Not a hair was out of place on Alaric’s head either. He wore a big Gucci watch, and his skin was tanned like he’d spent his summer at some posh seaside resort, probably in France, because that’s where people like Alaric and Caterina usually went. Appa thought France was full of rude, stuck-up people, but Jaya secretly loved it. When she and Isha had gone to boarding school in Amsterdam for a year, she’d sneaked away with friends on a mini-vacation to Paris and her parents had never been the wiser. Of course, that was before she realized how irresponsible that was for the first child of a royal family. She’d never do something like that now.

Daphne Elizabeth’s words petered out as she noticed the happy couple too. Well, Caterina was happy, anyway. Alaric appeared too smug to be “happy,” in the strictest sense of the word.

“Oh,” Daphne Elizabeth breathed as Caterina and Alaric walked past and stopped by a table to speak with a few people. It sounded like a little moan of pain. Though he couldn’t possibly have heard her over the din of chattering first-day seniors in the dining hall, Alaric glanced at her, his gaze stuttering just a moment before it moved slickly away.

Jaya put a hand on Daphne Elizabeth’s arm and led her back to their table. The boys were already back, with bagels and fruit. Grey was brooding over a cup of coffee. Black, of course, to match his bitter personality. “I’m sorry,” Jaya said to Daphne Elizabeth, because she didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s not your fault,” Daphne Elizabeth said, setting her plate down with a bang.

Leo raised his eyebrows. “What’s going on?”

Jaya shot a glance at Daphne Elizabeth, who waved a hand. “He knows. They all do.”

“Oh.” Leo sat back and popped half of an entire bagel into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. It was like watching a magic trick. “A-la-dick?”

“That is not his name,” Daphne Elizabeth hissed. Then, looking over her shoulder, she added, “And oh my God, could you please come up with a less obvious code word?”

Leo held up his hands in surrender. “You told her?” he asked Daphne Elizabeth.

She blew her red bangs out of her eyes. “Jaya kind of saw. I didn’t have a choice.”

“You shouldn’t worry. I’m an excellent secret-keeper,” Jaya said, and at that, Grey gave her a look. She was about to say something when he spoke, interrupting her train of thought.

“The best way to get over him is to force yourself to stop having feelings for him,” Grey said, glancing at Daphne Elizabeth.

Daphne Elizabeth rolled her eyes and tucked into her waffle. “Right. Because it’s just that easy.”

“Maybe it’s not easy, but it is that simple,” Grey said calmly, sipping his coffee.