Beautifully Broken by C.C. Russell Read Free Book Online Page B

I’ll be right back with your cola.” Cali smiled and
walked away. As she glanced back she noticed that he was
looking at her.
She walked back over to his table and gave him his cola;
he smiled at her and took a drink.
     
“Thank you.”
     
“You’re welcome,” she said as she was walking away.
     
“Miss… I am sorry I didn’t catch you name.” She turned
back around to his table.
     
“I am Cali, and you are?”
    “Edwin.” He held out his hand. Cali hesitantly reached for
it. He held her hand firm but his shake was gentle like he
didn’t want to hurt her. “Nice to meet you Cali.”
“Is there anything else I can get for you,” She smiled and
giggled at the same time. Why IamIactinglikethis why
doeshehave this effecton me?
    “Yes actually, I would like your company. It’s not busy in
here, and your friend is leaving.” he said pointing to the
door, Cali turned and looked over at the door and Grace
waved as she walked out of the diner with a smile on her
face. “So you have the time to sit with me, then I don’t have
to eat alone.” She looked around the restaurant trying to
find something she had to do so she could say no but
nothing came to mind. “You know, you want to sit and talk
to me so just give in.”
“Ok fine you win I have nothing to do so I’ll sit with you, so
you don’t have to eat alone,” Cali went to the bar and got
herself a drink of cola.
    “So Edwin, where are you headed?” she asked curiously
as she watched him eat. He ate with grace and
sophistication.
    “I am headed south to Summerville, it’s a small town and
it’s really beautiful there. The ocean is breath taking and
the beaches are so lovely but the best part of the town is
that the people there are so used to tourists that they
aren’t nosey and they just let you be.”
    “That’s sound like a nice place. I have never seen the
ocean before. For that matter I have never even been to a
beach.” Cali spoke out loud she didn’t realise until the
words came out of her mouth. He looked at her surprised
and intrigued.
“So you have never traveled anywhere?”
    “No I have never been anywhere I have lived a very
sheltered life,” she admitted looking away from his eyes.
She didn’t want to get lost in them again.
    “You’re far too pretty to be stuck in a small town like this.
Maybe I am your Prince Charming, here to rescue you
from your sad little life.”
    “Ha, are you serious? Do those lines actually work for
you?” she asked while laughing. He looked shocked that
she didn’t fall for him but at the same time he was even
more interested, and he started laughing with her.
“Yes they really do work most of the time.” Edwin said
laughing.
    “Well sorry to burst your bubble but I am not the girl that
believes in prince charming or fairy tales. I don’t believe in
happy endings. I could live without love.” Her words
almost broke her own heart.
    “Well what do you believe in then?” Edwin asked
curiously “I have never met someone as intriguing as you
are,” he smiled, gazing at her. “And that’s not a line, that
one’s true.”
“I don’t really know what I believe in but I don’t believe in
romance.” Cali said looking out the window.
    “Well it sounds like you have been let down way too many
times in the past and you’re a little broken,” he touched
her hand to comfort her, again with a shock of energy that
made them both smile.
“Yah, something like that.” She always felt broken, but how
did he know that about her?
    “Well maybe I am not the only broken person in this
place?” Cali looked deep into his eyes and she knew he
was broken too.
    “We all have a past we would like to forget, I won’t ask you
about yours if you don’t ask me about mine,” Edwin said
looking at her. He smiled but it was different this time. It
was a serious smile.
“That sounds fair.”
    Edwin came in to the diner for the next few days.
Sometimes he was in twice a