Beautifully Broken (5 page)

Cali flipped the page to Claudia and she cried hard
thinking about her, it broke Cali’s heart.

Veronica and Claudia always had a different relationship.
They weren’t as close to each other as they both were with
their other sisters. Claudia was already broken when she
came to live with Veronica’s family and that sweet girl that
she once was, was gone forever. It was as if a robot had
taken her place. Veronica was the only sister that knew
about Claudia’s past, and maybe that’s why things were
different between them. Veronica went out of her way to
protect Claudia the most. To Veronica the life they had
was torture but for Claudia that life was a life of luxurious
things and possibilities and it was better than where she
came from.

Cali looked down at the sketch of her sister and she cried
more.

 

“I am so sorry Claudia, I hope you can one day have the
life you deserve,” Cali screamed out loud.

Claudia was radiantly beautiful she was tall about 5’7” and
she had a curvy, sexy, pear shaped body. Claudia had
creamy smooth skin and long dark shiny red hair with
ferocious green eyes. If eyes could kill Claudia’s would,
they were so intense. She was so breathtakingly beautiful
but her eyes where almost empty, like she was just a shell
that was left of what used to live inside. Claudia learned at
a young age how to use her beauty to her advantage. She
had boys doing things for her all the time. Veronica would
cover for Claudia as best she could. Claudia was basically
her father’s sex slave, she was his favorite. She was crazy
and wild and didn’t scream and cry out like her sisters.
She did whatever he wanted her too and she liked it as
much as he did. Claudia was just as smart and talented as
her sisters; she could sing and dance just as beautifully
as Amanda and Natasha. But her father didn’t care about
those things when it came to her. Claudia knew her role in
that life and she played the part well. All that she had was
her beauty, no one could ever see past that to see the real
her. No one ever wanted to see past her shell, so no one
ever would. Claudia was and would always be the
beautiful damaged girl. She would never be the smart one,
or the singer, or the dancer or the artist she would always
be just another pretty face.

Cali didn’t want to turn the page to see the next picture but
she couldn’t help herself. She felt her breath catch when
she saw the picture of Veronica.

Veronica was sweet and beautiful and talented just like
her sisters but she didn’t see herself that way. She saw
herself as weak and ugly, a waste of a human. Veronica
didn’t think she was good enough for anything. Her father
broke her down the most; she always thought it was
because she was his biological daughter. Veronica always
felt like she was such a disappointment to him, that’s why
he needed her sisters. Veronica was the artist the sweet
but dark artist. Her paintings that her father loved, hung
all over the house. In her art work she could capture the
sad and beautiful all at the same time. Veronica had her
role in the family too, she cooked and cleaned the house
and she took on all the roles for her father’s enjoyment.
She had to do things as good as her sisters. If Veronica
didn’t dance as well as Natasha or sing as well as n
Amanda and if she screamed or cried out, she was taken
to the torture room.

The torture room was hidden behind her father’s closet.
The room was small and dark and had a damp, moldy
smell. Veronica’s father would chain her up and beat her
over and over until she passed out from the pain.
Sometimes when he was done she would wake up in his
arms and he would be crying and touching her face. It was
almost as if he felt remorse or guilt or something, but
those moments wouldn’t last long once she opened her
eyes. He would tell her she was his favorite daughter
that’s why he pushed her to be the best. Each one of the
girls had their part to play but he saved all his torture for
Veronica. Even when it was someone else’s turn she
would jump in to protect them. Sometimes she would
pretend that was her purpose in life, to protect her sisters,
it gave her strength to live through each rape and beating.
Sometimes she wished that she would just die so the pain
would finally stop. But she knew that if she died one of her
sisters would have to take her place in the torture room,
and that would give her the courage to find the strength to
live another day. Now they were all safe from him, but they
all still had to struggle to make sense of what their lives
had become.

Veronica cried for a while, she wiped her tears away and
went to her bag and pulled out a picture of her and her
sisters from Christmas time the year before. It was such a
nice picture, they all looked genuinely happy. She started
thinking back to all the good times. Sometimes it was hard
to think about those rare happy moments when she used
to believe her father loved them. He had his faults and he
tortured her but with some things he was very supportive,
like when it came to their passions. He always encouraged
the girls to join clubs in school and take music lesions he
wanted the whole town to know how amazing his family
was. She remembered back to when she won an art contest
at her school and the reward was to have her own art
show at the local gallery. Her father was so excited he
must have invited the entire town to her show. He hosted
the party and she cried when he got up on stage to talk
about her.

“Thank you all for coming here this evening to honor my
lovely and talented daughter Veronica. She is my oldest
daughter and she is so special. She take care of all of us,
Veronica holds this family together. I am so proud of you
tonight sweetheart; your art work is inspired. Please feel
free to look around at everything. All the pieces are for
sale.”

Cali started to cry again. It was so hard to think about him
in a nice way because it made her feel guilty and horrible,
he was dead and it was all her fault. Even though those
happy moments didn’t always last very long it was that
little glimpse of light that made it bearable to get through
the darkness. She wiped away her tears, put up the
pictures of her sisters around her room and then she lay
down and shut her eyes. She really hadn’t sleep much in
weeks and it was starting to catch up with her.

Knock, knock. Cali awoke to a knock at the door. She got
up to answer it and Grace was standing in the door way.

“Hello I hope I am not bothering you, but I am done work
now and I brought you some dinner and I was hoping we
could hang out,” Grace said smiling holding out a takeout
box in her hand.

“Yeah of course, come in! I was just having a nap,” Cali
said opening the door to let Grace into the motel room.

“Wow it looks great in here! You have only been here a
couple of hours and your place already looks so homey,”
Grace said as she glanced around the room.

