Page 183 of Bonding with the Beta

“Did you hear?” my mother gasps. “Before they announced her name, they said she also won an award for the best final project on her course.”

Kayden nods with a grin. “Yeah, she’s one hard worker. She deserves it.”

My dad chuckles. “Trust me, she’s always been an over-achiever.”

“Do you guys know what else she’s done this past year?”

“No.” My mother shakes her head. “What did she do?”

“The girl’s safety society,” Kayden tells them with pride in his voice.

“What’s that?”

“Well, she created this society to help girls build confidence and not feel so alone in the things they have experienced. She’s taken something that used to get her down and turned it into something positive to help other women on campus. She is amazing.”

My face throbs, and the tears in my eyes sting.

“She even created a ‘get home safe’ club. She wants girls to be able to go out without the fear of something happening to them. She cares a lot about others. In the past year, she’s not onlyfocused on herself and her studies but the lives of others who need help and guidance.”

My mum blinks once. “Oh, my. I had no idea. That’s—” she cuts herself off. “That’s incredible.”

I wipe my eyes and walk straight towards them. “Hey, I was looking everywhere for you guys.”

“There she is, my graduate daughter,” my father says before wrapping me up in a tight hug. “Nice one, kid. You didn’t fall over.”

“It was a struggle,” I say into his shoulder.

My mum hugs me after, and we sit and share a drink to celebrate.

“We need to hit the road before we are stuck in all that traffic,” my dad says as he checks his watch.

“Okay.” I nod as I stand from my seat.

“Enjoy tonight, won’t you?” my mum says as she circles the chair to hug me. “You deserve it.”

“I will,” I say, hugging her for the final time.

We walk my parents back to the car park, where we wave them off.

“Let’s go to the fountain,” Kayden says, lacing his fingers through mine.

My brows raise. “Why?”

“So I can get pictures of you.” He grins.

I huff out a breath. “Fine.”

Kayden slips his phone from his pocket as we reach the fountain, and I turn to find the camera aimed at me. He beams behind the screen. “Throw your hat,” he tells me.

My fingers latch onto the rim of the hat, and I throw it in the air beforemagicallycatching it. We get pictures of a thousand different poses and angles.

“I think that’s enough,” I say, reaching out to take Kayden’s phone.

“I dunno.” He shrugs, moving his phone out of reach. “I could have gone on forever.”

My eyes roll. “You’re obsessed with me.”

“Obsessed with my soulmate? Yes.”

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