Page 119 of Beau and the Beast

“Listen, I have to go. I love you, Noah.”

“Love you too bro.”

And then he was gone.

Noah’s heart thudded in his chest. What the hell had all of that meant?

* * *

When he gotoff the phone, Beau felt anxious—and worse, foolish.

The conversation had only served to muddle things—and yes, at least he knew now that Noah was safe, was in good spirits, but he’d been wrong to think that the call would do anything but make the situation more complicated. Noah was far too shrewd to take everything at face value, especially if he’d been as worried about Beau as Beau had been about him.

Things would be so different if the curse weren’t an issue. That conversation would’ve been so different. Abruptly, he found himself biting back tears.

“What’s the matter?” Wolfram asked, instantly out from behind his desk and at Beau’s side. It was as if the man knew he was having an emotion before Beau himself was even aware of it.

“You said talking to him would help,” Wolfram said, sounding almost panicked. “What have I done wrong?”

“It’s not you. You were right. I think I just made him more suspicious. I hate it,” Beau said, turning in on himself. “All of it and your curse. It’s not fair.”

Wolfram sighed and chuckled. “Is that all? I’m sorry you’re feeling the pressure of it today—”

“It’s just so strange,” Beau said, knowing that he sounded like he was pouting. “It would be so different if I could just tell him about you and why we have to keep you a secret. I want to call him and be happy—I want to tell my brotherI met someone.But instead I have to lie.”

“You held back to protect me,” Wolfram pointed out. “Of all things, I’d hope that’s a good reason to lie.”

Beau nodded. “I wish he could just meet you,” Beau said. “How could I ever explain it all to him? And how would he even believe me?”

Wolfram nodded.

“You didn’t have to get off the phone so quickly, you know,” he offered.

“I know—I didn’t even ask him anything, did I?” Beau held his head in his hands. He had somehow mishandled that entire phone call spectacularly. “I just felt like the longer we talked, the more everything was going wrong.”

Beau heaved an enormous sigh and turned to fall against Wolfram’s chest. Wolfram placed a heavy hand on his back, pulling him closer.

“It’s selfish to be mad about the curse because itinconveniencesme,” Beau said after a moment. “That’s incredibly insensitive.”

Wolfram tutted. “You don’t have to police every emotion you have on my account, you know. You are allowed to feel the way you feel without qualifying it or comparing it to the suffering of those around you.”

Beau snorted and pulled back to look Wolfram in the face. “That’s a good point.”

“I make those, sometimes.”

Beau moved to his knees, wanting to be closer, wanting to kiss Wolfram and thank him for changing his mind even if it hadn’t made Beau feel better, thank him for his kind words—but in the same instant, Wolfram was clearing his throat and drawing away.

“Shall we get to work for the day?” Wolfram asked, seeming to fight a grimace.

Beau’s heart fell. Of course Wolfram would want to keep working on the manuscript. He wanted to be free—not to waste more days of his life by fooling around with Beau behind closed doors. Beau gritted his teeth and reminded himself to be in control.

“Of course,” Beau said.

* * *

Noah didn't meanto sound so panicked and desperate when he called Lincoln, but an hour after he'd spoken to Beau, he'd been in the middle of a spiral of anxiety and had no idea what to do about it.

Lincoln had answered his phone, probably thinking that Noah was calling to be taken on a third shopping trip. He sounded shocked when Noah tried to explain what had happened.

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