Page 28 of Bonding with the Beta

“When is he coming by?”

“Seven, he said, but?—”

My phone vibrates, and my entire face lights up at his name. I press my thumb to the message, and my stomach drops a little when I see the text.

Josh:

Hey, baby. Sorry. I’m running a little late and on the other side of town at the moment. Can you meet me at the restaurant? I’ll make it up to you. Promise.

Evie peeks her head over my shoulder and glances at my phone. “Oh–”

“He’s probably been busy with football,” I wave off like it’s nothing, but I’m filled with dread. “Lost track of time, maybe.”

She hums. “Maybe.”

After calling an Uber and heading to the restaurant in Stonebridge town, I hold my phone in my lap as the time creeps closer and closer to seven-thirty. As the car pulls up and I scope the street for any signs of Josh, I can’t see him.

I thank the driver and climb out, holding my coat closer to my body before dialling Josh’s number. It rings and rings until I reach his voicemail. I try again, but he doesn’t pick up a single call.

What the hell?

I stare down at my phone, shaking from the cold. My fingers quickly punch out a text to him.

Kayleigh:

Where are you? I’m waiting for you.

Please hurry. It’s cold, and I don’t want to go in by myself.

I wait another ten minutes until my phone starts ringing, and the sight of Josh’s name almost makes my knees quiver in relief.

“Hey, where are you?” I exhale.

“Kayleigh, I’m so sorry. There’s stuff going on with Craig, and he really needs a friend right now.”

I blink in shock. “On our date night?”

“He’s my friend. I’m not going to bail on him.”

But it’s so easy to bail on me?

Pathetic tears sting my eyes.

“Okay,” I rasp and purse my lips. “Don’t worry about it then.”

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

I don’t believe him. He’s been slipping away over the last few weeks, and I don’t understand why.

What has changed?

I end the call and get a cab back to campus, feeling like a fool in this dress.

When I reach my dorm room, I shred my dress and change into my pyjamas before wiping off my makeup and crawling into bed. I grab my phone and flick through Instagram before coming across Jessica’s stories.

I chew on my lip and flick through the pointless shit she decides to plaster over social media until I pause on a video that makes me sit up in bed. My eyes scan the screen as I start the video over and over.

Josh and Craig are shooting shots in the corner of the room while music plays, and Jessica takes a drag on a joint before blowing it at the camera.

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