just going to annoy Grimm and Esmae would wind up making a complete fool of herself.

She spends three minutes, in front of the mirror, the first of them prep-talking herself to get herself to text him and the last two minutes were spent on her conjuring up various romantic scenarios where Grimm was kissing her and touching her (with all those R-rated romance novels in her phone/under her bed as reference). Esmae knows that Grimm wasn't the kind of person to be overly romantic or very open and expressive about his feelings. Grimm was peculiar in the best kind of way and Esmae adored him for being just that.

Esmae was at her heart, just like every other girl— dreaming of her prince charming to sweep her off her feet and on to a white horse which would take her to her happily ever after. But after meeting Grimm, her version of Prince Charming changed from wearing pristine and regal clothing and a glimmering golden crown to a tattoo covered, dirty-mouthed, hoodie and Levi wearing man with the minimal of expressions and a black kitten as a pet. Esmae sighs and rubs her cheeks again. She was going a bit too much off track.

To: Grimm

From: Esmae

Are you free?

Esmae sits in the middle of her bed, tapping impatiently the headboard. Grimm is slow to reply so she ends up going through her scrapbook, grinning as she recalls all the memories. The faint ping has her grabbing her phone. Grimm had replied.

To: Esmae

From: Grimm

Not now. Around four?

Esmae considers it a moment before she makes a brief call to someone and changes her appointment to four thirty.

To: Grimm

From: Esmae

Okay! By the way, since you didn't ask, I called the person you recommended. She's rather nice. 

Grimm sees the message on his phone and his eyes widen slightly in surprise. When he had first given Esmae the number, he wasn't expecting her to go right ahead and call it and set herself an appointment. But then again, Esmae was a force to be reckoned with despite being in that tiny body once she sets her mind to do something.

Menace meows from his place at Grimm's feet and Grimm narrows his obsidian eyes at the kitten who ignores him and purrs as he weaves around his legs. "Fúcking monster." Grimm hisses but drops a small piece of the tinned tuna on the ground for the ungrateful thing to eat. He really should practice restraint with the little fúcker.

******************* 

Vince sits on the edge of the bed, reading to Beth. He has The Vagina Monologues open and his shamelessly reading through the play in that soft, gruff tone of his. Beth is sitting up on the bed, staring somewhat blankly at the wall in front of her. She looks pale and the bruising she had received were still prominent on her person. Vince holds the book in one hand and has Beth's hand on the other. He stops reading after a while and folds the corner of the page before he places it back on the nightstand. 

Beth looks at him at the motion. She appears haunted. Vince feels rage bubbling up again. He had never wanted Beth to end up in the darker side of his world, but seeing as though she was with him of all people, Beth was right in the middle of it all. Vince hated that his little spitfire, his dove had ended up being the silent creature she currently was. But his Beth was strong, she was going to get through this, she had to. Or she was going to tear down Vince with her.