Page 477 of Bad Prince
“Which is frankly unsettling.”
Then she turns fully to me, and there is absolutely no hesitation in her when she steps in and hugs me too. Like she already decided something.
“You’re Stella.”
“And you’re Jade.”
She pulls back, eyes bright with amusement.
“I like you already.”
“Good,” I say. “I was hoping you’d be terrifying.”
Her grin flashes.
“I am.”
Leo gestures toward the table. “Sit, before she starts collecting confessions.”
Coffee appears.
Then more coffee. Followed by a tower of pastries nobody intends to ignore.
Tristan takes the chair beside me, close enough that our knees brush under the table. His hand settles over my thigh for one second before he remembers other people are present and removes it.
Jade looks between us once and says, “Wow.”
I reach for my coffee.
“What?”
She leans back in her chair, satisfied.
“Nothing. You two are just… glowing in a way that makes me feel like I accidentally walked into the aftermath of a natural disaster.”
I nearly choke.
Tristan mutters, “Jade.”
Leo, completely unhelpful, takes a sip of his espresso and says, “You’re welcome, by the way. I very generously chose not to interrupt whatever post-dance religious experience you two were having.”
My face goes hot so fast it should qualify as a medical event.
Jade turns to him, scandalized and delighted.
“That is exactly what it looked like.”
I look at Tristan.
He is staring into his coffee like he regrets ever leaving Harvard.
“You told them?” I ask.
Leo lifts a hand.
“He told me nothing. I have eyes.”
“And timing,” Jade adds. “Excellent timing. We purposely did not appear before noon because we are gracious.”