“Thanks, I just needed to get unpacked and settle in. I had
to make it feel like mine before I could be comfortable
here,” Cali muttered and yawned, she wasn’t fully awake
yet.

They both sat down at the table and ate dinner and then
they hung out all evening talking and watching movies.

Cali started working at the diner and things were going
well, she was getting the hang of being a waitress. The
people in the small town were different but sweet in their
own way. Grace and Cali were becoming good friends
hanging out all the time. Cali was helping her get ready for
the baby. They went shopping, and got a bassinet and a
stroller and car seat for the baby. Cali was trying to help
Grace get prepared; she was worried for her new friend.
Cali knew she couldn’t stay there forever to help her take
care of her child and she didn’t know how Grace was
going to be able to handle raising a baby on her own.
The diner was slow and they were all taking a break. Cali
took off her shoes and relaxed in a booth eating a plate of
French fries. Grace sat down with her, she was so tired,
and she was sweating and eating a big veggie burger.

“Honey, its dead here tonight why don’t you go home and
relax, I’ll cover for you, I think I can handle the crowd,”
Cali said laughing looking around at the empty restaurant.

“Thanks I’ll hang out for a bit but I think I will take off
early,” Grace said smiling and eating a french fry. “You
know I don’t know what brought you to this place but I am
so glad you are here; it’s been really nice having a friend.”

“Well I am glad to be your friend too,” Cali smiled “Can I
ask you a personal question?”

 

“Really Mrs. Secret wants to ask me a personal question,”
Grace laughed “Yes of course you can.”

“Honestly what are you going to do once this baby
comes?” She couldn’t help interfering. She cared about
Grace and she was scared about having to leave her one
day.

“I can’t raise a baby here living in a motel all by myself.”
Grace’s face got serious and her eyes got sad. “I thought
about adoption. The last time I was at the doctors he
suggested that.” Cali’s face filled up with fear for the child.
Her sisters were adopted by her father. That baby could
end up anywhere with parents like hers or even worse.
“But I don’t think I can give up my child to strangers, the
only thing I can do is go home and hope my mom will help
and forgive me for leaving,” Grace said.

“Well, whatever you decide I am here to help you.” Cali
said and she smiled at her friend.

“Yes thank you. I also know you can’t stay in Pity forever,
but I am glad you are here now,” Grace said smiling as she
finished her dinner.

The door to the dinner opened and the most beautiful
creature walked inside. Cali gasped he was so handsome.
He was tall and thin and had broad shoulders; he had jet
black, shaggy hair and a powerful jaw with big green eyes.
He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a
leather jacket, there was something sexy and mysterious
about him. He walked in and his eyes darted around the
room until his gaze met Cali’s. They just stared at each
other for what seemed like forever. It was like they shared
a connection they were drawn to each other but they
didn’t know why.

At that moment she felt something she had never felt
before. Looking into his eyes, it was like he could see into
her soul and he knew all of her secrets. There was
something dark and interesting about him like in some
cosmic way he had a secret too and he was the one
person that could understand her. She was overwhelmed
by his mysterious beauty that she could feel the blood
rushing to her face. She felt a little faint and got hot she
had to remind herself to breathe. Once she broke free from
his eyes she could think clearly again.

She got up from her table put on her shoes fixed her apron
and took a deep breath.

 

“Welcome to Chuck’s dinner you can sit anywhere you
like,” Cali said smiling at the handsome stranger.

“Thanks” he said in a deep, intriguing voice. He took a
seat at a booth on the other side of the diner away from
where Grace was still sitting watching him.

Cali walked past making a funny face and Grace was
mouthed ‘he is so hot’. Cali got a menu, walked over and
took a deep breath.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee or something else to drink?”
she asked in a sweet voice. She didn’t know what had
come over her.

“Yes a coffee, thank you,” he said, his hand touched hers
as she handed him the menu and it was like they were both
stunned by the intense energy. Their eyes were locked on
each other. It was like in that second their hands touched
they could feel something unexpected. She didn’t know
what it was, Cali moved away slowly and got the pot of
coffee and brought it to his table and poured him a cup.

“So what’s good to eat here?” he asked looking at the
menu and then back up at her eyes.
“The burgers and the chicken dinner are the only two
things on the menu that I eat. That and the breakfast,” Cali
said smiling at him.

“Good, I’ll have a cheese burger and fries,” he said as he
flipped the menu shut. “So what’s there to do around
here?”

“Not much, but the next town over is having a carnival,
you should check it out on your way out of town,” Cali
said trying to be friendly.

“I just got to town and you’re kicking me out already,” he
said with a giggle.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, but most people just pass
through. You can stay as long as you like it’s not up to
me.”

“Well thank you for your permission, I think I will stick
around a while,” he said, shifting in his seat.

 

She walked away and put his order in and went back to
where Grace was sitting.

 

“He is hot, you should ask him out.” Grace said smiling
and giggling.

“I am not going to ask out some guy I don’t know, the last
thing I need is another distraction,” Cali sighed. “I have
enough to worry about, dating is not an option.”
“Oh come on you’re young; live a little, I would ask him out
if I wasn’t so pregnant.” Grace laughed out loud.

“Let it go Grace, I am not dating the handsome stranger.”
Cali said walking away, she grabbed a cloth and started
wiping down the tables. He was watching her. It made her
feel excited and nervous at the same time. She made eye
contact with him and then looked away.

“Your food should be ready soon,” she said well cleaning
the table next to his.

“No problem I am in no rush, remember we already
established I am sticking around for a while,” he said with
a smirk on his face.

“Well there is nothing special in this town.” Cali whispered
while looking away from him still cleaning the tables.

“Well you’re here so that’s one thing that’s special, and
you stuck around so there must be something that keeps
you in this town.” His words shocked her, but then she
remembered he was just another guy and she told herself
not to buy into his comments.