The Beast and His Beauty

Chapter four

Chapter four
I stared at him in complete contempt.

Eight years, eight years I haven't seen him and the only reason he comes back is for an alibi. I should have guessed. I should have known. He never changed, he never would. He didn't change five years ago, and he hasn't changed now.

But an alibi of all things. An alibi. How desperate does one have to be to come groveling back to their ex for an alibi?

"What?" I gritted my teeth.

"I need you to be my alibi." He repeated before letting out a long sigh, "Beauty, please, you know I wouldn't be asking you this if I had any other choice."

I showed him no mercy. I wouldn't fall for his little tricks as I usually did.  "An alibi for what?" My voice was stone cold.

He paused, for a long time, a very long time.

Oh no.

"I swear I didn't do it!" He avoided my question.

"An alibi for what?"

"You have to believe me-"

I didn't have the patience for this. "Sawyer! An alibi for what?"

Another long breath. "Murder."

My mouth fell open as I stared at him.

The sweet boy, who gave me a single rose on random days simply because he felt like it, the boy who cleared out the entire astronomy room out for me so I could look at the stars, the boy who embarrassed himself in front of the whole school just so he could go on a date with me, was now standing in front of me asking me to be his alibi for a murder case. Oh how things have changed.

"Are you insane?" He must have been to ask something as crazy as that.

"Beauty, you have to believe me, I didn't do it. I wasn't even with her at the time."

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. It was hard to focus when he called me Beauty, it brought back too many sore memories. "And why do you need an alibi if you didn't do it?"

He almost looked hurt, but how dare he! He played with my heart on countless occasions, lied to me a dozen more times. He wasn't remotely the guy I knew in high school. For all I know, he could have done it.

"You don't really believe that, Beauty?"

I yelled so loudly I was sure the neighbors would hear, "I said don't call me that!"

He got up, striding over to me. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you really think I could have done something like that." His voice was firm and captivating as he rested one hand on my waist and the other on my chin to force me to look at him.

I stared up at his deep green eyes, ones that looked so familiar. They looked so much like the ones I would stare into when I upset and just needed a hug, or when I was excited and wanted to tell someone what had happened. They looked like the ones that had always been there for me in high school. But they weren't the same. This wasn't the same boy who had held me so tenderly, the man in front of me was a beast, a cruel, heartless beast. A beast who had no problem sleeping with me and leaving before anyone could find out.

And yet, I knew in my heart that he would never kill anyone. I wasn't sure how I knew but I did. But I couldn't let my heart shatter again. Nico was the only thing holding me together, and I may lose him too. I could do this again.

"I'm not going to be your alibi." My accent was thick, my emotions too overwhelming to hide it,  only letting him see how much he was hurting me. I hated that I was showing him any weakness.

His face fell, hopelessness and despair taking over. "I'll do anything! Whatever you want."

"I don't want anything from you Sawyer." Or at least, what I wanted, he couldn't give me.

"I'll buy you a car, a house, I'll get you a meeting with some of the best record labels in the world, you could be a famous singer."

He acted as though I had time for that. Nico was all I had time for at the moment. "I don't need anything from you, Sawyer."

I marched over to the door, holding it open for him.

He didn't budge from his spot. "I'll pay for your son's medical bills."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"I'll get him the best doctors money can buy."

Nico. I could get him the help he needs.

There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for my little boy.

"What would I have to do?" I whispered, willing to do about anything if it meant helping Nico.

Sawyer sighed. "We would pretend to be a couple. We'll say I with you the night of the murder. I didn't say it in my original statement because we hadn't gone public with our relationship. You'll attend events with me, go to my games— as soon as I'm no longer on probation— we'll act like the perfect couple. In return I'll get your son the best help money can afford. Once it's all over we can stage a breakup and you'll never have to see me again."

I could do this, for Nico. I mean, what did I have to lose, my dignity? It was a small price to pay for Nico's life. I'd confess to the murder myself if it meant keeping Nico alive. "There's a new treatment, for Nico. We couldn't do it sooner because I could afford it-"

"I'll pay for it." He gave me a pleasing look, "Please Beauty, I need you."

I took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll do it."

He gave me a breathtaking smile, one that used to fill me with butterflies. Now, it simply filled me with pain.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"This doesn't mean I forgive you." I probably never would, "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for my son."

I thought back to Nico, and how excited he would be to see that his mother was dating his favorite person in the entire world. "Speaking of my son," I added, "You're going to meet him and sign whatever he wants. He's a big fan of you and as much as I would like to keep you away from him, he would probably kill me if he found out I hadn't introduced you two." His little heart would break if he found out, which would probably be enough to stop it entirely.

Sawyer hesitated at the mention of a child. It seems he lost his fatherly touch that he had when we were teenagers. "I don't know, I don't know if-"

"You'll do it or the deal is off."

He sighed, realizing he had no choice. "Alright."

I couldn't believe I was agreeing to this. It was the last thing I wanted to do. Spending more time with the guy who broke my heart, sounded like a nightmare. But I had to, for Nico.

"Great, then meet me at the hospital at noon."

At least Nico would be happy.