The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

It gets a little awkward in the close quarters of the limousine, but Jesse does a good job of breaking the awkwardness by pouring more champagne - god, mom really made sure we were stocked - and pointing out all of the landmarks that we pass on the way to the palace to Ben and Daphne, keeping us all laughing with his commentary.

Rafe, when we got in the car, sat me deliberately on his right with Daphne on my other side, very carefully ensuring that I wasn't sitting next to either of my mates, I think trying to be fair to both of them. But as we draw close to the palace, Rafe turns to Jackson on his left and raises an eyebrow. "You ready for this?" he murmurs, smirking a little.

"Absolutely not," Jackson returns, deadpan. But then he smiles at my brother, and moves his eyes to me, and his smile deepens. "But we'll get through it, right?"

"That's the spirit," Rafe says, laughing and clinking his glass against Jackson's before taking a sip.

Jackson just glances down at his champagne with distaste.

"What," I say, leaning further over Rafe with a grin, unable to help it. "You don't like it?"

"What is it?" he asks, baffled, holding his glass up to stare at the pale bubbly liquid.

champagne!" I say,

laugh more. Jesse, having caught the conversation, laughs as well in a good-hearted way. "What

head with surprise and a little delight at the

pouring him a draft and handing it

head to him with surprise to see him holding out his hand. "I'll

to see him come back to himself a little more, I take Jackson's glass and pass it down to Luca, who empties it into his own half-full flute. "No sense in wasting five-hundred-dollar champagne,' he murmurs, lifting his glass to me

five hundred dollars?" Jackson gasps, almost dropping his glass of

says, putting a steadying hand under Jackson's glass. "Listen, if you're that shocked

at Rafe, and then at me, and then at all of us in appalled shock, which just makes us all laugh harder. But after a moment he smiles too, shaking his head and taking it in stride. I lift a hand to my cheek, which aches

least right

my other side, Daphne's leg

resting my hand on her knee. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the