Page 42 of Bonding with the Beta

She flashes me one back as she loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go sit on the green. It’s a nice day today.”

I nod in agreement as she guides us outside. The second the sunlight hits my face, I take a deep breath and attempt to pushaway the tightness in my chest. I stuff my paper in my bag, no longer wanting to look at those daunting numbers.

As we step onto the path, I hear someone say my name behind us.

Instantly, the muscles in my back contract, and I close my eyes.

“Fuck off, Josh,” Evie murmurs before I even get the chance to see him.

I remember now why people always say don’t shit where you eat because I have to endure seeing Josh around campus, and it’s worse than literal torture.

“Nice to see you, too, Evie,” he drawls. “Pleased to know Kayleigh’s let you off your leash.”

I whip around to face him as he takes a step closer. My nostrils flare, but I keep calm because I know he wants a reaction out of me.

“What do you want, Josh?” I pin him with a stare, taking slow breaths.

Josh runs his tongue along the inside of his lip slowly. “You’ve not been replying to my texts,” he states. “Actually, they’re not sending at all now.”

“Yeah…well, take a hint.”

His brows move towards each other. “After everything, that’s how you want to play it?”

“You broke up with me, remember?”

“And why can’t we be civil? You’re proving how erratic and crazy you are.”

I tighten my fists to stop myself from exploding at him.

He doesn’t deserve your energy. He deserves nothing.

“Because I don’t want anything to do with you,” I hiss. “Leave me alone, Josh.”

My arm latches onto Evie’s tighter, and I steer us away. Steam boils from the top of my head as I attempt to breatheevenly, but I feel like a goddamn dragon. The audacity of that man. I can’t stand it.

“I hate him,” Evie mutters.

“That makes two of us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“Him,” she sighs. “I feel like you can’t truly move on if he’s always here, lurking around a corner. I can’t imagine how tough it must be.”

I hum. “Yeah. But soon, we’ll be out of here, and I’ll never have to see his face again.”

“Amen to that.” She bumps her arm into mine lightly.

We perch on a patch of grass, and I lay back, the sunshine coating me like a warm hug. Evie digs out her book and moves to lay on her front, burying her nose in the pages.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to find Kayden’s name. Even the sight makes my stomach do a flip. Blood rushes through my veins as I chew on my lip and open the message.

Kayden:

You grown a second head from that bump of yours yet?

Kayleigh:

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