The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0624

"Selfish," Daphne says a little later, laughing as she reaches out and snatches the cookie packet from Jesse's hand. "How many of these are you going to eat?"

"All of them, obviously," Jesse murmurs, lunging to grab them back but missing when Daphne laughs again and pulls them to her other side. "I have to eat them all - Ariel's more likely to notice that half a pack is missing than a whole one." "You stole these from Ariel!?" Daphne's gasp is scandalized.

"They taste better when you steal them," Jesse says, grinning, "Especially from Ariel. She gets so mad."

Daphne laughs with him and takes a cookie herself before handing the pack back. "I never get you sibling-types," she says, taking a small bite and then curling up in her chair with her head resting on the back of it, gazing at bit at the boy next to her. "All the teasing - what's the point?"

"I don't really know," Jesse says, turning towards her as well, both of them blissfully ignoring the show that the sky is putting on, seemingly just for them. "Something about growing up in such close proximity just...makes you want to torture the crap out of someone, even if they're your favorite person on earth."

Daphne grins at him, a little whistful. "That kind of sounds...nice. Psychotic, but nice."

"Do you think you'd have liked it?" he asks, letting his eyes drift freely over her now in this stolen moment - over the gentle curve of her cheek, the way she curls up so neatly in the chair. "Having as many siblings and cousins as I've got?"

"I don't know," she whispers with a bit of a frown. "I think I'd be...a completely different person if I had. So it's like asking me if I want to be someone else."

lose you precisely as you are is a tragedy, so - definitely a no." He gives her a coy wink

own long sip. Jesse

"Rafe and Ari were

over the landscape again. He grins and keeps

pair sit in quiet for a long moment, but none of it is awkward, none of it

me what you're thinking, please," Jesse

Qu

turns back to him, an embarrassed smile shaping her mouth. "Well," she says with a sigh, snuggling up against

"And I assume I can

alot of friends growing was a solitary little creature and when I came here I never expected to make real friends. I'm very grateful

down at the cookies in his lap, suddenly grateful for that little twist of fate too. "Wish I'd gotten you as my tailor that day

at her. "The guy

bursts

take anyone that long to measure an inseam - he

again. "You're such a