The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 368

Chapter 0368

"Okay," he says, his smirk softening to a smile. "But...I mean, are you mad? That I'm not a virgin, like you?"

"Wait, how do you know I'm a virgin?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

He sniffs the air around me. "I can tell by your scent."

"What!?" I screech, eyes wide.

But he just laughs at me and shakes his head, and I shriek again and smack him on the chest when I realize that he's kidding.

*I just... put the pieces together, Ari. I think you've had a sheltered life and Jesse would have teased you about it in front of me if you'd had a serious boyfriend before. He wouldn't have been able to resist that bait. And I think if you'd slept with Luca...he'd have let me know."

I sigh, realizing that that's right. That Luca absolutely would have used it as leverage against Jackson - wouldn't have been able to resist it in the same way Jesse can't resist a good tease.

"So," Jackson continues, shrugging again. "Just...an educated guess. But...I mean, are you? Mad?"

"No, Jacks," I say instantly, suddenly sorry that my reaction made him think that. "I don't care that you've had a history. I'm just... surprised. When Daphne came into the room that time you were ready to bolt - and she didn't even want to sleep with you -*

"Yes she did," he murmurs, dry.

I burst out laughing and smack him again, not bothering to mention that she did think he was cute - second only to Rafe, in her estimation. "Shut up," I growl, jealousy rankling in me a little at the thought. "But seriously? How did this happen?"

I nod, urging him to continue.

"When I got to the city," he says softly, musing, "I thought you all had such a ridiculous mania for tracking time. Like everyone's on the same clock, down the second?" he shakes his head, frowning. "I mean, why? I still think that, a little bit. But I also realized that... that perhaps the Community took away time as a further way to control us. You can't make plans to meet up with people, or to escape, if you've got no way to plan when that happens. Except the moon, but..."

He sighs, and hangs his head a bit, and I reach out to put my hand on his cheek.

And then raises his head to look into my eyes, his face a little sad, and he begins to tell me everything.