Beta Bites

Prologue

JADE

I walked out of the bathroom and flopped onto my messy bed. My body was completely tapped out. Jule looked at me and gave a lazy smile that made my stomach flip.

I still couldn’t believe this was real. I’d had a thing for Jule since he and his sister had caught me stealing at their father’s casino when I was twelve.

I’d found they were just as lonely as I was.

Even though Laurel was like a sister to me, I’d never felt anything brotherly for Jule. I’d always been drawn to him and the closer we’d got, the stronger the pull had become. He was infuriating, smug and just as stubborn as I was.

Maybe that’s why it had taken so long to get here; neither of us had wanted to be the first one to give in.

I mean, this whole situation has started with a dare.

A kiss.

But once we had started, we couldn’t stop; it had been frenzied and desperate, years of buildup and denial melting away as we devoured each other.

Now I was here, in his bedroom, half-expecting him to pretend it didn’t mean anything. But instead he was smiling at me like that, reaching out his arm in an invitation to come closer.

“How are you?”

I shrugged, trying to play it off, but he was already pulling me into him. It was easy to curl up in his arms, like I belonged there. He felt warm and steady, and everything else seemed to fade away for a second.

I actually loved it, which was kind of embarrassing.

“Sore,” I muttered into his shirt.

He chuckled. “Oh, yeah? I was a bit big, huh?”

“Oh my god! Asshole. Everyone’s sore the first time.”

“Mmm.” He nuzzled into my hair. “So that means it’s gonna be perfect next time, right?”

I rolled over to face him.

It wasn’t fair. I’d looked like a total mess in the bathroom, but he still looked… like that. Perfect and polished and completely Jule.

I raised an eyebrow. “Next time, huh? You seem pretty confident there’s gonna be a next time.”

“Of course there is. I’m utterly irresistible.”

I scoffed. “Utterly delusional, more like.”

“Oh! You wound me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll recover.”

I was expecting another snarky comeback, but it didn’t come. His eyes softened, and he leaned forward until he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his thumb stroking my cheek. His gaze was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. No one else had ever looked at me the way he did.

I kept my hair short and dressed like a guy because it was easier to not draw attention to myself. But Jule made me feel beautiful. Like I was worth paying attention to.

“If I had my way, I’d spend every waking minute with you,” he murmured.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. You’d get bored of me so fast.”

“I wouldn’t,” he said, kissing my hand. “I couldn’t.”

Who was this boy? Jule was a lot of things but never sincere and soft. Perhaps he was, just not with everyone.

Only with me.

I wanted to be with him all the time too.

I could get lost in his eyes. His smile.

“It’s like… every time I think of the future, you’re there. You’re hope and happiness and freedom. You’re it for me.”

I felt the same way. After my mom had died, I’d had to fend for myself.

I’d see people doing normal things like grocery shopping together or meeting someone at a coffee shop, and it had hurt because I knew those things weren’t for me.

But with Jule, I felt like those things were possible.

I could have a future with him, one where I could be normal.

“I love you.” It had slipped out, and I bit my lip as I stared up at him.

Jule tugged me back into a kiss. I wound my fingers through his hair, needing him close. Then he pulled back and grinned, turning to lie on his back. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

“I love you too,” he whispered.

And I believed him.