Beta's Lover

Chapter- Fourteen

Quinn

The lounge was quiet, the soft hum of the air conditioning filling the space as Cylon, Jazmine, Arthur, and I waited for Mackenzie and Alistair. Alistair had gone to fetch Mackenzie. The men were all in the mood for drinks, and how could I be left out of that? It was the perfect opportunity to break the silence that had hung between us for weeks. So, I suggested a drink, something to help loosen the tension. They agreed almost immediately, and Jazmine gave me a thumbs-up, her silent approval filling me with a sense of accomplishment. Two birds with one stone: I loved drinking, and better yet, it was free. No judgment, right?

But I wasn’t about to let myself get carried away. After all, Cylon was sitting next to me. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass myself in front of him. I had to show some restraint.

“What’s taking them so long?” Cylon’s voice broke through my thoughts, his fingers drumming against the armrest of the sofa.

I shrugged, hiding the smile that threatened to break through. “I wish they’d just spend more time together,” I muttered to myself, not expecting him to hear.

I hadn’t seen Mackenzie since the evening she and Jazmine had left me with the chefs. I had been so caught up in meeting people, learning about their cultural dishes, and yes, gossiping a little, that I lost track of time. But I wasn’t complaining—there was always something to talk about. I loved gossiping, even though Mackenzie never did. It was one of the quirks that made us such an unlikely pair.

It had started back in college, with me ranting about some girl who had driven me crazy. Mackenzie had just stood there, her high ponytail swishing as she listened, neither joining in on my rant nor stopping me. Instead, she just chuckled—a soft, almost knowing laugh—and I figured she must have agreed with me. It wasn’t until later that I realized that she wasn’t the type to gossip—she’d simply been quietly agreeing with the frustration of the moment. From that day on, we became seatmates, and somehow, without saying a word, we fell into a rhythm. I’d talk, she’d listen, nodding along without ever passing judgment.

Then came the project that solidified our friendship. We spent hours together working on it, and slowly, I started to see the cracks in the walls she’d built around herself. One day, though, things took a turn. A classmate accused me of spreading rumours, and I was floored. I’d never said a word. It was Mackenzie who stepped in, her voice calm as ever. “She’s got enough going on in her life to worry about your secrets,” she said, her gaze turning steely as she pointed out that it was one of the girl’s friends who had gossiped.

I had been speechless, but at that moment, I realized that Mackenzie wasn’t just my seatmate anymore—she was a true friend. Since then, we’d seen each other through the ups and downs, especially when it came to her complicated relationship with her mom. I became her support system, always by her side when things got tough. Our friendship had slowly grown into something that felt like sisterhood.

The sound of footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up just as Mackenzie and Alistair entered the room. Mackenzie was wearing Alistair’s coat, and they both looked... comfortable. I couldn’t help but smile. It was a small but meaningful sign of progress.

She waved, then sank onto the sofa next to me, rolling her eyes at my teasing smile but fighting back a grin of her own.

“Here,” Alistair said, holding out a half-filled glass to Mackenzie. She took it from him, murmuring a quiet thank you, but her gaze never quite met his.

I couldn’t help but watch them. Alistair’s gaze lingered on Mackenzie for a moment before he was distracted by the others. Taking a sip of my drink, I exchanged a look with Jazmine.

“Did you notice something between them?” Jazmine whispered, her voice almost conspiratorial as she leaned in close.

“Quite clearly,” I replied with a knowing smile.

Jazmine’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Didn’t I tell you? He likes her. He’s trying to warm up to her. But Mackenzie... I have no idea how she’s handling it.”

“Well, let me tell you what I’ve noticed. Over the past week, Mackenzie’s opened up to him a little. That’s huge, Jazmine. It’s progress,” I said, a smirk forming on my lips as I hid it behind my glass. “Now we just need Alistair to step it up a notch.”

Jazmine giggled, nudging me playfully in an unspoken agreement.

I stuck my tongue out at Mackenzie when she caught us in the act. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity, but I just shrugged nonchalantly.

“Why don’t we play a game?” Jazmine suddenly announced, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. “It’s boring to drink alone without any fun.”

We all exchanged looks, a mix of reluctance and amusement before we nodded in agreement.

“What do you suggest we do?” Arthur asked, looking lovingly at his wife.

Jazmine’s grin widened. “We’re going to play Jenga—but with a twist.” She glanced at me as if there was some secret message behind her eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. “A twist?”

“A twist,” she confirmed with a sly smile. “I’ve marked some of the blocks with dares and questions. If you pull a question, you have to answer it or drink. But if it’s a dare, there’s no getting out of it—you have to do it, or the game stops. Everything else is regular Jenga. Stack the block and pass the turn.”

I clapped my hands in excitement. “I love it.”

Mackenzie, unimpressed as usual, took another sip of her drink, but I could tell she was secretly intrigued. I hid my smirk behind my glass as I watched her.

“Help me set up?” Jazmine asked Arthur, who smiled and kissed her hand.

I loved how openly affectionate they were with each other.

