The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



My heart sinks a bit for my friend, because I never want her to be embarrassed about something like that. How much money she grew up with - it's never mattered to me to any of us.

“Yeah, I get that," I say quietly, turning back to Ben's point and looking between them. “The fear that...you'd get left behind a bit whenever Rafe meets...her. Whoever she is. I can see how that puts a dampener on things.”

We're all quiet for a moment, especially as Ben and I notice that Daphne's still looking down at her wine glass and not at us. As the seconds tick by, I straighten again, realizing...

But Ben puts it into words first.

"That's not the whole story though, is it Daphne?"

She sighs, her voice getting a little creaky with tears. "No," she croaks out, shaking her head. "No, that's not all of it."

"Daph!" I exclaim, instantly scootching closer to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong!? What is it!?"

"I just feel so guilty," she says, raising her head to look at me, her eyes rimmed with tears, giving a sad little sniff. "I just...I don't know."

I quickly reach beyond Daphne to put my wine on a little table and then wrap my arms fully around her, giving her the big hug I think she needs. She laughs a little, hugging me back and putting her head on my shoulder.noveldrama

"You don't have to feel guilty, Daphne," I murmur, hugging her tight and rocking her back and forth a little bit. "Whatever your feeling - guilt shouldn't be part of it."

"But I do!" she cries out, laughing a little and - I think - feeling a bit absurd as she straightens up and wipes at her eyes. "I just...I feel so guilty. Here's this wonderful guy, who is so good looking, and so lovely to me, and who likes me! Like, really likes me!" she laughs, shaking her head. "And I just...I just don't feel the same way. I thought I did, when it first started? But...I think...I was just caught up in the excitement of it?"

She sighs, looking down at her hands, and I reach out for her, slipping my palm against hers and tightening my fingers.

“I just...don't feel the way I should about Rafe," she whispers, I think confessing it for the first time, both aloud and maybe even to herself. “I really, really want to. But I just...don't.”

Ben and I sit quietly for a moment, just supporting her. I glance over at him and see that his face reflects my own, a mix of love and pity for our friend, who we don't want to see going through this kind of agony.

-

"It's natural, Daph," Ben says quietly. "That's what.. dating is for. To figure out how you feel about people. And honestly, it's only supposed to work once - like really work, when you find the one person who's your match. So, we shouldn't be as shocked as we are when it turns out the person we're dating. isn't the one guy in the world we're supposed to be with."

Daphne laughs a little, wiping again at her cheeks, I think coming back to herself. "Yeah, well, I never thought Rafe was the one - I'm not good enough for that -"

"You hold your tongue on that," I scold, squeezing her hand, a little angry that Daphne would think that way about herself. "You're

et

magnificent, Daph," I say, bending downa little so that I can catch her eye, making her look at me and see the honestly in my expression. "Rafe or any man - would be lucky to have you. I hate that you think about yourself that way." Content belongs

“Well, that's very nice to hear," Daphne murmurs, a bit chuffed. “Even if it is harder to believe."

I squeeze her hand again, believing

it, trying to put myself in her shoes and see it from her perspective - a poor seamstress, working hard every day to send money home to her mom, dating a prince? God, it sounds like something out of a fairytale.

“So, what are you going to do?" Ben asks, again gentle.

Daphne gives a big shrug. “I have no idea. I haven't decided."

"I mean, Daphne,” Ben says, leaning forward a bit, and as he pauses she looks up at him. He screws his mouth to the side, soft but chagrined. "It... kind of sounds like you've decided."