CHAPTER 160: JEALOUSY

Andria’s POV

"Damon is about to perform. Seems like the whole academy is anticipating his performance," he announced.

"I see, so that’s why your face lit up, or is there any other reason why?" I asked teasingly.

"Can you guess the other reason why I would be smiling?" he asked, smirking down at me.

"Stop it already," I retorted, rolling my eyes at him.

"You know I wouldn’t stop, Ari, I love your reaction anytime I tease you."

"Of course you will, you evil motherfucker, urrgh...I knew I made a mistake," I voiced out playfully, stomping my feet on the ground.

Aven burst into laughter, a little tear dropping from his eyes. In this moment, I felt so happy. Aven wasn’t so uptight like he used to be; he was cracking jokes and laughing out loud, too.

A little smile curved on my lips.

"Why are you looking at me in such a manner and smiling? Do I suddenly look like a clown?" he asked, with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Well, I haven’t seen this part of Aven before, I should be surprised. Who knows how many other parts of you I’ll get to see?" I replied to him.

He smirked and then bent down to my ear, "I’ve not seen a smiling Aria either, one that looks at me the way you actually do now. I would have easily guessed that if what had happened hours ago hadn’t happened, that you had a great crush on me."

I was flushed, and I suddenly turned away so that he wouldn’t have to see the embarrassment on my face.

Aven’s words echoed in my head, and it annoyed me how they made me feel things I didn’t want to feel. I can’t be falling for Aven, but here I’m flushed and highly responsive to his every word.

"I could get used to seeing you blush," he whispered again, sending waves of sensations down my spine.

I wasn’t blushing, at least not in the way he thought. It was just hot, or maybe it was his stupid smirk that was doing it —something to blame for the way I felt, the way my heart leapt in my throat at the sound of his voice against my ear.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" I asked, eyeing him as we entered the entertainment hall. The hall was even livelier than it was when I left.

"Maybe," he said casually, that hint of pride dancing at the corner of his lips. "It’s nice when people know who you’re walking beside."

I stopped and looked at him. "I’m not a trophy you parade around with, Aven."

He sighed softly. "I know, Aria. I just like people knowing that you’re mine. Besides, you should even be proud that you are walking beside Aven."

What a cocky way of putting it. How could I have forgotten that he can’t be any less cockier? Calling him ’his’ so casually.

He said it as if it were a fact. It was, in fact, not after what just happened, not after he had claimed me most affectionately. I could be his, even if it is for tonight.

I didn’t respond. I just walked faster, pretending not to notice the way the entire room went quiet, all eyes darting towards our direction when we stepped in.

It was like someone had pressed pause on everything, and every head turned. Then, there were hushed whispers all over the hall. I would have cared if this were the first, but anything revolving around the Alpha successors or me was a great gossip.

It wasn’t subtle either. Some of the females leaned closer to whisper behind their hands. A few of the males just looked amused.

If I hadn’t already mastered the art of pretending, I’d have walked straight out or confronted one of those gossips. But instead, I smiled at each eye that met mine before they hid behind their hands.

Aven walked beside me like he was immune to the attention, confident, calm, the kind of presence that demanded space.

He didn’t even flinch at the stares; he was already used to it. I even thought sometimes he enjoyed it; other times, I think he’s gotten so used to it that he doesn’t feel anything or care about it anymore.

He just kept walking, one hand in his pocket, the other resting lightly on the small of my back as we approached the front seats.

Of course, he had gotten the VIP section. Aven never did anything halfway; he always went for the best.

"You are loving this," I muttered under my breath.

He looked down at me, smirking. "Maybe a little. You can’t blame me for liking the view. Although it’s not like this all the time."

I rolled my eyes. "You’re impossible."

"True," he said, leaning close enough that I could feel his breath against my ear, "but you are still here, instead of backstage where your fellow council members are. Guess you enjoy it too."

He couldn’t be more right. Maybe I liked it way more than I thought. I turned my face away quickly so he wouldn’t see the color rising to my cheeks.

We sat, and for a moment, it felt like the noise had faded, like there was just the two of us, sitting under that strange, heavy silence that always came when I didn’t know what to say to him.

Then I looked around, and my eyes caught Becca, Michaela, and Mel sitting.

She was sitting a few rows back, next to Arlo, and she looked furious. I was about to beckon her to sit with me when I noticed the expression on her face, and not only was she angry, but Michaela and Mel happened to look very pissed as well.

Then it dawned on me what I had done wrong. I gasped. I had missed Becca’s performance.

"Damn it," I whispered to myself.

"What?" Aven asked, looking at me, his face slightly worried.

"I missed Becca’s performance. She must have killed it, but I wasn’t even there to see it because I was..." I stopped, eyeing him with my mouth pouted.

"Because you were?" Aven asked, feigning innocence, smirking at me

I glared at him. "Don’t make me finish that sentence, you already know what I was doin... we were doing.."

He chuckled quietly, clearly enjoying this. " I like it when you say ’we’."

I nudged him lightly. " Can you be serious for once? My friends are literally so furious, and they look like they are going to tear me apart."

"You could have told me you needed to be somewhere; I wouldn’t have stopped you."

"I remember telling you, but all you were interested in was... You are so annoying, I can’t believe you didn’t even bother to wake me up, knowing that I had to go back to the hall.

If I hadn’t woken up, I wouldn’t be here now, and your tickets would be wasted, Aven," I countered, really slightly pissed at him and the way he made light of the matter.

"Sad," he muttered, laughing. "Didn’t know I had such an effect on you, that you had to miss your friend’s event for a rest, I must have tired you out."

"That’s extremely cocky of you," I retorted, turning away from him in annoyance.

He leaned in, voice dropping to that low, teasing tone that always made it hard to stay mad at him. "You enjoyed me while it lasted, didn’t you? That you didn’t even remember your friend was going to perform."

I hated how right he was.

I folded my arms, still facing off, trying to act unaffected. "Whatever. Just don’t talk to me until I’ve figured out how to explain this to her."

"Got it," he said with a grin. "Silent treatment. My favorite."

I hissed at him, and before I could roll my eyes again, the lights dimmed, and a wave of cheers broke through the hall.

Allison’s voice echoed through the speakers, loud and excited. "The students of Ashwood, the contestant you all have been waiting on, welcome the one and only Damon Noctar!"

The whole hall went insane.

The females screamed so loud that I actually flinched. A few even stood on chairs, chanting his name.

I turned to Aven. "Is this normal? How are they all like this?"

He grinned. "Damon knows his way through this; he gathers such attention, and he enjoys it."

Damon walked out, his arms spread apart like he owned the crowd, basking in their cheers and show of affection. He winked at some females who were blowing kisses at him.

He looked breathtakingly gorgeous, the kind of flirt every female wolf in Ashwood should fall for. He was dressed like a popstar, with confidence in every stride; I would call it ’the Damon effect’.

He held the mic, scanning the crowd with that easy confidence that came naturally to him. Then his gaze landed on me.

And for a second, he didn’t move. There was a hint of jealousy in his eyes as he caught Aven and me seated together.