Page 1 of Broken Beauty
One
Ariella
Summer
They say that dying feels a lot like living. I think of it as the complete opposite.
I personally think that living feels a lot like dying, especially when you have a life that feels like hell.
What's the point of living when you have to pay to live? You have to pay to breathe, eat, and have the absolute essentials.
In life, your body is slowly dying until finally, you crack.
The sound of a bell ringing makes me look up from the book and my eyes catch dark brown ones.
The door closes behind him and he removes his eyes from mine and walks away, towards the fiction side of the bookshop.
I look back at the book in my hands to try and start reading again but my eyes freeze on the page.
Damnit.
Why did you have to look at the door?
You knew you were going to get distracted.
I look at my watch and see that it's 3:30 in the afternoon.
I've spent a total of six hours here. I had to catch up on some work for extra credit.
It is the summer but I want to get school over with as soon as possible so I am taking summer classes.
After finishing some work for school, I walked around the shop and decided to reread one of my favorite books. The main character’s husband is a serial killer and he has a list of people he has to kill, and at the end of the list he has his wife.
But earlier I found this book about some killer who goes on a killing rampage and it’s a new release from a new author. I thought it was interesting so I read the first page and liked it.
But there are just some things that you read at home because this book has a lot of graphic scenes and I don't want to chance anyone looking over my shoulder to take a peek.
I'll have to ask Lo if I can take this copy with me.
I pack up my things and then head over to the front counter where Lo is reading a book.
I'm not surprised because what else would he be doing? I mean that is why he is the owner of the store.
“Ariella, what can I do for you now?” As I am about to ask if I can take the book home, Lo interrupts me saying, “Wait, let me guess.” He looks away from his book and looks at me. “You want to take a book home?”
I give him a guilty smile. “I always bring the books back and you know I do.”
“What book?” Lo puts his book down and I hand him the book I was reading. It's called “Right Behind You” by John Xander. Lo looks at the book and furrows his eyebrows. “I can't let you take this.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Why not?”
“Because this is the only copy we have right now.” Lo gives the book back to me. “Once I get more copies in, I can give you one. But for now it has to stay here.”
“Can you let me know when?”
“I'll text you when we have some, Ariella. For now, you can put it in your hiding spot if you're so worried about someone stealing it.” Lo says, giving me a look.
He knows I have a hiding spot that I keep all of the books in that I don't want people touching but that I can't take home with me.
