Broken Free (The Broken Series) by Azure Boone

expected anything else. Was hard not too though after the fits Daniel had about him at first.
    “Did you see Sarah?” Sofia whispered in the ear opposite of Dara.
    He shook his head and whispered back, “Didn’t know she was here.”
    Oh my God. “Yes, I hope that’s okay, we just thought it was…”
    “I’m glad,” he hurried then raked his short cropped blonde hair with a hand as though he’d said too much.
    “Let’s bring this soap opera inside as Rachel puts it,” Daniel said.
    “Isn’t he adorable momma?” Dara put her hands on Seth’s cheeks and shook his head a little. Then kissed him. He seemed to let her but it was hard to know if he wanted to. Time would tell.
    Sofia hurried inside to find Sarah, wondering where she was, kinda scared to know. She went to her bedroom and then the closed bathroom door and knocked.
    “Yes?”
    “It’s me. Sofia.”
    “I…I am…”
    Sofia listened closely and was sure she heard crying. “Can I come in?”
    A few seconds later, the door unlocked. Sofia carefully went in and shut the door. “Why aren’t you out there?”
    She sat on the toilet, looking down and shook her head.
    “What? What’s wrong?”
    She shrugged her shoulder and wiped tears away.
    Sofia went sit on the tub next to her and saw that she’d been crying a while. “Talk to me, let me help you.”
    She gasped a dry laugh. “Help me? You can help me be beautiful like her?” She threw her hand toward the door.
    “Honey, you’re beautiful too, why are you saying that?”
    “I am skinny. No breast, no butt, no…” The final word wailed out. “…no anything good. Cannot read, cannot cook, cannot…” she stopped again, straining. She shook her head and faced Sofia and it cut her breath to see the look in her eyes. The look of somebody that knew they were useless and nothing. “Don’t know how to even dress, don’t know how to be a…a good girl, I don’t want to be bad, I don’t want to be a bad girl.” Her head shook and she let Sofia pull her in for a hug.
    “Stop that,” Sofia gasped. “You’re not bad. You’re not.” She rubbed her back, the bones in her spine too pronounced. Daniel should be force feeding Sarah, not her. That needed to change. That would change. “Now let’s get you fixed up, okay? I can help with that!” Sofia said excited. “Would you like that?”
    Sarah sobbed and hugged her tighter. “I never have a sister like this. Thank you.”
    “Well first,” Sofia stood and pulled her up, “you’ll need to dry those eyes if I’m going to put make up on you.”
    “Make up?”
    “Yes, I’m going to make you look beautiful.” Dara would hate her for this but like Sofia could deny this poor girl that little bit. If Seth loved Dara like she claimed, then this wouldn’t change a thing. But this pitiful damaged person deserved happiness just like anybody else. She deserved a shot at it, at least. And she deserved that with Seth. After suffering through what she did with him, she’d owned that right.
    Sofia worked her magic in less than thirty minutes. It was easy to do with her, she was a natural beauty. She made her take a five minute shower and wash her hair. Then she blow dried it and passed a straightener through it before putting it up in a sensual twist with strands of hair framing her face.
    S ofia found another dress to put on her, one of Sofia’s sundresses. Red. “Ohhhh look at you,” Sofia whispered at her in the mirror. “You look like a dazzling Spanish princess!” And she did. Maybe one from a poor village but nevertheless royalty. One with a strong bloodline and prominent bone structure. Her bright green eyes stood out in her flawless skin. Well not flawless. She had a few scars on her face. None Sofia wanted to know about. One tiny white triangular one next to her upper lip. An inch long thin line on her chin. Another thicker gash across her brow. All faded white with time.
    But none of it could hide her beauty. Even after several