The Beta's Cursed Mate

Static

He walked around the apartment in a hurry, throwing things into a bag. Even though he wasn’t mad, every one of his movements made me flinch and turn in on myself.

I could feel the tenseness in the air, I could always read and feel his emotions as if they were my own and they unsettled me right now.

I should be mad, I was mad. He had last-minute plans with his friends apparently, friends that I haven't met that were taking him away for the whole f.ucking week. The week that we planned to spend together apparently was something that I contrived in my head.

I knew better than to pout about it, his mind was already made up. He didn't ask me to go with him.

Now that hurt.

He didn't like being away from me, but his conferences and work trips took him around the states and I had to be happy. I was happy that he was so valued at his job.

But this was different and it hurt like h.ell. I hugged myself on the couch and tried not to cry. I knew it wouldn't make a difference. I just wanted him gone at this point so I could let out my emotions and really dive into them for once instead of locking them up.

“Can I help?” I put on an easy smile I wore all too well, steadying myself before turning to him from the couch.

He paused, his dark eyes seemed to flicker with something I could never discern.

“Just stay here,” He sighed and walked up to the front of the couch, taking my chin in his rough hands as he studied my face, “You’ll be okay, just don’t, don’t leave unless you need to.”

I wasn’t even thinking about that, I must have frowned because he jerked my chin back to him f.orcing me to look him in the eyes. I swallowed.

“Okay?” He brushed a strand of hair away from my face and behind my ear. I smiled at him genuinely and leaned into his touch.

I nodded, what else could I do? I was nervous now that something would happen when he was gone, that he wouldn’t be there to save me, rescue me from myself.

A small part of me, a big part of me, was feeling relieved that I would have some time to myself.

Since he moved in, it felt like everything was happening so fast. I felt like I couldn’t breathe in my own d.amn house.

I know that he was trying to protect me and that I should be grateful for it. I am grateful for it, but it was getting to be too much.

I would be okay for a week without him. I had to be. I had no choice.

“Good.” He went back to packing, less aggressive this time. I settled back on the couch and dared to turn on the TV, flicking through the channels for something to do.

“Where are you going?” I asked nonchalantly over my shoulder, not actually looking behind me. He paused.

“Not far, my friends planned it so I don't have the details.” My lips met in a thin line, “Do you have any plans?” A trap.

I shook my head, still flipping through the channels, “Studying mostly, I have to pick up some notes from the other day that I, uh, missed.” I didn’t like talking about it, even with him. He hated me talking about it even more.

“Text me when you're home from that.” He didn’t need a response from me to know that I would, I always did.

He went to my room, our room, and emerged a few moments later, a large black bag slung over his shoulder.

He scanned the room, his eyes wary and I fought to keep my face a picture of calm. I learned not to do anything to instigate him, and that was too many things to even count, some seemed completely random, so it was best that I didn’t say anything at all.

I didn’t want to cause him any more stress than he was already under, even though a million questions for him burned inside me. How was it fair that he knew my every move but started a fight if I asked him a simple question?

He would never let me leave for a week without him, let alone without knowing where I was going, who I was with, and the contact details of everyone.

He was protective like that, and I should be glad that he cared that much. I was glad that he cared that much.

He was someone I never thought would glance my way and he wanted me. It made me feel immensely special how much he cared about me.

But that didn't make me lose sight of how unfair he could be. I fought my anger, pushed it down, it wasn’t beneficial to dwell on it, not when I couldn’t change things.

I stopped voicing my concerns and getting angry with him. Every fight I started ended up with him madder at me, and he always had something more to be mad at me for. It wasn't worth it, I just wanted to keep him happy, keep us happy. I wanted things to go back to how they were.

So, my eyes stayed fixed on the screen, but I didn’t know what she settled on. He took out a key and I saw him glance back at me from the corner of my eye as he unlocked his office.

My old roommate's room is now his office, which he has the audacity to lock me out of. I would have gotten another roommate, I even had a friend from a class that was interested, or maybe I would have savored living alone and used it as a makeshift office to study in. The rent was cheap enough that I debated the idea.

But the decision was made for me. My desk was overfilled and I had so much pinned on the wall that I would have liked the space. But the space was his, and that was that.

The thud of the door startled me and he pulled me in for a kiss. A quick peck that was over all too soon and he was out the door with a mumbled goodbye.

