Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(64)

When I'd finally emerged from the bathroom, the tension between the boys was gone and things seemed almost back to normal. Almost.

A part of me wondered if maybe Rafe had been right to push the issue. I didn’t want to be deceiving Jordan in any way—all cards on the table so to speak—and it wasn’t like he hadn’t been aware there was a thing with Rafe. Hell, we’d even talked about it briefly. But this was undeniable proof that the “thing” was still happening. Jordan was now very much aware that he wasn’t the only prince currently in my life.

No hurt feelings was my new motto.

The next morning both guys showed up on my doorstep dressed in their soccer uniforms and escorted me over to Mattie's room. Rafe made sure she knew I wasn't to wander off alone at any point. Like I was a toddler or some bullshit.

"What happened last night?" Mattie asked me when my guard dogs had left us to warm up for their game. "They're next level protective today."

I sighed, flopping down on her bed and covering my face with a pillow. There was no reason I shouldn't tell her about the whole thing, unless it somehow implicated her in the murder.

I trusted Rafe to cover it up, the same way I trusted Jordan to send that virus out undetected, but they were both human, and sometimes mistakes were made.

Mattie suffering for my mistake was not cool with me.

“Vi,” she said softly, and I lifted my head to meet her gaze. “You’ve been distant lately, and I’ve been giving you space with everything that’s happening, but… is it me? Did I do something to upset you?”

Fuck. “No!” I said immediately, shifting closer to her. “Fuck no, Mattie. You’re the best friend a chick could hope for in this royal-infested world. From day one you’ve had my back, and I couldn’t be more grateful that I met you.”

My chest hurt, and when she threw her arms around me, everything inside of me went all gooey.

The decision was made for me then. I couldn’t keep her in the dark about everything.

“Okay, you’re gonna wanna sit for this,” I said as we pulled apart.

She looked down at the obvious fact that we were already sitting on her bed, and a burst of laughter left us both. “Whatever it is,” she said, her humor fading, “you know I will still have your back.”

“I know,” I said, nodding. “And I’ve been trying to protect you a little from the drama of my life, from any repercussions of my actions, but I hate not talking to you about everything. I promise to stop hiding shit.”

Taking a deep breath, I proceeded to tell her everything that had been happening lately. The fight, Alex and his threats, Alex’s parents, the virus we had set into motion, her fiancé’s offer regarding the resistance, and finally, the fucking creepy, rapey, cuntey nurse.

To give her credit, Mattie managed to keep her expression neutral for most of it, but she lost it at the end, launching to her feet and stomping around the room.

“What in the actual fuck?” she snarled, jerking her hand out and smashing it into the lamp on the side of her table. “I knew I hated that bitch for a reason. I’m so glad you guys”—her voice lowered to an angry whisper—“killed her. Should have made her suffer for a little longer before striking the final blow.”

I blinked, and then blinked some more. “You’re not… freaked out by who I am? By the violent streak that lives below my surface and occasionally gets away from me?”

Mattie snorted, looking like a princess, but not sounding like one at all. “Girl, are you fucking kidding me? I’m proud of you. You’ve fought for survival, and you’re here, stronger than ever, able to take on Brandon and those fucks who want to threaten your existence. If anything”—she paused, shaking her head—“I’m jealous. I want to be as tough and capable as you are. I mean, I’m not part of the Society like Rafe and Jordan, and Nolan, apparently, who is going to get his ass kicked, when I get my hands on him, for keeping this a secret from me. But the truth is, I have no problem with what they’re doing. We haven’t loved the monarchy for a long time. We wish to be more like you, Vi. Exceptional.”

My stupid lips started to tremble as my eyes burned. “You’d better not make me cry, bitch,” I said, sniffling and trying to get my shit under control. “Also, I love you, and you’re as badass as they come. You do it in a different way than me, and most of the time, I’m sure it’s more effective.”

She looked a little misty around the eyes too, so we both shook that shit off, got out of her room, and headed toward the soccer stadium. Lots of students were in the hall with us, most of them dressed in the maroon and white colors of our team, and I felt safe enough to not be looking over my shoulder for five minutes, especially with a very obvious increase in guards and security scattered about.

“How come the guys never travel away for games?” I asked. “I mean, it’s weird, right? Because all the other teams travel here.”

Mattie lifted an eyebrow at me in quite the impressive show of facial muscles. “Girl, you think our boys would be forced to go to another school?” She laughed. “Nope, everyone comes to them so as not to disrupt their study and school schedule. I think they have about three away games a year, and that’s for the massive carnivals that are held in a completely neutral place not connected to any of the schools. We should be due for one soon, actually.”