Beatty & The Beast

TWENTY-THREE: Where the Beast Makes a Declaration

The same day

It was unreal how light he felt.

He had read about this feeling, saw it in movies and such, but never really put much thought into it. Now that he was experiencing it, he resented the common societal opinion that it was a silly eyeroll of an emotion.

A girl really could turn a level-headed and oblivious guy to a happy puddle of grinning goo. The hopeless romantics were really onto something, because this feeling was amazing. Who wouldn't want to feel this way? The cynics of society really needed to get over themselves.

He too marveled at how hard it hit him once he realized it. Now that he recognized this feeling, it was so obvious and strong. He began to make connections: like how much he loved it when she laughed at something he said. Over the past few months, he had been trying to make her laugh as much as he could, because seeing her happy was the greatest sight, and being the cause of that happiness - even a little bit - felt like a triumph. He loved the way she would throw her head back with her husky, smoky laugh. It was rough and bellowing, unique. He had noticed how one-of-a-kind it was early on, but he hadn't noticed just how much he liked the sound of it until now.

Also: he had noticed lately how much he liked to spend time with her. Being with her just felt normal, felt right. He had spent his entire life embracing his solitude, not really looking for a way out of it, but with her it felt natural to not be an army of one.

It was funny how quickly feelings could change once they were realized. She was still the same Andie, and would continue to be so, but the light he was seeing her in now was new and exciting. He had always wanted to hang out with her, but now new, feverish desires were added to the mix and all he wanted to do was be near her again.

Thus he thought his surprise was justified when he came back into the hallway (after he had, like the playful rascal he was, run out on her) to find it empty. His plan had been to run out, sufficiently create a "psych!" kinda moment to charm and amuse her, then come barreling back in, arms wide open and hopes high for some lip action. But she was nowhere to be found. She wasn't at her locker or his, nor was she at the front of the school. She had left!

Or perhaps she was playing a trick on him. Maybe she had run back to Whistlebeck's to finish her prank there. She was competitive enough to read his cute little escape as a sort of challenge, so maybe she now had a diabolical plan of her own waiting back at Whistlebeck's.

He grinned at that idea.

Soon he was on his way to the mansion on his brand new bike (His bike! The greatest gift he had ever gotten. Because he wasn't enamored enough with her.) When he got there, he found out Andie had been picked up by Whistlebeck and taken to Marmontel for a doctor's appointment. Mrs. Featherstone said they would be gone for the rest of the afternoon.

Keefe was trying not to panic. He had to keep assuring himself that she had not misread his escape as a bad thing. She didn't think of it as him being stupid and immature or running away from his feelings, no. She wouldn't think of it as some sort of trick or game ... definitely she wouldn't.

Most definitely.

Keefe spent the rest of the afternoon turning questions in his head as he worked. He wondered if his "charming" running away act had perhaps backfired. But he had admitted that he had a crush on her, wouldn't that confirm his feelings? Maybe he should've kissed her then. If he had kissed her and then run off it wouldn't have been misread.

Now he was really trying not to freak out.

By the time he got home he had still not heard from nor seen Andie. He was at his wit's end. Luckily Declan and Liam were out for the night and his father was holed up in his room for one reason or another. It was easier to deal with panicked emotions when one was alone.