As soon as the front door was closed, and locked twice, behind him, I strained my ears to hear his steps silently fading into the distance.

I crumpled into the couch, taking a deep breath of air, finally breathing, finally relaxed. I pulled a blanket around me and lit a candle and breathed.

I don’t know how much time I spent there, I wasn’t paying attention to the TV really, just enjoying the peace, the solitude, and myself.

Hey, I’m home now. My brother is here, so we might head out for a bite in a bit.

I sighed seeing a text from Sam. I was grateful that he let me borrow his notes. I needed to be productive over our break.

We weren’t friends. Well, I guess he was as good of a friend as I had at this point. We had some classes together and he was always an easy person to talk to. I felt like I knew him for much longer than I had and we never had an awkward conversation.

He had an easy smile that immediately put me at ease and there was something about him that I wanted to be around.

I’m leaving in a few minutes. I will be there in ten.

I reluctantly typed and threw my phone beside me and pouted, crossing my arms. The sooner I left, the sooner I would be able to come back to my sanctuary.

I peeled myself off the couch and grabbed my keys, I'd never been to his place before, he wouldn’t have let it.

We studied sometimes in between classes or with a few people in the library, but never alone, never the two of us. I was too wary to unpack it now, I just wanted to get back home, I felt pulled back to the couch the moment I walked out the door.

I knocked on the door and he opened it smiling. He always had such an easy and genuine smile and I was jealous of it, I knew it was real. There was a part of me that remembered that mine used to be like that all of the time.

“Thanks so much, I owe you.” I walked in as he opened it further.

“Want a drink?” He asked, taking a sip of a beer. I shook my head, I should really get home. I felt uncomfortable leaving the house for too long.

He shrugged, “Here are the notes. Take them as long as you need. I wasn’t planning on looking over them anyway.” He slid a binder toward me. I was always amazed at how organized he was, how he categorized his notes in binders, and how clean and clear his handwriting was.

I commented on it the first time I borrowed his notes and he said he was born into a family with expectations, and he always tried to uphold those. I didn’t really understand, but that was all that he said about them.

“Thanks.” I smiled at him, itching to get back, “I’ll see you after next week, uh do you have any plans?” I paused, a small part of me knew that I should make small talk with him instead of just rushing out.

“Nothing crazy,” He leaned against his kitchen island, “I told you my brother is here, so just hanging out, and I want to show him around a bit. I haven’t seen him in ages so I’m just glad to spend some time with him.”

“I heard they were doing a disco brunch down at Weston's,” I pulled that from a vague part of my memory where I overheard classmates talking about that.

“Honestly, that might just be his thing.” He smiled at me again, “You sure you don't want a drink? I feel like we never get to hang out.”

“Maybe later, I really do have to get home.” I lied. I knew there would never be a later.

Something shifted, it was slight but it felt like there was a charge in the air.

“Bro I didn’t know you could bake-.” The most attractive man I have ever seen stepped out of one of the bedrooms.

Tall, insanely tall, lightly tanned skin, freckles.

Those freckles, wow. They were offset by his blue eyes that seemed to flicker and change even from here. Shaggy, wet, brown hair hung over his face.

He was looking at me with such intensity, I couldn't look away.

I gulped.

“Um, Lucas?” Sam asked beside me, coughing a little. Lucas, his brother. His insanely hot brother.

“Uh sorry.” He goes to cover himself up but a towel is already wrapped around him. I fight a laugh.

“This is my brother Lucas.” Sam explains and I force a smile and a wave, “This is Isabelle, my classmate.”

“Hi.” Is all that he said, I guess it's up to me to carry on this conversation.

I took a step toward him, more confident than I felt, “Lucas right?” That was s.tupid, he literally just said it.

I reach out a hand, a dumb move. He just stares at it, definitely a dumb move.

I go to pull back, hit by a wave of embarrassment when his warm hand wraps around mine.

S.hit. It felt like something weird, static running through me.

I pulled my hand back staring at it. What just happened?

“I’ll drop these off on Monday.” I held out the binder in front of me and looked at Sam, taking a few steps toward the door.

“Whenever, I don’t need them until the end of break.” Sam flashed me a smile, looking back at his brother confused.

“N-nice to meet you, Lucas.” I managed to get out, the tingles still lingering on my hand, as I backed out of the door.

As soon as I stumble down the first flight of stairs, I lean against the cool building wall and sink to the floor.

What the h.ell was that?