The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0625

"Yeah," Jesse says, his stomach turning over with dread as he looks out over the landscape before them. "All of that is...no good."

"Are you...worried about it?" Daphne asks. Jesse turns back to towards her, curious to see her peering at him a bit through her lashes, a little frown on her lips.

He takes a minute to consider his reply.

"I'm worried about losing the people I love," Jesse says softly, heaving a tiny shrug like he doesn't even want to concede that much. "I know I play it...glib a lot, pretending I don't care, but there are many people in this world who I love so deeply that to lose them would just...crush me."

Jesse looks off towards the darkening sky, the corners of his mouth turning drastically down - an expression that makes Daphne's heart twist to see it on the face which she rarely sees without a smile.

Still, it's not like she didn't know about his depths. Jesse - he's not that good at keeping them a secret, at least to her.

"You can't fool all of us, Jess," she says quietly, bringing his eyes back to her. "We know your still waters run deep." His mouth quirks into an embarrassed smile as he looks down into his lap. "All my pretense has failed me."

"You've got a big heart, Jess," she says, nearly a whisper. "You should let more people see it. It's lovely. You're lovely."

clenches his jaw against the words, his eyes fluttering shut. Jesse swallows hard and Daphne fights her

his eyes again to

"Nope."

again into the smile. "No worries? Not a single

smiling back and shaking her head at him,

says, laughing a little. "Reveal your secret to me. How can you be so sure it'll all

how much more to disclose. But Jesse looks steadily back at her and sees the moment when her dam breaks. "The... the day my dad died was the worst

all smiles wiped from his face in an instant when he sees the pain of losing her father clear on

worst day. That it couldn't get any worse than that, and that every single day after that was going to be better - even if I had to wrench the better out of it with my bare

him her determination. He looks down at her

it?" he whispers. "Living every

dropping her hands. "But it's worked

says, her smile deepening. "I have a job that pays well and lets me do what I love. Imake enough money to help my mom. I'm designing clothes for a duchess. I

list her