Chapter 82

“Honestly, Ari, you did kill yourself studying for this test,” Rafe says, looking at me seriously, “and I know you know the material up and down. He must have included trick questions

“Rafe,” I sigh, leaning back against the arm of the couch, “I don’t need the Prince going to yell at my professors for me, that’s not going to make a man like Neumann be any nicer or give me better grades.”

“I don’t want him to be nicer, I want him to be fair,” Rafe corrects.

“Well, at least we’re all doing shitty in Chemistry,” I sigh, “not just me. So. He is technically being fair.”

Rafe shifts uncomfortably in his seat, unhappy to not be able to do something to help me, I know. And my heart warms more to see him like that, to know that I have a big brother who’d tear the world to pieces to make it a cozier place for me.

But still, I want to prove myself here I really do. I don’t want to cut corners and get special treatment, and I know Jesse and Rafe get that.

“Well, we’ll burn an effigy of him on midwinter,” Jesse says, his eyes on his own textbook, studying some kind of military theory. “That will make us all feel better.”

Rafe nods sagely, smirking at Jesse, but he gets up when the dumbwaiter bell rings, heading to the little door to get our dinner.

Luca gives me a little nudge with his toe and I turn to see him give me a little smirk and a wink. I smile, biting my lip and leaning my weight against his leg a little more, pleased to

see him.

Because while these past few weeks and months have been absolutely grueling?

Luca has been….absolutely the best part.

Every day we meet at breakfast and I’m absolutely buzzing to see him. We eat with our legs. pressed together beneath the table, and I kind of forget that anyone else is around, so lost

Chapter 82

Jesse and Rafe to do their warrior stuff all day, and I either head to

where Luca

these long and grueling days, with my little. group of friends all cobbling together to study, and eat, and make each other laugh as much as we can. We’re all stressed, I

of my evenings stretched out on the couch, holding my stomach because I’m

whose singular job is to make me laugh so hard my ribs ache. We spend most of our nights stretched out on the couch together, beaming at each other, just…so incredibly pleased to be in

company.

at Luca and me, I think pleased to be able to watch our relationship develop,

he’s

careful with him, Ari,” Rafe says one night after Luca, Ben, and Jesse head down to the gym to do a little boxing practice. Rafe, to my surprise, stays back with me, sitting on the couch with me, studying me

straight and not bothering to pretend that he’s talking

his head at me. “You have a mate, Ariel,” he says softly, like he doesn’t

of course, Rafe thinks that

door where the

Chapter 82

O

long time ago, and so now I’m going to have it with you. But can you promise to keep

Rafe kept anything at all from Jesse – I mean, the three of us are very close, but I’m well aware that the bond between Rafe and Jesse is particularly close–knit.

I say instantly, meaning it. If my brother asks me to

do it.

years ago when

gasp, delighted. “Who was it!?” I ask, leaning forward

me or anything, but we sat down and he told me some stuff that really…stuck with me. And I’m going to say it now to you and you can do what you want with it but

Fascinated, I nod.

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