Beautifully Hurt (Beautifully Broken)

Eli holds his thumb and pointer finger an inch apart. “This much?”

I shake my head. “A hell of a lot more than that.”

Spreading his arms wide to his side, he asks, “This much?”

I move onto my knees and wrap my arms around him, burrowing against his chest. “More than anything, Eli. You’re my life.”

He hugs me tightly, pulling me up onto my feet. “I live you, Quinn.”

Glancing up, I say, “I’ve heard your parents saying that to each other.”

“Yeah, Dad says love is too much like hate. It comes and goes, but you only get one life. You’re the one for me in this life, so I live you.”

Letting out a happy chuckle, I say, “I like that. I live you too.”

ELI

I’m busy putting the shelves up in Quinn’s store when my phone starts to ring. Setting down the hammer, I check the screen and see Jason’s name flashing on it.

“Hey, it’s been a while,” I answer. “How are you?”

“Good,” he answers. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” I chuckle.

“How are things there?”

My eyes drift over the shelves I’ve put up. “No complaints. We’ve been busy getting Quinn’s store ready.”

“That’s good to hear.”

There’s a moment’s silence, then I ask, “You holding up okay?”

“Yeah. It is what it is. Life goes on.”

Hearing how tired he sounds, I ask, “You getting enough rest?”

“No, my uncle’s working me to the bone.” Then he chuckles, and I take a relieved breath.

“Any news?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Nothing. Every lead they had ended up being a dead-end.”

“Sucks,” he mutters. “Well, I just wanted to check in with you.”

“Take care, Jason.”

“You too.”

We end the call, and then I stare at the device, wondering if Jason will ever recover from losing Katie.

With him reminding me of the case, I bring up my call list and dial the number for the sheriff’s department.

I ask to speak with Harry, but I’m put through to Cade.

“Hey, Eli,” Cade sighs.

“Yeah, you’re going to get tired of hearing from me until you find the bastards,” I say.

“You calling all the time isn’t going to make us find them sooner,” Cade mutters.

“You have DNA samples and sketches. How hard can it be?” I ask, frustration tightening my voice.

“There weren’t any matches on the system. You try finding a needle in a haystack,” he grumbles.

I take a deep breath. “Sorry, Cade. I’m just frustrated.”

“We all are, Eli. Trust me, I’m working this case every minute I have to spare.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“How’s Quinn holding up? I hear she’s opening a store?”

“Yeah, she’s going to sell cupcakes. You should come when the doors open.”

“I will. I’m glad to hear she’s getting back on her feet. We were all rooting for her.”

“Thanks,” I murmur. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Right. Talk to you next week,” he chuckles as we end the call.

“Nooo, Eli,” Quinn exclaims as she comes into the store, making my eyes dart to her. “It’s your birthday. This can wait.”

A frown settles on my forehead. “You walked to town?”

Quinn nods. “It’s only a thirty-minute walk.”

The frustration in me boils over. “Dammit, Quinn! Why didn’t you call me to pick you up?”

Quinn flinches from my harsh tone, her eyes going wide as saucers while the blood drains from her face.

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I take a deep breath. “Sorry, baby.” I quickly close the distance between us, pulling her against my chest. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to walk by myself,” she mumbles, her voice sounding cautious.

I press a kiss to her temple, then another to her cheek and neck. “I just want to make sure you’re safe at all times.”

Quinn nods, burrowing against me. “Okay. I won’t walk by myself again.”

Not until those bastards are caught.

“Let me pack up. Is there something you needed to get in town?” I ask as I throw all my tools back into the toolbox.

“Ah… yeah…”

I glance up at her in time to see a blush creep into her cheeks. My eyebrow darts up. “What do you need to get?”

“Your gift. I just need ten minutes,” she says, taking a step to the entrance of the store. “Can I go by myself?”

“Of course, baby. I just don’t want you walking to town alone. When you’re around people, it’s okay.”

Quinn nods. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch her dart out of the store, then let out a heavy breath.

That’s the first time I lost it with Quinn. It can’t happen again.

It’s just… knowing those bastards are still out there, and what they’re capable of… I’ll fucking die if they get a hold of Quinn again.

Shaking my head, I pick up the toolbox, and leaving the store, I lock the door behind me.

I cross the road, and stepping inside the hardware store, I glance at Mom. “Thanks for helping out today.”

“Of course.” Her eyes scan over my face, then she asks, “What’s wrong?”