Beautiful Things

Chapter 23-Anticipation

BAILEY CAME IN, SMILING as she sat down.

Oscar, however, knew better. Behind her polite façade, something was bothering her - he noticed it in the way she gripped her phone, almost bending the plastic, or in the way all of her smiles seemed strained, like she wanted to explode. It may have been either of those things - or both of them - that gave her away, but nevertheless, it just made Oscar move his chair a little closer to hers, just so she knew he was there. He was there for her - that would never change - in any way she wanted him to be.

♡

I clenched my phone between my hands, feeling as if I squeezed hard enough, everything from earlier would be fake. That it would disappear. And although I knew it wouldn't - I knew I was being unrealistic - I clung onto that little shred of hope.

While I ate lunch, I kept the small talk going and eventually Vee asked me what my brother and I was doing in Vermont in the first place. "Hunting." I replied simply, then continued, "My dad used to love this area."

"Oh," Vee smiled sadly. I think she could tell by the look I had on my face not to pry any further answers from me about my father, but Ben didn't get the memo.

"What's he like?" Ben asked, setting down his burger and addressing me.

"Well, for one, he was amazing," - when I said 'was,' I think that's when Ben realized, but he didn't try to cut me off, so I kept going - "he was the best father you could ever hope for. Every saturday, he'd bring Brian and I down to hunt, and I was better than Brian - aim wise - so I'd always be the one that my dad would pick to help him."

At this point, the room was silent, so the muffled apology from Ben was ten times as loud.

It was so quiet, I didn't even notice it when I started crying.

~Time Skip~

"Bailey, I'm so-"

I cut Ben off. "It's fine. Really. I was overdue for a cry session, anyway."

"I'm still sorry," he hung his head.

"Bailey," Oscar leaned toward me, wrapping a hand around my arm. He spoke, voice low. "Your brothers here."

"Huh?" I walked toward the window, peering through the blind as Brian got out of Jenny's car. She soon followed suit, and I turned back away from the window in just enough time to see Luke's head shoot up, eyes widening.

"Who's out there?" He asked me, more talkative than I'd ever heard him.

"My brother and some bitch in heat. Why?" I asked, tilting my head - and hoping that wasn't an insult to any of the female werewolves in the room. Instead of answering me, Luke shot out of the house, slamming open the door. I could hear him from outside.

"Get the hell away from her!"

I could hear Oscar's breath catch in his throat, and he nervously turned his head turn toward me. Ellie stood like a ballerina from her seat at the table, her eyes regarding the scene outside. "She's his mate, isn't she?"

"She is," was all Oscar said, before he ran outside. I followed him immediately, watching as Oscar held Luke back with both arms. Jenny gazed at Luke, and Luke gazed at her, and Brian looked confused, and I knew that he was going to get his heart broken by her for the second time