Page 128 of Bonding with the Beta

“It doesn’t matter,” I say as I brush back her hair. “What matters is that you’re safe.”

She frowns. “I know you have responsibilities here, Kayden, and you’ve been spending a lot of time with me.”

“Because you are important to me.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “Let me worry about that, okay?”

Kayleigh reaches for her phone on the bedside table, and I sit back against the headboard as I trace shapes on her legs. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groans.

“What’s wrong?”

“My professor has asked to see me today.”

“Today?” My brows rise. “I thought the term was over?”

Kayleigh shakes her head. “Not until Friday. My classes have finished, and as I’ve already submitted my essays, I thought I’d be pretty much done.”

“Can’t you video call him?”

“No,” she sighs. “He takes punctual meetings seriously, and I have a feeling it will be about the essay I almost lost the other day. I really,reallydon’t want to fail this one.”

My head pounds with the thought of Kayleigh going back to campus after last night. I promised Jaxon I’d help with donations to Cole’s pack after he catches up with paperwork.

“I also left my laptop there.” She runs her hand down her face. “And I’ve got online reading I need to do.”

“Let’s get breakfast first,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist and picking her up as if she weighs a feather. “Then we can talk about it later.”

Because it is the last thing I want to do.

42

KAYLEIGH

“You know I’m really not happy about this,” Kayden grumbles as he pulls up into my campus car park.

“I know,” I sigh as he kills the engine. “Me neither, but I can’t not go if my professor asked to see me. It might be about my essay, and I really need these grades this term. Otherwise, I’m fucked.”

If it were for any other reason, there’s no way in hell I’d be coming back to university so soon after last night. I value my grades and my hard work more than anything, and I’m not going to let Josh deter me from that.

“I’m worried about you.” He frowns in my direction, the creases on his forehead becoming permanent. “I don’t like the idea of you being here. You’ve barely spoken two words about what happened, and I have no idea what’s going on in your head.”

My brows twitch. “I thought you could read my mind?” I challenge him.

Kayden breathes out of his nose harshly and closes his eyes. “Kayleigh,” his voice is stern, and I realise now isn’t the time for games.

“I’ll be okay, I promise. I’m going to see my professor, grab my laptop and a couple of things, and then I’ll drive straight to yours later. Alright?”

He looks unconvinced.

“I won’t answer my door. I’ll keep it locked.”

I don’t want Josh to think that he’s won and made me so scared I can’t be on campus alone. This is my home, and I refuse to be bullied out of it.

“I’ll call you if anything is wrong, okay?” I promise him.

Kayden stares back at me, his hand moving to latch onto my wrist like he doesn’t want to let me go. “I can tell Jaxon that I can’t do the job, that I can stay with you until?—”

“No.” I shake firmly. “Jaxon needs you right now, and I can’t take you away from your job any longer. Besides, my professor might take a while. I’ll be okay.”

His eyes flick between mine, slowly admitting defeat. “Okay.”

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