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CHAPTER 128
~Jade's POV~
Whatever strong girl vibe I was having or preparing myself for immediately dropped. All the walls I had built over my heart since Troy, crumbled a little, making me accessible to him.
I hurt them. I knew I did, but now, hearing the hurt in his voice, did I realise just how my little craving went.
Trust? I heaved a deep sigh. "I was trying to," I replied. "Just not like this."
He looked at me for a long moment. I tried discerning his expression but failed. I hoped I had reached him.
After what seemed like forever, Xavier shook his head slightly. "I cannot accept that apology."
The words were calm, but they still hit.
"Not now," he added.
I nodded slowly, even though something inside me twisted at the rejection. "Then what do you want from me?"
"Time," he replied.
I let out a quiet breath. "You already took that." His gaze flickered at that, but he did not respond. "Anything else?" I asked, forcing my tone to stay steady.
Xavier hesitated, then said, "Stay away from him."
I let out a small, disbelieving laugh. "That is not something you get to control."
"I am not controlling you. I'm…" My brow lifted in silent questioning, earning me a sigh from him. "I am asking."
"It sounds like an order."
"It is a request," he corrected, though his tone suggested otherwise.
I shook my head. "You don't get to pick and choose when I have a choice and when I don't, Xavier."
"And you don't get to pretend this does not affect us," he shot back.
"I never said it didn't," I replied. "I am the one trying to fix it."
"By dividing your attention between four mates?" he asked sharply.
I flinched slightly, but I did not step back. "By trying to be honest," I said instead. "Besides, ain't I already sharing my attention amongst you three? What's one more that I can't handle."
Xavier scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah right. You seem to forget we are triplets. We've had our entire lives to spend together and learn how to share. He hasn't."
Another silence followed, thicker this time.
"He can learn. And you guys can learn to share, too." I took a step forward, but Xavier stepped back.
"Sharing you with my brothers is already one thing for Ace. If not, that our wolves are triplet too, maybe it would have been a war zone inside us, whenever any of them is actually near you."
I swallowed. I didn't know things would be like this and now that he said it, it made snese.
"Asking us now to…" Xavier shut his eyes briefly, unclenching his fist. "Break period is in ten minutes," he said, his tone returning to that distant, professional calm that somehow hurt more than his anger. "Do not be late for your next class."
I stared at him for a second, searching his face for something… anything.
But there was nothing there. So I nodded once. "Of course, Professor."
The title slipped out before I could stop it. Xavier's expression tightened, just slightly. Then he turned and walked away without another word.
I stood there for a moment longer after Xavier left, my fingers tightening slightly around the strap of my bag as I forced myself to breathe through the heaviness sitting in my chest.
His words still lingered, not just what he said, but what he didn't, and somehow the silence between those lines hurt more than anything else.
Break period.
Right.
I exhaled softly and pushed myself into motion, stepping out of the classroom and into the corridor where students moved around in clusters, their voices blending into a dull hum.
Normally, I would have let the noise ground me, but today it only made everything feel distant, like I was walking through something that did not quite belong to me.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and turned toward the Student Council Wing when the bell rang, my steps steady even though my thoughts were anything but.
"Jade."
I slowed slightly at the familiar voice but did not stop immediately. When I finally turned, Silver was already walking toward me, his expression calm as always, though there was something underlying beneath it.
"Silver," I greeted, keeping my tone even.
We fell into step beside each other without another word, the silence stretching between us as we walked down the corridor. It was not uncomfortable, but it wasn't easy either.
When we reached the door to the Student Council office, I paused, my hand hovering over the handle. For a second, I just stood there, staring at the polished surface of the door before speaking.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, still not looking at him. "About the Valentine party."
Silver did not respond. That alone made me turn slightly, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. His expression had not changed, but his silence carried weight.
"If Xavier did anything that—"
"He's your mate," Silver cut in calmly, his voice firm but not harsh. "Do not dismiss him so easily. He may not be everything to you right now, but he truly, deeply cares for you."
I held his gaze for a second before replying, "And so do you."
That caught him off guard.
I saw it in the slight shift in his eyes, the brief flicker of something he did not mask quickly enough. He truly cared. And even if his words did not say it, his actions spoke volume.
But I did not give it room to grow it. Since he wanted to be dismissive and remind me I had mates—not like I needed anymore reminders with four possessive dollopheads tugging at me—I had no plan of engaging further.
Perhaps it was better this way. Have no friends, go through school like it was nothing, win the Lunar Crown award, get my father's approval and recognition as bonus, get my princess title and well, learn and understand who I am outside all of these.
Inhaling deeply, I turned back to the door, unlocked it, and pushed it open.
The moment the door swung inward, the room fell quiet. Every head turned toward me.
Every single one… except Dean.
His gaze was already fixed on the entrance, as if he had been expecting me.
I smiled politely, stepping inside as Silver followed behind me. "Good afternoon."
"Good day everyone," Silver greeted politely.
"Right on time. Good afternoon," Dean said smoothly, his lips curving slightly as he gestured toward the seats. "Please, have a seat."
Silver and I moved forward, taking the available chairs as the rest of the council members watched us with varying degrees of curiosity.
Dean straightened slightly, his presence immediately commanding the room. "Since this is your first official session with us, introductions are in order. I am Dean Dark, the Student Council President. And the empty seat beside me is Kai's, Student Council's Vice President."
"Ivy, Secretary General," Ivy added with a small nod, her bag placed neatly on her thigh.
"Dominica," another voice followed, confident and steady. "Treasurer. And the current captain of Faction Shark."
"Ryland," a boy leaned back slightly in his chair, offering a casual smile. "Social Representative."
"Artemis Isolde Vermillion," the last girl said, her tone composed, though there was a quiet heaviness behind her eyes. "Financial Secretary."
I inclined my head slightly. "Jade Snow. Valentine Queen."
Silver followed smoothly, "Silver Ashford. Valentine King."
"Excellent," Dean said, folding his hands lightly on the table. "Now that formalities are out of the way, let us proceed. Also, since those of us here are in the senior class, I believe we can be free with each other."
He glanced briefly toward Kai's empty seat before looking back at Dominica. "Since our ice President is unavailable, and our Secretary General is sick, kindly read the minutes from the last meeting."
Dominica nodded and opened the file in front of her. "Good day. The council discussed several pressing matters. First, the Valentine event that was recnetly concluded. Briefly discussed the passing of Artemis's mother and the arrangements for the upcoming funeral."
Silence settled for a brief moment, and I saw Artemis's fingers tighten slightly on the table.
"Third," Dominica continued, "the student assessment games are scheduled to take place in one week. Participation is mandatory for all factions."
Ryland leaned forward slightly. "We also discussed increasing engagement for the science, drama, and art clubs through a joint fundraising event."
"And security measures," Artemis added, her gaze flicking briefly toward me. "With recent developments, we cannot afford lapses."
Dean nodded once before shifting his attention to Silver and me. "Which brings us to you both."
I straightened slightly, meeting his gaze.
"As Valentine King and Queen, your roles extend beyond ceremony," he said calmly. "You are expected to lead, influence, and unify the students. So tell me…" his eyes gleamed with quiet intent, "how do you plan to carry out these responsibilities?"
The room stilled and every gaze settled on us, waiting for an answer. Just as I was about to respond, Silver beat me to it.
"We make it impossible for them to stay bored."