Before (The Sensitives) - By Dawn Rae Miller Page 0,28

you visit. I really do.”

She shifts her weight and stares into the distance. “Lark.” Seriousness peppers her voice. “I know you don’t feel well, but I need to ask you a question, and I need an honest answer.”

I meet her eyes. “Of course.”

“After what happened with Ryker and Lina…” She hesitates. “Have you and Beck been…involved?”

Swallow me whole, floor. Please. “No. Never.”

She nods her head curtly. “Good. I don’t want you to mess up your placement.” She pats my arm. “You’re a responsible girl. I trust you to do the right thing.”

As she walks toward the door, I ask, “What would happen if we did?”

Bethina freezes midstride. She turns slowly and I glimpse a hint of panic in her bottomless brown eyes. “What do you mean?”

“What would happen? He’s my selected mate. We’re both Founder descendants. There is no one else suitable for either of us. The State won’t let us be Singletons.”

“Why are you asking me this?” She switches from cautious to accusatory. “What have you done?”

I hold up my hands, eyes wide, and shake my head. “Nothing. I swear. But we share a room. What message do you think that sends? It’s okay for us to be together, to sleep in the same room, but we can’t be intimate even though we’re going to be bound in a few weeks. It’s not fair, B.” I cross my arms. “And it’s hard.”

Color drains from her face. “Lark, listen to me. You can never, ever break the rules. Do you understand?” Her eyes study me before continuing. “You’d let everyone down. You’re supposed to be a leader and the others look up to you. You need to set an example.”

That’s what it always comes back to—doing what’s right.

“They will separate you,” she whispers, so softly I can barely hear the words. “If the State suspects…” She pauses. “Lark, please. I’m begging you.”

Bumping and banging from the hallway announces Beck’s arrival. He bursts into the room and drops his gear on the floor—in the exact spot Bethina just picked up.

His gaze bounces between Bethina and me. It’s obvious we were having a heated discussion.

Bethina sighs. “You know how to make an entrance, don’t you?” She collects the rest of his dirty laundry and carries the pile to the door. “Don’t stay up too late.”

She doesn’t look at me, but I can tell our conversation has her worried. Maybe it’s nothing more than being upset over Ryker and Lina. Or maybe she knows about Kyra and Maz but is afraid they’ll be separated too. Having students separated for inappropriate sexual conduct reflects badly on Bethina as housemother. Some have lost their jobs over it.

She pulls the door shut behind her. I can’t help but feel like she’s happy to have an excuse to leave.

“What was that?” Beck asks.

I shrug. I’m too embarrassed to tell him the truth—that I wanted to know what would happen to us if we broke the rules. “She’s upset about Ryker and Lina, and wanted to reinforce that we must abide by the rules. We have to be an example.”

Sweat glistens on his face and snow melts into his golden hair. I walk to my dresser to get a towel. “You’re soaking wet,” I say, turning to toss the towel to him.

My breath hitches in my throat. Beck stands just a few feet from me, his olive eyes devouring me. He’s peeled off his damp shirt and tossed it on his desk chair.

Even without Bethina’s lecture, I absolutely know we shouldn’t do anything. But I want Beck to kiss me. And more than anything, I want to kiss him.

My pulse accelerates as I try to avoid staring at his bare, muscular torso.

Beck plucks the towel from my outstretched hand as if afraid to touch me and runs it over his face. A little longer than necessary, I think.

“Thanks.” With that one small word, he’s brought us back from the brink of…what? Staring at each other? That hardly seems scandalous.

“What took you so long?” I say, trying to act like I’m not at all distracted by his shirtlessness.”I was worried.”

“Practice ran late.”

Leave it to me to assume the worst. Of course practice ran late. It happens all the time. “You could have pinged. After what happened today, I…” The final piece of thread holding me together snaps and latent tears flood my eyes.

“Hey.” Beck stoops over me and wipes away the tears. “We’re safe. Everything’s okay.”

Snot bubbles in my nose and I sniff. “You’re scared. Don’t deny it.”

He pulls