Page 60 of Bonding with the Beta

I shake my head and continue to eat my panini. Once we’re done with our food, Kayden begins to fish out his wallet, and I reach over the table to stop him. “No. I said it was my treat.”

“Are you sure?”

“For sorting out my car. Please.”

He hesitates for a moment before shoving his wallet back into his pocket. “Fine,” he murmurs. “But this can’t be the only time we get food together if I don’t pay. It feels wrong.”

“Mm. Well, win the bet, and you can get what you want. Can’t you?”

Kayden leans across the table. “Trust me, blondie. The odds are in my favour.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“Kayleigh!”

The sound of my name being shouted by someone with a whine makes me visibly tense. I glance over my shoulder as I settle my eyes on the red-headed girl before me:Jessica.

“Hey,” I say politely, but really, I want her to be as far away from us as possible.

I have no idea why she’s talking to me. We haven’t spoken in months.

Not since they all chose Josh over me.

A group of people appear behind her. My gaze flicks over all of them until they land on the one guy I didn’t want to see. My stomach churns like cement and settles like a rock.

I lock eyes with Josh and freeze.

Everything in my body begins to seize up, and I pray my face doesn’t start shining red in his presence. Why is he even here?

“How have you been?” Jessica asks, snapping me away from Josh’s haunting gaze. “Feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

That’s because when Josh broke up with me, everyone pretended not to know me.

I feel Kayden straighten his spine beside me, his hand brushing my wrist. It’s as if he can read my mind and knows I want to be anywhere but sit in front of them like a circus act.

The simple gesture could make me cry.

“Good,” I force out. “I’ve been good.”

My eyes automatically flick back to Josh, but instead of his being on me, they’re firmly on Kayden. His unsettling expression has my legs trembling.

“Who’s your new friend?” She twirls a piece of hair around her finger. “I haven’t seen him around campus before.”

“He’s not a student here,” I snap.

Oh, God. The last thing I want is for Kayden to get involved in this mess.

Jessica flinches from my tone. Kayden’s fingers are still gently touching my wrist. I could melt at the way he makes me feel comfortable, even in a situation like this.

“Come on, Jess.” Hannah tugs her arm. “We gotta go to Craig’s.”

Jessica smiles at me once more before waving over her shoulder. I suck in a breath and turn back to Kayden, flushed with relief that they’re leaving and I don’t have to endure that for a second more.

But when I look at Kayden, his eyes are staring straight at someone behind me.

I know Josh is still standing there.

Bile rises in my throat, and my hands begin to shake.

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