Broken Beauty Read Online Free PDF Page B

before she reaches me.
    “Oh, Mia,” she breathes and sits down beside me.
    I throw my arms around her and sob. My best friend since we were five, Ari and I keep each other sane as we try to hide from our ambitious fathers. She’s been there for me more than anyone.
    Ari cries, too, and we sit on the floor, hugging, until I’m too tired to cry anymore. We hold each other the way we did on Halloweens when we were little and afraid the monsters would get us.
    “No one would tell me what happened,” she says at last. “Shea finally did downstairs. She said … Mia, is it true?”
    I nod. For once, I’m grateful to Shea for calling Ari.
    “It’s my fault for not being there!”
    “No, Ari,” I say and wipe my good eye. “You didn’t do this.”
    “It wouldn’t have happened if I were there!”
    “They might’ve hurt us both.”
    “No, Mia, we would’ve been okay.”
    “I love you, Ari,” I say. I pull away from her and giggle at the sight of her smeared eye make-up, red nose and bloodshot eyes. “You’re the only one who cares.”
    “This is gonna be hard to cover up with makeup,” Ari says, touching my black eye. “Did the police catch who did this?”
    “No.”
    “Well, they will.”
    “No, they won’t,” I say. “Ari, I think I know who it is but …”
    “Who? You knew him?” she demands. “Omigod, it wasn’t someone we go to school with, was it?”
    “No. Ari, I can’t remember much. There were two. One I can’t remember at all. The other …” I think again about what Chris said.
    “Who, Mia?”
    I can’t say it.
    Ari gasps suddenly and leans away. She pulls out her phone. I wonder what she’s doing. Ari spends a minute clicking and swiping. Finally, she holds out her phone. My chest tightens. I take her phone with shaking hands. I remember the picture I sent her, the one I took when Robert went to get my first drink. His back is to me, his head turned so that I can see his profile as he talks to …
    Madison.
    I drop the phone. I want to throw it outside my room, far, far away from me.
    “You called him Robert,” Ari says. “You do know him, don’t you?”
    “Chris … Chris says I would have to go to court. It’ll be on TV. I can’t … remember everything, Ari. What if … what if …I ruin Daddy’s life? It’s Robert Connor .”
    “Oh.” Ari’s face grows pensive. She understands the politics better than I ever have. “But he hurt you. Your dad has to help you, even if the Connors are the Connors.”
    “I can’t go to court, Ari. I just want this all to go away. I’m so tired.”
    Ari looks troubled then smiles at me. “If you change your mind, we always have the pic.” She puts her phone away. She hugs me again.
    “Shea’s making me do a press conference in the morning.”
    “You look awful.”
    “I know.”
    “I’m staying with you tonight. I’ll fix you up in the morning. You know how good I am at that.”
    “Thank you,” I whisper. “I’m so glad Shea called you.”
    “She didn’t. The police did. Shea didn’t want to let me in the house tonight.”
    “What?”
    “Some officer called me this morning. Said you asked him to.”
    I’m quiet. I vaguely remember asking Kiesha and Dom to call Ari. I guess I’m not surprised Shea didn’t call Ari, but I am surprised Dom remembered. And grateful. I start to wonder if he’s my guardian angel.
    “Come on. You need some sleep before the press conference.” Ari pulls away and stands. She helps me to my feet. I limp to my bed and sit heavily. Ari goes to one of my two walk-in closets and returns with a clean t-shirt and pajama boxers.
    I smile as she sets them beside me. With her help, I struggle into my sleeping clothes and hobble to the door, locking it. She’s brought an overnight bag and retrieves it from the doorway then heads to the bathroom.
    “Ari!” I call. She always leaves the bathroom door open.
    “Yeah?”
    “Will you promise not to say anything about … you know. Robert? It’s