And fuck, did that scene make me want to stay home.
It was so…domestic.
But alsohot. Rafe doinganythingwas hot. His back muscles flexed in the dim morning light coming from the massive wall of windows. His hair was messy, hanging in his face. The veins in his forearms flexed while he flipped eggs in the pan.
He’d pushed me back against the cabinets and kissed me like we’d never kiss again, and then I almost,almostinvited him back to bed.
But it was the first day of class and I’d pissed off Zephyr to be here, so I had to turn Rafe down. Rafe didn’t care. He’d flopped down on the couch to hang out for the day when Aiden and I left.
We walked to the gym, me in a daze while Aiden chattered about a towel warmer in our new bathroom. My whole childhood, I’d struggled, and now I had atowel warmer. Being in a Royal Chain would have its perks, but we weren’t even connected yet and I was being given all kinds of luxuries.
Although…I wanted to connect with him. But he deserved to have me alone, not with Aiden right there. And I wasn’t going to send Aiden away from his new bed so I could fuck another dude.
Lord help me.
The door to the gym opened, and Coach was greeted with a mixed chorus of cheers and disappointed groans.
“Little shits,” he muttered as he stood aside, holding the door for us to file in.
Aiden and I tried our best to slip past him, letting some other students block us, but it didn’t work.
“Aria, Brandt, let’s talk.”
Aiden groaned loudly, and Coach glared like he hoped he’d catch fire.
The rest of the class filed into the locker rooms to change while Aiden and I stood in front of Coach. He looked back and forth between us for several seconds, and I crossed my arms, barely resisting the urge to tap my foot.
“There’s some new affinities we need to work on,” he said, looking at Aiden.
Aiden’s expression didn’t change.
“Am I wrong?” Coach said slowly.
Aiden looked at me, tilting his head. I opened up our minds.
Can we trust Coach?
I don’t know,I replied quickly.He was there when I fought Landon, so…
“Come on, kids,” Coach said, exasperated. “I know. I saw thewhole thing. I saw you fight Landon, and I saw you get struck by lightning and not die.”
We both stared in silence.
“Aria,” Coach pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t feel guilty. Landon’s death isn’t on you, everyone saw you trying to stop him.”
I opened my mouth to say…I don’t know what, but then Aiden put a hand on my arm and stopped me.
“Don’t feel guilty, Skye. I’m serious. I read the final report. One of those attackers was a Telepath, and they did a number on him. His brain was practically mush. The Palace’s head Healer was so disturbed, she personally took the Prince to see it.”
I blinked several times.
Telepath?
Mush brain?
The Prince?
Palace Healer?
