Page 81 of Newton

She doesn't speak to me as a student, and maybe it's because I'm twenty-one and not actually a child, but I can't wait to see what comes out of our friendship once I finish school.

"How is it possible to miss someone who's standing only a few feet away?" I ask, not pulling my eyes from Beck.

"Let me know when you figure it out, "she whispers, and when I look back at her, I see her eyes locked on her husband.

Oracle looks at his wife the same way Beck looks at me, and it sends a certain kind of thrill up my spine.

I haven't told him that I love him, but I know that I do. I've hurt him with words in the past, so I'm fully committed to healing the wounds I created with action.

"Does it make us masochists to sit here tortured?" I ask with a huff of laughter.

"I'm too weak for that," she says as she stands.

Oracle moves toward her the second she's on her feet, and Beck is only a step behind him.

"On second thought," Beth says before Oracle can reach her. "I'll give you Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, but you get back to your schoolwork first thing Monday morning."

"You sound desperate for a friend," I tease.

She nods, her eyes locked on mine. "I am."

I wrap my arms around her for a hug, the action feeling a little foreign until she returns it, her warm arms giving me a little squeeze before she lets me go.

"Monday," she repeats. "You've had two months off. It's time to get back to work."

I nod, agreeing without argument.

Chapter 39

Newton

I know what it costs her to be so brave.

Anytime she’s attempted it in the past, Nathan cut her off at the knees and then hurt her for even thinking of taking charge of any situation.

I see a little more light in her eyes when I approach her. Witnessing the hug between her and Beth made me want to jump for joy. I know that has been an issue clouding her mind since she came to the clubhouse the first time.

"Is everything better?" I ask as I pull her to my chest.

"It will be," she says, more positivity in her tone than I've ever heard from her before.

I turn her around and urge her toward our room. There's just something about this woman standing on her own two feet that really fucking turns me on, and I witnessed it once at the doctor's office and again just now with Beth.

"You seem eager," she mutters, but when I look over her shoulder, I see the file she's trying to hide.

"Always for you, baby," I assure her as I open our bedroom door and usher her inside, closing and locking the door behind me. "What's happening on Monday?"

I heard the tail end of their conversation as I approached, and I had already formulated my words to explain she doesn't have to work if she doesn't want to.

"Schoolwork," she says, scrunching up her nose as if she's disgusted by the idea of it, but I know better.

"It'll give you something to do while I'm on patrol or at work," I say. "I know you don't like to be bored."

"Do you know how many shows there are that I haven't seen? That Supernatural series has like twelve seasons."

"It has fifteen seasons, and I thought we agreed to watch it together," I argue as I step into her, making her take backward steps toward the bed.

She shrugs as if she couldn't be bothered to wait for me, but her tone changes as she squeals when I push her gently onto the bed.

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