Cylon and Alistair moved the table to the side, clearing a space for us to sit on the floor. The chill in the air made me pull Alistair’s coat tighter around me. Cylon looked up and patted the space next to him. I smiled shyly and sat down beside him, feeling his gaze linger on me for a moment before he looked away. The butterflies in my stomach were impossible to ignore. After the kiss we’d shared, everything felt different—new and electric, like stepping into an entirely new universe of emotions.

Mackenzie took her seat next to me, and my eyes immediately went to Alistair. He was completely focused on her, sitting down next to her with a quiet intensity.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked her softly. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Mackenzie replied, her voice calm but polite.

I watched them, a smile tugging at my lips. Before I could look away, I caught Alistair’s eyes and gave him a quick thumbs-up. He nodded, his relief evident.

I felt a sense of pride for him. He was making progress, and I wanted him to know I was on his side.

As the game continued, Jazmine, Cylon, and Arthur began setting up the Jenga tower. We all sat in silence, the air thick with anticipation.

“All done!” Jazmine clapped her hands together. “Who’s going first?”

We all exchanged hesitant glances, chuckling like teenagers unsure of who would take the first step.

“I’ll go,” Cylon said, winking at me. I raised an eyebrow, impressed by his confidence.

He pulled a block from the tower, inspected it carefully, and then shrugged. “Blank,” he said, placing it on top with a casual air.

“Why’d you place it like that?” Jazmine asked, already irritated.

“Don’t be a loser,” Cylon shot back, and Jazmine rolled her eyes in response.

“You go next,” she told Arthur, who sat beside Cylon.

Arthur picked a block carefully, and when he turned it over, his face dropped. He shot Jazmine a look of disbelief, and she couldn’t help but laugh as she read the dare aloud.

“Kiss the person on your right,” Jazmine read, her eyes glinting with mischief. All of us looked at Cylon, who made a disgusted face. Arthur, however, was only too pleased.

“Dare is a dare, honey,” Jazmine teased as we all laughed.

The night went on, and the Jenga game turned into something more than just a way to pass the time. Each block became a challenge, a little test of courage, sometimes silly, sometimes daring, but always revealing something new.

And through it all, Mackenzie—always so composed—let herself relax, a genuine laugh escaping her now and then.

It was her turn next, and as she carefully pulled out her block, I couldn’t help but watch her with admiration as expected from a keen observer. The tower remained standing not moving an inch.

When she read the block, her gaze shifted to Alistair, and for the first time in a long while.

.............

MACKENZIE

I looked at the piece in my hand and reread the task that was written over it.

"What does it say?" Quinn asked me curiously, peering from beside me.

I read it out loud;

"**Dare: Blindfold the person to your left and feed them something sweet. You have to feed them with your hands.**"

The room was silent for a split second, and then everyone burst into laughter. I turned to face Alistair, who was already raising an eyebrow, clearly amused by the task.

"I'm to blindfold you?" I asked with a shake of my head, it seemed ridiculous.

Oh shut it! Enjoy the life, Mackenzie. Don't be a sucker.

My mind shouted my lack of enthusiasm and excitement for this particular dare.

"That's right," Alistair replied, his voice a little lower than usual, a teasing smile dancing at the edges of his lips. "Do your worst."

I had no idea why, but I suddenly felt a bit more self-conscious. This was supposed to be a game, but the thought of blindfolding Alistair, of feeding him something sweet while his hands were out of sight, made my stomach do flips. It wasn't just about the task—it was the closeness it demanded. The kind of closeness I didn't quite know how to navigate yet and knowing how horny my mind gets whenever I am close to him. Alistair's closeness f***s with my nervous system.

I grabbed a scarf from the Jazmine and took a breath before I faced him. I met his sparkling eyes before he turned around for me to blindfold him. Quickly I tied the blindfold around his eyes with a little more care than I intended, my fingers brushing against his rather soft skin as I adjusted it.

Alistair's breath hitched slightly. "Careful there, Mackenzie. I'm starting to feel like I'm in the hands of a pro," he teased, but there was something in his tone that made my pulse race.

"Shut up," I muttered, trying to hide the fluttering in my chest.

"Here, feed him this," Cylon said who had a smirk playing on his lips. Rolling my eyes at their excitement, I faced Alistair.

Grabbing a piece of chocolate, my hands stood frozen in the air at a far away distance from his lips. I placed one hand over his knee to let him know I was sitting close to him and was about to feed him.

"Okay, open up," I said, my voice came out a little shaky. Alistair's hands came forward and rested on my knee a bit higher than usual. But he seemed unfazed by the closeness as I was.

Alistair complied, his lips slightly parted. I took a deep breath before carefully placing the chocolate in his mouth, letting my fingers linger over his lips just a moment longer than necessary and as I was pulling my hand away, he did the unexpected.

He licked my finger and sucked on it!

I felt electrifying sparks fly from my finger in his mouth to my core. I gulped and could feel the heat creeping up my neck. It wasn't the first time we had been near each other like this, but it always felt different—more electric, like the space between us was charged.

