Bo and the Beast (Book #1) (Completed)

23. Rain and Decoration

The rain came with all the power of a battle. The lightning and thunder fought for dominance in the sky, putting on a show against the dark velvet backdrop of clouds. Heavy sheets of rain drenched the house, filling the yard with deep puddles and creating a river out of the gravel drive. Bo kept indoors, watching the unfolding of the rain's mighty pummeling from behind glass. Bouts of heavy wind made everything creak, giving the house a whole new atmosphere. She could barely sleep at night for all the groaning and creaking of wood. It made for grumpy mornings, where she sulked in the bedroom, regretting the times she'd hoped for rain.

At around noon that day, the Beast found her curled on her bed with a book on her lap. He paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of her pouting lips and dreary eyes.

"You're bored," he said. There was no question, as it was plain to see.

"I'm thankful for the rain, but I also hate it," she replied, stretching her legs and arms.

The Beast was quiet for a moment, and Bo began to try and read the next chapter of her book once again. Her mind kept wandering back to the camp, and how everyone would be laughing as they cooled off in the rain. Her book felt like a long lecture in comparison to that, but she needed something to keep her mind off the searing sadness that accompanied thoughts of home.

When the Beast spoke again, Bo startled. She'd nearly forgotten he was still in the room. "I have something that we can do," he said. "We'll redecorate your room."

Bo raised an eyebrow, but the Beast was already whirling around to stalk down the hallway, and she had to slam her book closed and run after him to keep up. He led her down to the front hall, and disappeared for a moment to summon one of the robots. It appeared around the corner a moment later.

"Yes, sir?" It was Dent. He didn't act at all like he hadn't seen Bo in a long time, and she felt hurt despite herself. Perhaps it was too much to expect a robot to have any feelings of loyalty.

The Beast gave him orders to fetch a coat from the storage closet, and he floated off a moment later to obey.

"So we're going to decorate my room, but I need a coat for it?" she asked, half-laughing.

"We're going outdoors," was the simple reply.

Dent reappeared a moment later with a long brown coat dangling in its grasp. The Beast took it and dismissed Dent, before turning to offer the garment to Bo. She slid into it cautiously. The slick fabric of the coat felt light, and Bo flipped up the hood to cover her hair and face. It was large and bulky, but she could tell it would keep her dry. Back at the camp, they'd had a few rain coats, but nothing of this good quality. Getting wet wasn't normally a problem out there in the dust fields.

The wind and rain lashed against Bo when the Beast opened the front door. There was no hiding from the water as it soaked everything in its path. Bo was thankful for the coat, even though she already felt dribbles running down her neck and chest. The Beast seemed completely at ease walking through the rain with only his shirt to protect him. It was chilly, yet he acted as if it were a normal stroll across the greens.

Bo wondered where they were going as she followed him down the path and around the house. Whatever he wanted to fetch to decorate her room with, she couldn't see how it would still be serviceable after all this rain. He seemed determined, though, and walked without a single hesitation. Wherever they were going, he knew exactly where it was.

Being only a few feet behind him, Bo could see the muscles in his shoulders moving under his soaked shirt as he swung his arms. The faint glow of his skin seemed to spread to his shirt, lending an even more unearthly air to him. A shiver ran down Bo's spine and she quickly cut her glance away as heat rushed to her cheeks.