The genuine hurt in his voice snaps me out of my panic spiral. “No,” I say quickly, looking up at him. “God, no. It’s not you. It’s complicated. My father… He’s protective.”
That’s the understatement of the century.
The car honks softly outside, once, twice.
“Wait.” Beckett pulls me into him and kisses me. It’s the kind of kiss that clears my head and fogs it up at the same time.
“I’ll text you,” he whispers against my lips. “Tomorrow.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. He pulls my coat around my shoulders and walks me to the car, opening the door. Before I slide in, he kisses me again, holding my face.
I break the kiss this time because if I don’t, I may never leave. Beckett shuts the door, even though I know he doesn’t want to.
I press my forehead against the cool window glass and close my eyes, wishing I could go back to that moment at the light wall, my hands moving through empty air, creating something beautiful that vanishes the instant I look away.
Chapter thirty
ASH
Ipausethevideoagain and tap open what I think is the right menu. Intuitive my ass. There are so many different options in this dumb program.
I jump when Kai clatters a stack of clean dishes on the edge of the counter. I’m tempted to yank my tablet away like I have to protect it from his prying eyes.
“What are you trying to do?” He leans over my shoulder and nudges the iPad to get a better view.
“I don’t know how you’re supposed to find anything,” I mutter.
“Oh, check Beta Brushes. He’s got this whole beginner series for Procreate. Demo projects, step-by-step tutorials. Most of it’s line art for tattoos, but it’s good stuff. Read the comments. They’ll point you to other creators for more artsy stuff.”
“How do you know?”
Kai makes a disgusted sound. “You think busboy in a diner with great pie is my dream job? I’m building up a portfolio. Here, this is some of my flash.”
He bumps my shoulder as he leans his elbows on the counter next to me. We’re in that lull between breakfast and lunch, so there’s only one table in Estelle’s section right now. Kai flips through some pictures on his phone.
“Oh. Wow. That’s really nice.”
He stops on a drawing of the moon with a little spaceship orbiting around it.
“Yeah, I like that one. Getting shading right is a bitch.”
“And you did that all on your tablet?”
“Yeah. Do some Beta Brushes tutorials and get a couple of projects under your belt, and then I can show you a few tricks. It’s easier if you’ve got a piece going, ya know?”
“Really?”
Kai winks at me with his crooked smile and chipped front tooth. “Anytime, bruh.” He yanks a bin from under the counter and heads to clear Estelle’s four-top.
The bell on the door jingles, and I stuff the tablet back into its case, storing it safely under the counter. I smile despite myself as Tia sweeps in and makes a beeline for me.
“Miss Thang. You been keeping secrets!”
“No, I haven’t.” My face freezes with a smile.
“Tia, don’t be a bitch.” Estelle steps behind the counter, pulling out three mugs and splashing coffee into them. There’s only one table right now with an alpha totally dedicated to his chicken and waffles.
“Dream doll omega here,” she points an accusatory finger at me, “has been traipsing all over the city with a hockey stud and keeping all the juicy details to herself.”
