Chapter 166
“You came!” I breathe, thrilled and relieved and nearly insane with
happiness as Jacksonughs and lifts me up, holding me tight against his
chest
“I could get used to this greeting,” he murmurs, his arms wrapped so snug around me, his face so
close to mine that our noses brush.
“You scared me!” I protest, halfughing and half shouting as I smack him on the chest with both
hands, one after the other. “Why didn’t youe into our train car!? Why didn’t you tell me!? I was
so sad! I thought you stayed behind!”
Jacks shrugs, smiling at me like he can’t keep the joy off his face, his blue. eyes shining “I figured
my presence in your fancy royal car would cause.
more trouble than it was worth. You deserved a minute to be calm and happy, and I didn’t mind
riding with the other cadets. I just slept the whole time anyway.”
“And you didn’t think,” I say, taking his perfect face between my palms and narrowing my eyes,
scolding yfully, “that maybe I wanted you close by?”
“Well, you’ve got me close by now,” he murmurs, lifting his chin towards. me in a bit of a challenge.
“So, what are you going to do with me?” He tightens his arms, further proving his point as his voice
drops an octave to a level that…does dangerous things to me. Emotionally. Physically.
My smile grows slowly, a little devious, but my response is clipped by the sound of Rafe clearing his
throat again.
I turn my head and blink in surprise to see my family and friends standing around us now, and the
guards grouped around them, all of them staring at
1. us.
Except for Luca. A strong pang of guilt runs through me when I see him
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“You came!” I breathe, thrilled and relieved and nearly insane with
happiness as Jacksonughs and lifts me up, holding me tight against his
chest.
“I could get used to this greeting,” he murmurs, his arms wrapped so snug around me, his face so
close to mine that our noses brush.
ou scared me!” I protest, halfughing and half shouting as I smack him on the chest with both
hands, one after the other. “Why didn’t youe into our train car!? Why didn’t you tell me!? I was
so sad! I thought you stayed behind!”
Jacks shrugs, smiling at me like he can’t keep the joy off his face, his blue eyes shining. “I figured
my presence in your fancy royal car would cause
more trouble than it was worth. You deserved a minute to be calm and happy, and I didn’t mind
riding with the other cadets. I just slept the whole time anyway.”
“And you didn’t think,” I say, taking his perfect face between my palms and narrowing my eyes,
scolding yfully, “that maybe I wanted you close by?”
“Well, you’ve got me close by now,” he murmurs, lifting his chin towards me in a bit of a challenge.
“So, what are you going to do with me?” He tightens his arms, further proving his point as his voice
drops an octave to a level that…does dangerous things to me. Emotionally. Physically.
My smile grows slowly, a little devious, but my response is clipped by the sound of Rafe clearing his
throat again.
I turn my head and blink in surprise to see my family and friends standing around us now, and the
guards grouped around them, all of them staring at
1. us.
Except for Luca. A strong pang of guilt runs through me when I see him
staring at the ground to his side, clenching his jaw
“Ariel?” Rafe says, his arms crossed as he res at me “Would you like the climb down? Before the
paparazzi got some great footage of this?”
“Um,” I say awkwardly in response before turning to Jackson and giving him a little grimace.
Unperturbod, he smiles at me and slowly lowers me to the ground, careful to ensure that my skirt
doesn’t ride up.
“You know, you don’t have to pick her up every time you greet her,” Rafe says softly, frowning at
Jackson,
Jackson just stares at Rafe like that is clearly not true,
Rafe just rolls his eyes,ughing a little as he moves on and I fix my dress into less rumpled lines,
Captain Conner looks a little frantically between me and Jackson before moving his eyes to Laica,
with whom I was just holding hands. 1 sigh, realizing that…whatever secrecy I held on to at the
Academy, isn’t hasn’t really disappeared here, has it?
Unless I want the entire nation to know about myplicated love triangle, I have got to learn to
cool it.
“Captain Conner,” I say, stepping forward towards him and doing my best to be the nation’s
Princess again. “This is Jackson McClintock. We got identally separated from him on the way
home, but he’ll be joining us at the Pce for break and should have all the rights and freedoms of
an honored guest.”
“As you will it, Highness,” Conner says, giving me a sharp bow, He casts out a hand towards the
three–story arch through which the city waits. “If we have our entire party now…?”
His implication is clear and, with another little re at me, Rafe leads the way out. Luca follows
close behind him, not looking at me, and Daphne sends me a little smile and a nod before she
hurries her steps to walk with Luca, making a little small talk that I hope willfort him.
Ben and Jesse fall in with Jackson and I as we bring up the rear, both of them greeting Jackson
warmly and likewise telling him that they’re thrilled he came along. Jackson’s smile in response to
their genuine excitement to see him fills my heart with joy, because I’m watching him realize that he
truly has friends now.
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