Page 81 of Nerdelicious
“It’s too scary. Computers I can understand. I can control them. But people do whatever they want and it doesn’t make sense.”
“Amen, sister.”
Granny smacks my shoulder. “Don’t encourage her.”
My eyes lock with Beast and for a tangled second, I completely understand why Grace would go out of her way to avoid getting closer to people. I’ve barely had any time at all with Beast in the grand scheme of things, but my heart... it already hurts.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I may climb perhapsto no great heights, but I will climb alone.
–Cyrano de Bergerac
Two weeks fly by at warp speed.
My parents are ecstatic. Even though they still don’t really understand the concept of the work I’ll be doing, they’re happy I found something I enjoy that isn’t bearded lady at a circus.
Scarlett has offered an escape if staying with my parents becomes intolerable. She and Guy live in a palatial apartment on the Upper East Side. But they also live with Guy’s teen sisters—twins—and Scarlett only moved in with him recently. Talk about intruding. I should have started apartment hunting already, but I’ve been slammed with making preparations to move myself and my meager belongings across the country, finishing out my last two weeks at Bodean’s, and spending every spare minute with Beast.
I’ve been memorizing our moments. His smell, his taste, the feel of his scruffy jaw under my fingers. Each sensation is amplified a thousandfold knowing our time is numbered.
Despite the bonding, apologetic conversation with Grace, she’s been avoiding me and when she’s forced into my presence, she barely talks. She doesn’t even fight me for the bathroom in the mornings.
All of this makes my last shift at Bodean’s a muddle.
“Hey, Lucas.” I grab an apron from the cupboard.
“Wait.”
I freeze, apron in hand and turn.
“Before you put that on, Ranger wanted to talk to you up front.”
I grimace. “This isn’t going to be an awkward goodbye thing, right?”
He chuckles. “I’m sure it’s nothing of the sort.”
I push open the swinging doors to enter the bar area. It’s dark. “Is there a problem with the power?” I call back to Lucas.
The lights blink on and— “Surprise!”
Mouth agape, I just stare at the small group clustered in the center of the room, whooping and laughing at my no doubt ridiculous face.
Lucas comes out of the kitchen behind me carrying a sheet cake with the wordsCongratulations Fred!Scrawled in bright blue and red frosting.
So naturally, I burst into tears.
I’m immediately surrounded by people, Granny patting me on the back. “It’s your party and you cry if you need to.”
Eliza smacks me on the shoulder. “Pull yourself together, woman. You have to see the food Beast made. You didn’t tell me your man was a chef.”
Reese is on my other side, giving me a sideways hug. “We were going to invite more people, but Beast said you don’t like big crowds.”
“Thank you,” I tell her sincerely, wiping at my eyes.
“I totally get it.”
They draw me over to a table festooned with ribbons and decorated with superhero paraphernalia. Lucas sets down the sheet cake and I get a closer look. Theo’s in congratulations are Spider-Man and Black Panther faces.
