A grin swept across her face, totally erasing any traces of her Alex-induced frown. "Of course we are. You don't think I just did your makeup to have it end up all over your pillow, do you?"
She snorted a laugh at herself before pointing out my coat with the large buttons. "You'll need that. Drake lives off campus."
* * *
When Mattie said "off campus,"she really meant that he had a chalet in the small village farther down the mountain. It would have been about a twenty-minute walk, but with thick snow coating the sidewalk, I was glad when she stopped next to a large, shiny black truck waiting outside the dorms.
"This is Nolan," she told me, indicating to the guy behind the wheel as she held the door open for me. "Nole, meet Violet."
"New girl," the guy commented as I clambered up into the truck. The interior was all smooth black leather that screamedmoney,and the dash glittered with dials and buttons that meant absolutely nothing to me.
Seating myself, I buckled my seat belt on then shot the guy—Nolan—a sharp look. "I prefer Violet, thanks."
His green eyes stared back at me from the rearview mirror, then a broad smile spread across his face. "Fair enough then, Violet. You ready for your first Arbon party?"
There was something suspicious about the way he said that, and I shot Mattie an uncertain look. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
She shook her head, and cuffed Nolan in the back of his head. She'd slid into the back seat with me, leaving the front seat vacant. "He's messing with you, Vi. It's just a normal college party, except everyone has more money than some small countries and they act like it."
I snorted a laugh which was just this side of bitter. "Oh, well if that's all." Dread pooled in my stomach at the thought of what they'd do to the poor scholarship student. So far things hadn't been too bad, though. Sure, Brandon was a typical ass... and Rafe...
A shudder ran through me remembering the rough start I'd already gotten off to with the Prince of the Switzerlands. Typical fucking me, pissing off one of the most powerful heirs in the entire freaking world without even knowing.
Still, Mattie was proving herself to be a genuinely nice person, and Alex had seemed interested in me despite my lack of status or money.
"Are we waiting for someone?" I asked, noticing we were still stationary.
Mattie grimaced, and Nolan nodded. He had red hair too, just a few shades darker than Mattie's, and a similar nose. Were they related? Was this her twin?
"I apologize in advance for my brother's shitty taste in friends," she whispered in a rush, right as the front passenger door opened and a dark-haired, broad-shouldered, scowling asshole hoisted himself inside.
"Thanks for the lift, Noles." His deep voice rumbled through the car, and without the edge of sneering disdain, I kinda loved the sound of it.
Until he glanced over his shoulder and saw me.
"Why is Cinderella in the car with us?" The condescension was so thick I practically fucking choked on it. Fuck this asshole. Who cared if he was the crown prince of the world’s most powerful country? No one had the right to treat other people like that. And really, could he be more of an arrogant prick, plucking his insult from ancient fairy tales?
My eyes narrowed into a death glare, and a venom-filled comeback burned on the tip of my tongue. Too bad Mattie gripped my arm tightly, her nails digging into my skin with a crystal clear warning to keep my mouth shut.
"Because she's my friend, Rafe, and its my brother’s car, so you get no say over who is in it." Her tone was only slightly less cutting than it'd been with Alex earlier.
Prince Rafael just gave her a bored look, then shifted his sneer back to me. "Don't tell me your date stood you up. Maybe Alex actually grew some brain cells after all."
Mattie and Nolan both snickered lightly.
"We all know that didn't happen," Nolan muttered as he put the truck in drive and glided carefully out of the academy grounds.
It was at that point I realized I was in a car with two crown princes and a princess. Speaking of fucking fairy tales...
Mattie still had her nails digging into my arm, so I kept my lips clamped shut, despite the fight clawing to get out of me.
"Not that it’s any of your business, Rafe, but Violet and I decided to have a girl’s night." Mattie arched a brow at my new nemesis, but he just rolled his eyes and shifted back into his seat. Freed from his piercing blue gaze, the tension drained out of me. Just a little—because he was still right fucking there—but the back of his head was a hell of a lot easier to deal with.
"Since when did you and the charity case become such great friends, Mattie?" Rafe's question was a bored drawl, but my skin prickled with the knowledge I was being watched. Thankfully, it was Nolan's green gaze that caught mine in the mirror, though.
Mattie made an irritated noise in her throat. "Again, none of your business, Rafe. Just try and refrain from being a total asshole for, like, one night. I think Violet deservesonenight before the vultures lay into her. Don't you?"
My lips parted with questions burning to be asked, but Mattie gave me another warning look.
