Page 12 of A Beastly Christmas Cheerful
“I mean, maybe?” She giggles and then reaches for the tree. “But let’s do this first.”
She places the star on the top of the tree, and I keep her there as I hit the button for the light. When it comes on, the whole house glows, including her.
“It’s beautiful,” she says while looking at the tree.
“Beautiful,” I agree, while looking only at her.
Chapter Nine
BELLE
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. Since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," I sing softly to myself as I stare out the window. I didn't think the snowstorm could get worse, but somehow it keeps piling up.
"You’ve got a great voice," Marley says, and I turn to see him standing behind me.
He went to change into sweats and a shirt. Now that I’m seeing him in relaxed clothes, I wonder how this man looks so good in everything he wears.
"Not really," I laugh. "But I'll still do it even if I'm terrible at it."
"That's a good quality to have."
"Terrible singing? I'll add it to my résumé." Which I'm going to need to update sooner than later.
"No,” he chuckles and shakes his head. "When people aren't the best at something, they often don't do it anymore. Or they do it in hiding."
"How do you do that?” I ask, and he looks at me in confusion. “You always say the sweetest things to me that somehow undermine what others have said since I was little."
Maybe it’s because Marley views me in a different light. For some reason, he doesn’t think I'm a mess when he has every right to. I mean, I crashed a car outside his cabin, and now he's stuck with me for who knows how long.
If singing that song makes him think I’ve got good qualities, I’ll keep it up. As of right now, I've got no place to go.
"You need to hang out with a better caliber of people,” he grumbles.
"Hey now," I say, smirking at him. "You're one to talk. You’re up here hanging out by yourself."
"Exactly."
I stare at him as what he means sinks in. He's up here away from the world because of his scar and everyone who judges it. At least that's how it seems to me.
I make my way over to him, needing him to understand that’s not me. I’m not like the people he’s been hiding from.
"I'm sorry that's been your experience with the world. Although I have to admit, it’s lovely up here on the quiet mountain."
"Do you think you'd enjoy living in a cabin all alone?" he asks.
"No freaking way," I respond quickly. Then I swear I see disappointment flash across his face before he masks it. "What I mean is, I couldn’t do it alone. I'd talk to myself non-stop, and that’s not good.” I smile at him as I think it over. “Now if I had someone with me? Maybe a person of a higher caliber like you were talking about. I could do that for sure."
Marley opens his mouth to say something, but my stomach takes that moment to growl loudly.
“Wow, that’s not embarrassing,” I mutter, and he grins.
“Come on, I’ll feed you.”
“We have lots of sweets,” I remind him.
After I unpacked all the food, I set it on the kitchen island for us to snack on.
“How about dinner first?” he suggests before pulling out a chair for me.
