Beauty and The Beta (Bailey)

Beauty 79

Chapter 79 - Asher Listening to Bailey giggle as she stood in the kitchen of my Beta suite, made my heart pound

harder than | think it had done in a long time, but | tried my hardest to ignore it. She looked up at me, through

her long dark lashes. “Wow, my hero.” She said with a sarcastic smile, and, despite myself, | smiled right back at

her. There is something about her that makessmile. Something about the way she jokes with me. Her

carefree character. Her humor and way she teaseswith no thought... “You want to watch that sarcasm,

missy, or else my offer of sharing my chocolate may be withdrawn.” | said with a smirk, and Bailey looked at me

open-mouthed, feigning shock, and once again she hadsmiling. This girl has hadsmiling more since she

arrived than | had done in months... “Oh! How rude! You know that you can’t promise a girl chocolate and then

take it back, right? You do that, and, | would just have to let the pack know that their big strong Beta gains his

super- strength from chocolate, not working out. Imagine their shock and disappointment in you when your

secret is revealed!” She wiggled her eyebrows atas if to challenge me, and once again | found myself

laughing. “Okay, | think you may havethere. | won't break my promise.” | nodded. “So, you want a coffee to

help that chocolate go down?” “Coffee? You wantto stop up all night?” she asked, then suddenly, Bailey

turned to look at me, biting her lip uncomfortably. “You want to doa favor and forget | said san Vouchers.

that?” | held back the chuckle that was so close to leaving my lips. She had obviously heard what she said in the

sway | had, but no, that was not my intention. Not, in the slightest.... | grinned. “All forgotten. You seem to

think so badly of me, Miss West.” | winked at her playfully, and the slight flush to her cheeks made my heart

warm, knowing she was embarrassed. “I have soda

too, if that is better for Sleeping Beauty?” | added, so she knew she didn’t have to have a coffee. Now she rolled

her eyes at me, before answering. “Soda would be good, thank you. And trust me, | am far from a sleeping.

beauty. You so do not want to seewhen | wake up!” | chuckled, as she dropped her head to her hands, as if

she had realized what she had just said. She was incredibly sweet when she was embarrassed. “How am

managing this?” she muttered. “I did not think of it in any way but the sweet and innocent way you meant it.” |

reassured her, biting my lip to stop myself from smiling. “Though you forget | have seen you in your pajamas.”

Her eyes widened, as if she remembered. “Hmm, | remember.” “You have curly hair.” | pointed out, slowly

reaching out to touch her currently straightened hair that was currently pulled back into a ponytail. “Yeah, | hate

it. Forever been picked on for it. Wild and crazy hair. Like a mane. When you are constantly criticized for

something, you kind of end up hating it. Thankfully, | learned how to tit.” She ran her hand through her

ponytail as if to demonstrate. “I think the curls suited you for what it was worth.” | said with a shrug, and she

looked atin shock, her cheeks flushed once more. Before, she quickly looked back at the stash of chocolate

in the cupboard to avoid my gaze, Okay... maybe | shouldn't have mentioned that. It just kind of happened..... |

grabbed a couple of cans of soda from the refrigerator, as she picked schocolate from the cupboard, before

| led her through to the lounge of my home. My hthat | barely spent any tin... Modestly decorated in

modern colors and furniture. | watched as Bailey's eyes darted around the room. taking in the room before

looking awkwardly at me, like she was unsure if she wanted to be here alone withor not. “Sit yourself down.”

| said, allowing her the chance to pick where she wanted to sit. | was beginning to question if inviting her here

was a little on the too friendly side... this was not me. Not in the slightest... Bailey nervously sat herself down on

the edge of one of the sofas, her big brown eyes looking toward me. “Your his nice.” She said politely.

| sighed. “Thanks. | moved back here after...” my voice faltered a little. No, | don’t think she needed to know

that. | shook my head. “Thanks.” Bailey smiled atas | sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. We were

almost acting like two nervous teenagers on a date right now, it was ridiculous. | had invited her here so she

wasn't sitting on her own for the night overthinking things with the guy she was missing. | was trying to help her.

There is nothing between the two of us. She doesn’t like me. And | don’t ST 865 11.17 238 Vouchers like her.

There was nothing to be hervous about. “When your mate died?” she asked quietly. “Sorry?” “You started saying

when you moved back here after, so | wondered if it was when your mate died.” She looked at her feet, looking a

little uncomfortable. “Sorry, maybe | shouldn't have asked.” | shrugged. “Why not? Not like | don’t ask you things

| shouldn't. Yeah. When Isla died, | couldn't go back to the hwe had just begun to call ours.” “You guys

weren't together long?” she asked, her head tilted gently, her face full of compassion as she spoke. | slowly

shook my head, sighing. “No. | don’t know if | was one of the lucky ones now or not. | thought | was at the time.

Meeting my fated mate so soon after coming of age. But, in doing that, it meant she was here when the pack

was attacked. When the rogues came...” | closed my eyes, my fists clenched tight in my lap. Trying hard to calm

my breathing. | can’t remember the last t| had spoken about all this... Suddenly | felt a hand over mine, and

as | opened my eyes | was surprised to find Bailey had edged along the sofa to sit herself closer to me, and her

hand was now holding mine softly... 79.46%