The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 53

Jesse is really nice to me for the rest of the morning, slinging his arm around my shoulders and cracking jokes all the way to breakfast. Even I can’t help laughing, even as a deep pool of dread forms in my stomach, because I have absolutely no control over how Luca is going to react to any of this.

My mind keeps running through scenarios – is he going to storm in demanding answers? Is he going to declare to the entire Hall that I’m a girl? Is he going to just pull me aside and-

“Hey,” Jesse says, using the arm around my shoulder to tug me incrementally closer. “Whatever it is, Ari? It can’t be that bad.”

“What?” I ask, looking up at him as we walk, glancing at Rafe, who chats amiably with Ben as they walk down the hall ahead of us.

“Whatever drama went down last night in your little dream state?” Jesse says, raising an eyebrow at me.

I

gape at him – how did he…!?

He just laughs at me, my face making the admission even if I don’t confirm with words.

“Seriously, Shrimpy, it can’t be that bad. You’re going to get through it! Don’t worry so

much.”

—-

I sigh, hanging my head back and leaning against him, more relieved than I thought I’d be that he guessed and I have someone to talk to about it.

“I’m just…I have no idea how to handle this, Jess,” I murmur as we walk into the Hall. “You’re more experienced than me, how do you handle…” I glance again at Rafe, lowering my voice, “romance drama?”

“Well, in my experience, you just gently dump them and move on the moment things start to get even remotely complicated,” Jesse says, his voice breezy.

I gasp and gape, looking up at him. “Jesse!” I scold, aghast.

“What!?” he says, grinning at me even as I shove him away. “I enjoy other people’s romantic drama, not my own. Plus, I said gently –

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“I didn’t know you were a heartbreaker,” I growl, glaring at him. “And also! This advice does not apply to me!”

“I know, you poor thing,” he murmurs, laughing at me a little. “None of my methods will suit you, you should probably just call your mom –”

“We don’t even have phones, you idiot,” I groan, shoving him away from me further, disappointed that he is so nice to me but also so useless. My eyes scan the room, going first to our usual table and then into the room at large…

here yet. I let

chair for me before going to sit next to Ben, deliberately leaving the seat next to me open. I glare at him, hoping he can read the word

at me, devious, as he accepts the coffee

plate of eggs and sausage and I do my best to lose myself in Rafe and Ben’s conversation about fighting

on that, Shrimp,”

up towards Luca, who smirks

says, lifting the now–empty coffee carafe with

as I wait to see what the

next.

him, saying their goodmornings as Luca snags a fresh muffin from the basket, tossing it in the air

Chapter 53

a bite.

casual as he catches the eye of a waiter and orders more coffee

I hear the mischief in his voice. “Was your sleep any better last

+5

closer and it wouldn’t absolutely blow

Jesse and thanking the waiter, who comes back

his eyebrows going

to draw breath as I just stare at Luca, aghast.

hell is he playing

not remember

just playing it

when he turns to frown at me, looking me up and down. “Seriously, Shrimp,” he says, completely casual. “You’d better eat,

my eggs, pushing them around with my fork, completely, completely baffled as to how Luca is this calm

me to my Marksmanship class, which begins at roughly the same time as the Warrior–track training. He made us leave breakfast a few minutes early

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to class, Rafe babbles on about some kind of sporty nonsense – fighting

about

my mind just spins in

+5

just suspected something was up, he was moody all day and basically had a meltdown at breakfast. But today, when he finds

the hell is going on?

why is my mate so complicated – why didn’t I get stuck

says, grabbing my sleeve. “Stop – we’re here.”

step, realizing I walked

my shoulders bunching in embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”