The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 284

His brow furrows as he tries to remember. “There was one, um…about the six friends? Who all lived in apartments across a hall from each other? Three guys and three girls?”

“Besties,” I say, immediately supplying the name of the old sitcom we’ve all watched a thousand times, smiling softly because I absolutely love that he loved this show.

“Yeah, that one was the best one,” he says, nodding like it’s a fact. “The girls were…really nice to each other, and so supportive, and so funny. And I learned about…boyfriends and girlfriends and dating. And what mates were. And with movies, I liked…um, what do you call them? Romedies…?”

“Romantic comedies?” I offer. “Romcoms?”

“Yes,” he says, giving me a decided nod that makes me grin. “I loved romcoms, and what the guys called ‘chick flicks’ – any movies and shows about women’s lives, I wanted to watch. And then when I found out that the library existed? And that you could borrow movies and whole seasons of shows?”

He puffs out his cheeks again, like it completely blew up his world, and I laugh with him.

“I put that library card to work,” he murmurs, staring off into the distance, “never had a late fee and watched…probably every movie in their collection that had a woman on the cover. And I got books, which answered…so many questions.”

“What like, romance novels?” I ask, curious.

“What’s a romance novel?” he asks, snapping his attention to me, immediately intrigued.

I grin at him and shake my head. “I’ll tell you about those later,” I say with a little laugh, knowing that it will open a whole new world for him. “But tell me what you mean – what books did you get?”

“Like what?” I whisper, confused.

“Like you pity me,” he murmurs, shaking his head.

I sigh, realizing that he’s right – that I am pitying him, and it’s written all over my face. I reach up, running my fingers through his hair, tucking it back behind his ear. “You’re just so lovely, Jacks,” I whisper, meaning every word of it. “I want you to have had…more than what you were given. I know that the people who raised you…that you didn’t know any different, and that some of the must have done their best. But I wish they’d done better by you – given you more. I want you to have everything, Jackson. You deserve it. You deserve the world.”

“Well, I’ve got that now, don’t I?” he whispers, tightening his arms around me and giving me a shy smile, clearly meaning what he says and believing it – like now that he has me, he can’t possibly be lacking, at all, ever. He leans forward, nudging my nose with his, opening his feelings to me, letting me understand just how happy and content and whole he feels when we’re like this, curled up with each other, our own little world. Complete.

And I can’t help it. I’m just completely overwhelmed, absolutely consumed by how much he loves me already, and how much my feelings match his, inch for inch. I lift my chin, closing the short distance between us and wrapping my arms around my mate’s neck as I kiss him, desperate for him to know that he’s mine – mine forever – and that I’m going to do everything in my power to give him the life he deserves.