Page 109 of Defiant Beta

We follow Vincent out of the kitchen and settle on the couch in the ultra-white, modern living room. It’s not as uncomfortable as it looks. Maybe because I’m coming from a kitchen stool that feels like I’m sitting on a rock. I sit in the center, Xavier claims the seat on my right, Vincent the one on my left, and Levi the armchair.

“You still haven’t told us who the girl is,” I remind Xavier.

He smiles at me. “Guess.”

I scowl at him. “Do you have any idea how many girls are at that school?”

“Shannon,” he declares. “Red-haired senior. She was in a couple of your classes.”

I shake my head. “The only Shannon I know is…” His slow smile silences me. “The Shannon who always has an answer for everything? The Shannon who has probably never broken a rule a day in her life?ThatShannon?”

I picture her rushing across the quad, always early to class. I can’t see her running away for love.

Xavier grins at me. “She had to keep up appearances while she plotted her escape with Thomas.”

Still struggling to believe it, I sit back in my seat. “Damn.” Then I remember someone dropping their fork in the dining room when I was talking to Aden. “She must have been secretly planning to escape with Thomas all that time, but then had to stop because of the curfew. I got in the way of true love.” I release a sad sigh.

“You’re a romantic,” Vincent says, watching me closely.

“No, I’m not,” I deny, blushing for no reason.

He arches a dark eyebrow.

“Okay, so maybe a teeny tiny part of me is a romantic,” I reluctantly admit.

“You didn’t get in their way,” Xavier says. “You were the distraction they needed. Technically, the love killer was Levi.”

Levi stares at him. “Love killer?”

I laugh. “So, what did you do after she slapped you in the face?” I ask Xavier.

He shrugs. “What do you think I did? I gave them money to start their new life together and sent them on their way.”

My smile grows. “You’rethe romantic.” A part of me melts at the thought.

“Maybe a little.”

When the food arrives, we stuff our faces in the kitchen and migrate back to the couch in the living room.

“Don’t you have to get back to school?” I ask Xavier.

“Trying to get rid of me?” He grins.

I yawn. A food coma is fast approaching. "I figured you'd have to go back to spying. Should be easier without tripping over a certain beta.”

He wraps his arm around my shoulder and makes a contented sound. “This is better, and I kind of miss tripping over a certain beta.”

I blush again, except this time, I know why.

“Quit flirting,” I grumble.

“Why?” A teasing smile lifts one corner of his mouth. “You like it?”

“Hate it.” I lie.

“Is that why you’re snuggling up with me?”

“I amnot?—”

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