CHAPTER 41: MOVE IN WITH ME INSTEAD

Andria’s POV

Zade’s scent overwhelmed my nose like de ja vu as always, and when I turned around, he was there, walking toward us. But today, I was in no mood to entertain him.

He strode toward our table slowly, his gaze fixed on me, with those eyes that made me uncomfortable, but I was lost in them.

"Aria." His voice was smooth, deep, edged with something dangerous.

I set my fork down. "Zade."

He didn’t look at anyone else, not even the princess. His gaze stayed locked on me.

"What do you want?" I asked in a tight and firm tone.

"Oops, slow down, he is such a hottie, why do you even answer him in such a manner?" Arlo interrupted in his fan girl manner, and that just made me glare at him.

"We need to talk," he said it with a clenched jaw, his tone sharp and ordering, reminding me of old Zade. A little sense of irritation and desire crawled down my spine.

"Talk about what?" I wasn’t taking that commanding tone from Zade ever again, not now that I’m Aria and not Andria.

"You know what?" he replied coldly, looking around to assess the environment. "I won’t be addressing it here in the presence of an audience, you know, you wouldn’t like the aftermath."

Becca leaned toward me with a mischievous smile. "Ouuh," Becca’s eyes widened in excitement "Stealing her away in broad daylight? Bold move."

Arlo chuckled. "Just don’t bring her back with a missing limb."

"Oh, please shut up," I said dismissively, "As if"

Princess Liara raised a brow, watching me like she was trying to figure out what made me worth pulling away from lunch.

He should have chosen his words properly when speaking to me in front of them to avoid misinterpretation.

I set my fork down and pushed back my chair. "Fine."

He locked eyes with me for a while before he turned to leave. He was visibly irritated and angry, but he struggled to rein in his feelings.

We walked out of the cafeteria without another word. The noise faded behind us, replaced by the quieter hum of distant chatter and the occasional echo of footsteps in the nearly empty hallway.

I stopped walking, letting him go a few paces ahead. "Zade, where are you taking me?" I called out.

He glanced over his shoulder. "We’re going somewhere more private. Somewhere, I usually cool off. I think it’ll be a good place for us to talk."

I wanted to argue, but the stubborn set of his jaw told me it would be pointless. Besides, curiosity was clawing at me, damn it.

We reached the Duel Hall, the heavy door swinging shut behind us with a low thud.

The space was silent, just like he promised. No wonder he chose this place to cool off.

Sunlight slanting through the tall windows, and no student was in sight, a deep contrast to the hall when it’s duel practice/ combat class time.

I turned toward the exit almost immediately. "What did you bring me here for?" My chest is tightening at how silent and creepy

Before I could take a step, he caught my hand and pressed it to his chest. My fingers stilled against the steady thump of his heartbeat, and I hated that my own skipped in response.

The Duel Hall felt too big, too empty, with only us in it. My mind was already running ahead, wondering if this was about the house, about the Alpha successors, or about something else entirely.

We walked towards the front-row seats and sat down. I was still very curious and cautious as well, in case this was a set-up.

I crossed my arms, putting a wall between us. "All right. What is this about?"

He studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine like he could dig out answers I wasn’t willing to give.

Then, he lowered his voice and his gaze at her. "Why are you really moving into the Alpha successors’ house?"

"That’s the arrangement," I replied flatly, not trying to explain anything further to him.

"You don’t have to do that." he said in a very melo-tone as if he were pleading with me not to move in with them.

"You just swapped classes, and I don’t know why, but I’m guessing that they were a distraction to you, and now you have decided to live with the distractions."

I arched a brow. "It’s not exactly as you see it, Zade "

"It is," he countered. "You just haven’t been given a better option yet."

I let out a dry laugh. "And I suppose you have one?"

He didn’t hesitate. "Stay with me instead."

The air between us tightened. I studied his face, searching for some trace of a joke, but he looked perfectly serious.

"And why," I said slowly, "would I do that?"

"Because it’s better than living with three people who will be watching your every move," he said. "You’d have more privacy. More control over your schedule. And," his gaze flickered, "I can make sure you’re... protected."

I tilted my head. "That’s your sales pitch? Privacy and protection?"

"It’s not a pitch," he replied. "It’s common sense."

"No," I said sharply. "It’s control. You want to keep me under your roof so you can keep tabs on me."

His jaw tightened. "That’s not what this is."

"It’s exactly what this is," I shot back. "And you’re wasting your breath, because the answer is no, besides you don’t even know why I stay with them now"

I wouldn’t make the mistake of living with Zade, not after knowing how being so close to him feels like.

He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to rein himself in. "You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

"Good," I said. "Maybe you’ll take the hint."

Something flickered in his eyes, frustration, yes, but something else too. Something softer, buried so deep it almost didn’t belong there.

"I’m offering you a better arrangement," he said quietly. "You’d be safer. More comfortable."

I forced a laugh. "And here I thought you only cared about yourself."

He took a step closer, close enough that I could feel the subtle pull of his presence. "You don’t know what I care about."

"Actually," I said, meeting his gaze without flinching, "I know exactly what you care about. And it’s not me."

The silence stretched. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.

"Did I ever do anything wrong to you?" confusion etched on his face as the question fell from his mouth.

I froze and then I stepped back before my expression could give me away. "We’re done here."

I turned toward the hallway, but his voice followed me, soft enough that I almost convinced myself I’d imagined it.

"Is it hard for you to feel the way I feel for you?"

The words hit harder than I wanted them to. I didn’t stop walking, but every step felt heavier.

By the time I reached the cafeteria again, my face was composed, my walls firmly back in place. I was surprised to see Becca and Arlo still there.

Becca looked up as I slid into my seat, her eyes flicking between me and the empty space at the door where Zade had been.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing important. Where’s the princess?" I lied.