The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 65

“Don’t you just want to see what else you can melt, Clark?” Jackson asks on a long inhale of breath, looking at me with sad eyes. “Come on, I bet you could melt this whole tree if you wanted to.””

–

“Well, one, that’s not good for the environment,” I say, rolling my eyes at him which makes him laugh, just a little. “And two, no, I don’t want to melt the tree I want to talk about you. Honestly, Jackson, I won’t tell anyone you know I won’t. I won’t even let anyone know that I know! I’ll keep your secret.”

“Why does it even matter, Ari?” he asks, looking away from me. “Why do you want to know so badly? It doesn’t change anything.”

A thousand answers flood my mind. That it could help me understand what I can do how. his power compliments mine. That I want to know more about him. That I’m just so damn

curious.

But, in the end, I settle for the truth.

“I want you to know that you have someone here who will keep your secrets, Jackson,” I say quietly, willing him to believe me.

Jackson looks up at me in surprise, his blue eyes wider than I’ve seen them before.

We’re silent again, but as it has been before with us, there’s no awkwardness to it. But then he breaks it.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” he whispers, half baffled and half…suspicious, I realize. Lik

I’ve got ulterior motives or something.

I stare at him, my heart cracking in grief for the lessons his past life must have taught him.

“Jackson,” I murmur, saying his name like a promise. “Why are you so surprised that I genuinely just…want to be nice to you?”

He turns his face away from me like he’s been struck, staring at the ground beneath the tree in shock and surprise. I watch his profile as he swallows heavily, as he presses his lips

together in frustration or…consternation? Honestly, I don’t know what. But I give him the space to process it.

“I don’t have to eat,” he says suddenly, the words falling from his lips in a rush, like they’ve escaped from a dark place and can’t wait to get away.

I ask,

“I don’t have to eat like…ever, if I don’t want

I say, sitting up straighter. “That is….that is seriously

solemnly, agreeing. “I also don’t have to sleep, if I don’t want to, for like…days. Longest I’ve gone is three

confession progresses. “And like, nothing

skinny after a while,” he says, shrugging. “Oh, and I can

up and down, “Rafe’s as big as you and he

says, smiling at my laughter, “I mean like…I can eat without stopping for as long as I wanted. And I don’t get full I just get…” he looks down at himself, at his seriously impressive musculature. “…bigger.”

I look him over anew. “So….could you get as big

that once. I think my skeleton’s reached

– he’s very fit, isn’t he? “Wait, how

and then rubbing it down

don’t even want to know. Thank god there

like, experiment? To see how long you could push it?”

to me. “Wouldn’t you, if you figured out that that’s what

my head. “Though didn’t you get bored, when everyone else. was asleep? And like, get

as he laughs. “That’s exactly what happened – and nobody gets that. Like,

and nodding at him. “It’s really incredible, Jackson,” I sigh, so happy that he told me, so honored that he trusted me enough to keep his secret. “It’s one hell of a power. I wish I could borrow it, would probably keep me up through these long nights

down at our clasped hands. “Maybe you can…”

also

some sort of connection between our…magic,”

him. Us, I think. There’s something between us. But

melt the marble because of whatever connects. our magic,” he says, and I nod, agreeing.

we experiment

you’re tired, come find me. See if I can pass some energy

talking more casually now, like

and forth. She’s pissed, I know, because she wants me to tell him my secrets, to be as open with him as

stroking a hand over

but lets

annoying to have so

studying me, I think, in the same ways that I’ve studied him. “It all comes down to what I eat. If I eat too much, it manifests in either sleeplessness or weight gain. If I eat too little,