Chapter 39
Aknock came at the door just as I was finishing my mascara, and I knew it was Griffen, Orlando, and Dante. Rolling my eyes, I walked over and opened the door, revealing their smirking faces.
”Morning,” I say, turning back around to head to the mirror to finish my makeup quickly. Adding a small amount of gloss to my lips, I noticed the boys still standing in the doorway. ”You can come in, you know,” I said, a little exasperated.
Dante commented ”Those, um, skirts are probably the best thing this school has ever done,” he stammered, clearly checking me out. It took me a moment to realize that I was leaning over the desk to get a good look at my face in the mirror, which was giving the boys a full view of my ass in this stupidly short school skirt.
I felt my face grow warm but decided to own it. ”Thanks,” I replied, raising an eyebrow at them. If they wanted a show, I wasn”t going to let them think it bothered me. I straightened up and turned to face them, trying to suppress a grin at their wide-eyed expressions.
”Come on then, let”s go to breakfast,” I said, grabbing my phone and slipping out the door. My heels clicked against the hallway floor as I walked over to Melody”s room and knocked. The boys trailed behind me like lost puppies, still wearing goofy grins.
When Melody opened the door, her eyes widened at the sight of my entourage. ”Ready?” she asked, clearly amused.
”Yup, let”s go,” I replied, gesturing to the guys behind me. ”We”ve got the full entourage today.”
Melody laughed, eyeing the boys. ”What did you do? They look dumbstruck.”
With a smirk, I recounted my lip gloss incident. ”I bent over to put on lip gloss in the mirror. They seemed to appreciate the view.”
”Please tell me you at least have underwear on,” Melody wheezed, trying to catch her breath between laughs.
”Of course,” I shot back, rolling my eyes. ”There”s no way anyone could free ball under this pathetic excuse for a skirt.”
From behind me, Dante growled protectively. ”No freeballing. I don”t want people seeing what”s mine.”
Melody and I burst into laughter again, our giggles echoing through the hallway. ”Noted, big guy,” I managed to say between laughs. ”Now let”s go eat.”
My pinkie linked with Melody”s, I couldn”t help but smirk as we confidently led our group towards the dining hall. The scent of breakfast wafted down the hallway, making my stomach rumble in anticipation.
As we entered the dining hall, there they were: Jessica, Yasmin, and Olivia, all perched at our table like a trio of vultures. Griffin sighed. ”Little one, I can”t stop them from being mean girls, but I can stand between them if you want me to.”
I patted his arm gently. ”Thanks, but it”s okay. They just want what I have.” With an air of defiance, we strode over to sit down.
Just as I was about to take my seat, Orlando slid into it, grabbed my hips, and plonked me down onto his lap. Yasmin gasped, her eyes wide with shock, while Jessica leaned in and sneered. ”I”m not worried. They”ll be back.”
”Ha!” Orlando laughed, completely unbothered by her pathetic attempt at intimidation. ”Not gonna happen, sweetheart. Harper is our central.” He held out his palm, clicked his fingers, and a small flame appeared. With a flourish, he transformed it into a deep purple rose and handed it to me.
”Damn,” I thought, feeling my heart race.
Jessica”s face turned an interesting shade of purple as her voice cracked with fury. ”You”re bonded?” she screeched, practically falling out of her chair.
Orlando leaned in, his breath warm against my neck as he whispered, ”We”re mated,” his tone dripping with satisfaction. Then, looking Jessica straight in the eye, he said, ”So please do us all a favour and just fuck off now.”
The dining hall seemed to hold its breath as tension crackled through the air. Jessica”s eyes flashed, and without warning, she hurled her glass of orange juice straight at me.
”Shit!” I thought, bracing for impact. But instead of getting drenched in citrusy stickiness, I watched in awe as the juice stopped midair, mere inches from my face. Slowly, it made its way back into the glass still clutched in Jessica”s hand.
”Griffin has water magic,” Orlando murmured in my ear, his voice tinged with pride. ”He would never allow a single drop to touch you.”
My heart swelled with gratitude as I turned to look at Griffin. ”Thank you,” I whispered, my eyes glistening with unshed tears.
He just smiled, as if nothing had happened, he returned his attention to his menu, perusing it as casually as if he hadn”t just saved me from humiliation.
”Fine!” Jessica stomped her foot like a petulant child and spun on her heels, storming off in a huff. Yasmin and Olivia hurried after her, their faces red from either embarrassment or fury—I couldn”t tell which.
”God, I love a bit of daytime drama with my bacon and eggs,” Melody chuckled as she settled into her seat beside me. Her words struck a chord, and I found myself craving the same breakfast combo. Leaning over, I tapped an iced coffee and bacon and egg roll on Dante”s menu before doing the same on mine.
”Thanks, pup,” he said, grinning up at me. ”I was starving and worried it”d be rabbit food again.”
”You don”t have to get what I get,” I replied playfully, ”but I like that you do.”
The comment seemed to catch him off guard, and his cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. His vulnerability made my heart swell, and I suddenly realised how much I wanted—needed—to go all-in with them all. To bond with each one of them completely.
Fuck it, I thought, my pulse quickening. If this is what normal life looks like for my future, then I”m all about it. Who cared if we”d only met four days ago? If it felt sudden and strange? I wanted it. I craved the love and belonging they gave me.
Griffin”s piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, a knowing smile playing on his lips. ”You”re projecting your feelings again,” he said, his voice soft yet teasing.
”Shit,” I muttered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. ”I don”t know how I do it or how to stop.”
He laughed, the sound both warm and comforting. ”Well, aren”t you lucky we have feelings for our first lesson today?”
”Really?” I asked, my blush deepening. ”Maybe I can learn to stop doing it then.”
Before I could say anything else, Orlando”s arms wrapped around my waist from behind, his head resting gently against my back. ”Projecting love and happiness isn”t a bad thing, Harper.”
His touch sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn”t help but lean into him slightly, savouring the warmth and security of his embrace.
”Maybe you”re right,” I conceded, trying to ignore the way my heart hammered in my chest. ”But I still want to learn how to control it better. I hate feeling like an open book all the time.”