Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 22

Ashley pov

“Listen...” She starts and her gaze meets mine.

Time suddenly drags out. It’s a second, maybe two at best, but I feel like I’m stuck in an awful bubble for years, decades and eternities.

Sweat breaks out on my forehead, my hands tremble and a massive lump grows in my throat, making the space it’s forever home. I can’t suck in a breath, no matter how hard I try, which makes me dizzy.

I watch her lips part, she is about to break the silence and take away my secrets, but that never happens.

At first, I’m confused. But soon, I realize the professor has stepped in and stopped her from voicing her thoughts.

“Ash is the last one for you tonight, Sophia. Thank you, as always, you’ve done a great job. Let me know when the uniforms are ready so I can hand them out.”

Her eyes dart to me for a split second, but whatever is on her mind clearly remains unspoken as she decides to step away from the situation.

“Of course, it’s my pleasure. Goodnight,” she flashes the professor a shy smile and hurries away.

Oh, look at that, she has a crush on the grumpy dude.

Thankfully, he doesn’t comment on the situation and instead, offers to walk me to the apartment that has been assigned to me. A part of me wishes I would know where this place is, so I wouldn’t need his help to find it, but the other part accepts the defeat.

“Thank you,” I mutter, unsure what I’m taking him for.

Maybe I’m being polite in accepting his help, or maybe it’s about him saving me from the situation earlier. I suppose we’ll never know since my brain can’t find the answer anyway.

“Tell me, Ash,” he speaks up as soon as we leave the tailor’s place. “How did you end up here? Did you join the Academy’s completion?”

I can’t stop the bitter chuckle that leaves me, which makes the professor glare at me. I guess he’s so high in his head about this place that he thinks I’m disrespecting it.

“It’s not like we were given a choice anyway,” I quickly explain, hoping he will understand where I’m coming from with the remark.

“Is that so?” He sounds more interested now. He can’t claim he doesn’t know how the Academy operates, can he?

“Yeah,” I breathe out. “We were told that the losers will be expelled from the Academy. If you don’t participate you’re a loser from the get-go, so that’s what I meant when I said it’s not like anyone had a choice.”

The professor hums and nods. “Makes sense, yes.”

I don’t add any comments. The less I interact with the man, the better.

The thing is that even I realize this game I’m playing won’t end well for me and those involved. Sooner or later, everyone will figure out who I am, reveal my secrets and I, well, I’ll be left alone, picking up the pieces.

It’s my fault and mine only, so I already reached a mindset of being okay with whatever consequences are dropped on me afterwards. I’ll pick up the pieces because I am the one who’s creating a scenario leading to shattering everything.

“Well, I’m glad you ended up on the top of the list and got yourself a chance to join our program. We need some diversity around here, fresh minds and ideas, if you will,” the professor nudges my side, sounding playful.

Okay, call me colored surprised. All of a sudden, he’s all nice and at ease?

“This is you. Get some rest, I’m sure you've been looking forward to this moment. Hopefully, you will enjoy the accommodations we provide here.”

Before I can thank the professor, he disappears just as suddenly as he appeared earlier. I swear, this thing with his ability is downright creepy.

Somehow, there’s a key in my hand. How it appears there - I have no idea. Was I so stuck in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice the professor handing me it?

“Weird,” I mutter and unlock the door to my new home.

Stepping inside, I feel the walls to find a light switch. Once I flick on the lights, I gasp at the view. This is no other regular dorm, I swear, this is a whole full-blown penthouse. Seriously?

The place is so massive and perfect, it fits celebrities, not some students.

I don’t bother looking around to find a bedroom. No, I just drop my bag in the hall and instantly head for the living room. It’s vast, marble floors, massive floor to ceiling length windows and everything.

“Holy hell,” I whisper as I spin around, taking in the insane view.

Then, for some reason, I’m hit with an insane need to find a bathroom. If luck is on my side, there will be a bath and I could soak in the warm water while I have a chance.

And sure enough, luck indeed is on my side because once I locate the bathroom, I’m met with a view that nearly brings me to tears. The bathroom is luxurious and more than I could have hoped for, but the bath located in the middle of it is so massive, it could fit at least five people. Very large people, damn it.

The weight and exhaustion of the last couple days hits me all at once. With such force, in fact, that I almost collapse on the beautiful tiled floor.

Somehow, I manage to stay upright. First thing, I grab a few towels off the shelf and place them on the edge of the bathtub. Then, I check for products and find plenty, feeling like this is some perfectly planned coincidence.

Since I still don’t trust anything that is too good to be true, I rush out of the bathroom and check every room in this apartment. There are a few bedrooms, which makes me think I might have roommates later down the line, but since I’m completely alone for now, I need to use this chance.

Who knows, later if I don’t live alone anymore, I might never have a moment to enjoy myself in the bath. Especially knowing how men are - barging in on each other, having no shame or respect for others alone time.

Quickly, I run back to the bathroom and lock the door. My hands shake from excitement that surges through me as I drop the clothes on the floor and start filling the bath.

Just in case, I grab the towel to wrap it around myself.

Watching the tub fill with water, I sit at the edge of it and reach down to test the water. It’s warm and inviting, but just as I stand up to drop the towel and get inside, I’m startled by a loud noise in the living room and multiple voices. Fuck my life.