Page 17 of Bonding with the Beta (Fated Souls #2)

17

KAYLEIGH

“ W hat do you reckon Ava and Jaxon will call the baby?” I ask as I press my mozzarella and tomato panini to my lips.

Kayden hums as he chews. “That’s tough. Something out there like Flower or Ocean.”

I snort as I take a bite, and then cover my mouth and swallow. “Flower?” I pause. “Wow.”

He shrugs. “I wouldn’t put it past them. I bet they want to be quirky and cool parents with a kid with an unusual name.”

“Definitely not. It’ll be something classic like Merlyn or Elizabeth,” I state.

“Doubt it.” Kayden shakes his head.

I chew my mouthful. “You’re wrong.”

“Wanna bet?”

My head tilts.

“Even if you still owe me five pounds.” He laughs.

“We agreed it would be ice cream.”

“Nope. You forced that on me.” He points at me.

“What are we betting?”

Kayden’s eyes glisten with amusement. “I bet it’ll be an unusual name. You bet that it’ll be a classic name.”

“Okay…” I trail off. “What do we win?”

His mouth swishes to one side as he thinks. “How about we up the stakes and say no money but whatever the other person wants?”

“What the other person wants?” I quirk a brow.

“Yup,” he says, looking smug. “You win, and you get whatever you want. If I win, I get what I want.”

My eyes roll. “Do I even want to know what you want?”

“Haven’t decided what I want yet.” He smirks. “But don’t worry, I’ll be brainstorming.”

I breathe through my nose and nod firmly. “Oh, you’re on.”

Kayden holds out his hand across the table, and I shake it with as much confidence as possible. “Prepare to lose,” he says cockily.

“I don’t lose,” I tug his hand closer to me.

“You’re cute when you’re competitive.”

I release his hand, and he continues to stare at me mischievously.

“You’re cute when you’re not talking.”

“Aww,” he huffs with a sarcastic smile. “You think I’m cute?”

“In the same way I find miniature frogs cute.”

“So, in an adorable way?”

“No, in a pathetic way.”

“You think I’m pathetically cute?”

“There is no winning with you, is there?”

Kayden’s eyes flare with something that makes my stomach flip. He’s grinning at me like a Cheshire cat, and I have no idea what I’ve said to get that sort of reaction.

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” he chimes.

I snort. “Not sure it was a compliment.”

“Oh, it was a compliment.” He winks.

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.

“Let’s go,” I whisper to Kayden as we stand from the bench.

Kayden nods and finally looks at me. I quickly pull some money out of my bag and place it on the table so I can get out of there as soon as possible.

“What was that guy's problem?” he finally asks when we begin to walk in the opposite direction.

My legs are shivering, but I pretend nothing is wrong.

I release a shaky breath and shrug. “No idea,” I lie.

Kayden grabs my shoulder before I can walk any further. “You know him?”

“Nope,” I say a little too quickly. “No idea who he is.”

He watches me for a long moment, but I look everywhere but at his face. “Weird,” he comments, his voice dipping as if he doesn’t believe me. “Because it seems like he knows you.”

“Jessica is an old friend,” I blurt. “Those are her friends.”

Kayden’s eyes narrow as if he’s trying to grasp the situation. “Right, but–”

“Want to go get some ice cream?” I ask, desperately trying to change the subject. “I could do with something sweet.”

“Kayleigh–”

“Please just leave it,” I murmur. “It’s fine. I promise.”

Kayden’s brown eyes move between mine with uncertainty. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Because there’s nothing to say.”

Why does he always have to pick up on the tiny things? It’s like he can read me like a damn book, and I have nowhere to hide.

I thought I was good at hiding my real feelings. I’ve had time to perfect it.

A deep sigh falls from his lips. “Alright. Fine. I’ll take the ice cream over five pounds.”

“Good,” I say as we walk towards the ice cream van that remains on campus all summer. “What flavour?”

“Mint chocolate chip, obviously.”

“The only correct answer,” I laugh and take a few breaths, settling into Kayden’s comfortability.

I’d choose this over them every single time.

Kayden nudges my arm with his. “Wow, something we can actually agree on.”

“Who would have thought? The stars have aligned,” I joke.

“Now we’re talking,” he says, adjusting the sleeve on my shoulder. “Romeo and Juliet vibes.”

The simple touch of his skin makes me hold my breath for a moment. His fingers leave a trail of lava down my arm, and I look at the action.

“They both killed themselves,” I deadpan.

Kayden startles. “They did?”

“Yeah.” I chuckle.

“Ah, we can create our own ending then.”

I press a hand to his shoulder. “Mate, you need a reality check.”

Kayden’s expression falters for a moment, and I frown. I tilt my head at him as he shakes it off and flashes me another one of his heartwarming smiles. “Nah. My reality is perfect right now, thank you very much.”

“Order your ice cream,” I say, fighting a smile.