The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 154

When I wake up the next morning, I am in an absolute daze of joy.

Rafe just smiles at me as he passes my nook on the way to the bathroom, happy to see me happy, but Jesse immediately knows what’s up as I stretch my arms over my head, unable to keep the smile off of my face.

“Ugh, it’s so unfair,” he moans, flopping back into his own pillow pile as the bathroom door closes behind Rafe.

“What, do you want to swap with me?” I ask him, teasing. “Make out with Luca in the dream state instead?”

“No, I don’t want to swap,” Jesse mutters, bitter, lifting his head to glare at me. “It’s just very unfair, Ariel, that you get to wake up in a sex haze while the rest of us are all pent up –“

“No one is stopping you from making out with the other cadets, Jesse,” I say with a happy sigh, climbing out of my bed and starting to set out my clothes for the day.

“Well, considering they hold very few charms for me, it’s not precisely an appealing option,” he replies, deeply sarcastic. “And considering that you actively are cockblocking me from making out with the one person I do want to get naked with with in this castle.”

“Again, I am willing to share Luca,” I joke, sending him a little grin over my shoulder.

Jesse just rolls his eyes at me. “Please,” he says, sitting up and pressing his hands together in prayer, “please release me from my promise not to hit on Daphne. Even just let me flirt with her!”

“Jesse!” I sigh, turning to him. “Do you actually like her? Or are you just hitting on her because she’s the only girl around.”

He sits up straight for a second, turning his head like he hadn’t considered it.

“I will invite her over,” I say, pointing a finger at his face and speaking slowly so he hears how seriously I am. “And you can pursue her if you actually like her. But don’t mess her around, okay?”

“I promise,” he says, almost reverent.

“And if she likes another boy instead of you,” I say, turning my head to the side and continuing my glare. “You have to let her, all right?”

“Wait,” he says, going still and narrowing his eyes at me. “Did she say something? Who does she like?”

I don’t say anything, but I flick my eyes towards the bathroom door.

“Oh Rafe?” Jesse says, perking up. “I can handle that. Everyone likes Rafe until they realize that I’m the funny one –“

“If she likes Rafe you have to let her like Rafe!” I say, speaking over him and throwing out my arms in protest.

“Fine fine,” he says, though I can already see his little mind turning, scheming.

“Fine,” I sigh, feeling very generous and happy. “I’ll send her a note.”

“You’re the best, little cousin!” Jesse says, hopping out of bed and darting across the room to wrap me in an enthusiastic hug, rocking me back and forth. “When is she coming over? Tonight? For lunch?”

“Oh, go away,” I say, pretending to be sterner than I am and unable to keep from laughing. “She’ll come when she comes.”

Morning workouts and breakfast pass blissfully, especially considering that Luca’s leg is pressed warmly against mine throughout the entire meal. The only dark point is when Jackson walks by and gives us a little nod of acknowledgement as he goes. I wave back to him, but I hesitate when Luca goes rigid beside me.

Slowly, I turn to him. “Guess we got…distracted, didn’t we?” I whisper, remembering our intent to have a little chat about Jackson last night in the dream state.

“Yes, I suppose we did,” Luca says, narrowing his eyes a little.

I sigh, staring into his pretty brown eyes, taking in the stern set to his mouth.