The air seemed to shift, and then he opened his mouth to let me pull my hand back and I could feel his breath warm against my fingertips. I saw his teasing dimple smile that I couldn't resist and then he slowly chewed the chocolate, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.

"That was..." Alistair began his voice slower than before.

He was still blindfolded, and I could hear the faint trace of something different in his tone now, something deeper.

"Sweet. Nice."

I swallowed, suddenly aware of the tension that had built between us. It wasn't just a silly game anymore. There was a quiet intensity in the room, in the way our bodies were so close, in the way our breaths seemed to sync for just a moment there.

He withdrew his hand and chuckled to himself as he removed the scarf from his eyes. Making me frown as to why he was laughing about himself.

He probably enjoyed his little show.

"That was quite a show," Jazmine commented but was elbowed by Cylon and they all laughed together.

I was sure I was pink with embarrassment. I looked down at my hands, especially my fingertips which were pink from the assault.

Okay, that's too extreme and secondly, you quite enjoyed it. Didn't you, you little fox?

My mind seems to be busy today reading and commenting on the way my body reacts to his little touches.

"You okay?" Alistair's soft voice reached my ears, making me look up at him. He wore an innocent curious face as he looked delicately at me.

This small action made me want to lay my head on his chest and just be held by him.

"Yes," I said, feeling a lump of emotions stuck in my throat.

Why was my heart and mind occupied by him?

Do I have feelings for him?

To answer my question, I looked up again, and to my surprise, his eyes were already on mine. He didn’t break eye contact, and it felt like he was waiting for something—waiting for me to say something or maybe to do something.

Later, my mind was less on the game and more on how to forget the tingling sensations in my body after the incident.

The men were almost drunk and we decided to call it a night through the game, I got to see Alistair’s new side, the one that came out when he was tipsy. At first, he gently held my hand, and then—without warning—he started running his fingers through my hair. The touch surprised me and made me feel something I couldn’t explain. I liked it though. The way his fingers brushed down my hair, twirling the ends around his fingers, felt... intimate. That lasted quite a few seconds, suddenly he sat up straight while withdrawing his hands away. I blinked not quite sure what I was seeing was right and not imagining from the amount of drink I had.

Alistair was blushing! Yes, you read that right! His ears were red and his cheeks tinted pink and the sight made me laugh at him. He looked at me with a frown and scratched his head in embarrassment.

After all the hardships and loneliness I suffered, God, was this a gift given to me in the shape of a man? Alistair came into my life like a wrecking ball, shaking my emotions upside down.

OR it was another life lesson?

Shaking my head the thoughts and I could feel a headache coming my way. I sat down on the bed, getting ready to lie down when Quinn came and sat beside me, making me raise my eyebrows at her in question.

"From my observations, I can tell Alistair likes you and cares about you,"

Instead of answering, I asked, "Are you and Cylon together? How long has it been?"

"Yeah. Over a week," she replied, her face lighting up with happiness. I could tell she was happy in the relationship but I had to burst her bubble no matter how bad I felt.

I took her hands in mine, my concern weighing heavily on my heart. "Quinn, you know we’ll be leaving soon, and you don’t do long-distance relationships. How can you trust someone in just two weeks? Have you thought this through?" My voice was thick with worry, desperate for her to understand my fears.

She met my gaze, her expression calm, but there was a spark of something in her eyes—hope, maybe even a touch of certainty.

"Mack," she said softly, "I like him. And we’ve made a decision—we’re going to live together after a while. I’ll find a job there, and problem solved." She squeezed my hands gently as if trying to ease the weight of my concern. "And about trust... Mackenzie, sweet friend, sometimes you have to let go of the baggage of the past. Sometimes you just have to leap, even if you don’t know what’s at the other end."

Her eyes softened, searching mine for understanding. "I can’t quite explain it, but these two weeks—they’ve shown me everything I need to know about Cylon. About how he feels about me. Sometimes you don’t need years or a perfect plan to know what’s right. Why keep worrying about what might never happen? We hold the steering wheel of our lives, Mack. It’s up to us which way we turn it."

She held my hands tighter as if the strength of her words could make me believe it too. I saw the quiet resolve in her, and I knew—despite all my doubts—that she had already made her choice, and she was ready to embrace whatever came next.

I pursed my lips feeling tangled up in my emotional mess.

"And Mack, just... open your heart a little for Alistair. Don’t push him away."

With that, she went to bed. I watched her as she adjusted the blankets, feeling like my heart was still a tangled mess of confusion.

But how do I do that Quinn? I push people away because I'm afraid of getting too close. I guess I don't know how to let myself... depend on others.

Sighing, I looked down at my hands, my fists clenched tight as the weight of my past pressed down on me.

How could I let myself get close to someone when I was scared of losing them?

Scared to love, scared to trust.

"Where are you going?" Quinn called softly from her bed.

"Some fresh air," I said, forcing a half-smile. "I’ll be back soon. Go to sleep."

And with that, I walked out of the room, my mind swirling with questions I didn’t yet have the answers to.

............