<h4>Chapter 275: Easing Into It</h4>


    <strong>****************</strong>


    <strong>Chapter 275</strong>


    <strong>~Valerie’s POV~</strong>


    I smiled faintly, brushing a lock of hair from my eyes as I looked at I. "Dristan tucked me inst night."


    I wriggled her brows immediately, a knowing smirk creeping across her lips. "Tucked you in, huh?"


    I rolled my eyes, biting the inside of my cheek to stop the grin. "Don’t start."


    "Toote," she sang yfully. "Did anything... go down between you two? You know—" She made a gesture with her hands that had me tossing a pillow at her face.


    "You’re ridiculous," I muttered, heat rising in my cheeks.


    "Which means something definitely happened," Emerald groaned sleepily as she turned on the bed to face us. "Don’t lie, Val. I can smell the afterglow."


    I checked my eyes at both of them. "We didn’t do much. We just kissed. And..."


    "Oooh, you kissed," I echoed, her voice teasingly high-pitched as she leaned closer with exaggerated interest.


    "Yes, and not in this room."


    Both I and Emerald chuckled.


    I buried my face in my hands for a moment, groaning. "It wasn’t just any kiss, okay? It was... a moment. A really heated, confusing, nerve-wracking moment. But that’s all."


    Emerald stretched, her voice still drowsy. "Yesterday was a rollercoaster. Honestly, you deserved one good thing by the end of it."


    I nodded slowly, then sighed. "Yeah, yesterday was... a lot."


    I’s expression softened. "I’m really sorry for what happened, Valerie. You didn’t deserve any of that. It should’ve never gone down like that."


    "It’s okay," I said quietly, but part of me still ached.


    Emerald sat up now, crossing her legs on the bed. "Even if the truth had toe out, she didn’t have the right to do it that way. We were friends. She should’ve spoken to you—<i>we</i> should’ve spoken to you."


    "I never imagined Astraea would be like that," I added, her brows pinched in thought. "She was always so... bubbly. Supportive. A little intense, yeah, but I didn’t think she’d be calcting."


    "She wanted Dristan," I said, my voice blunt and heavy. "That’s what fueled her."


    I nodded slowly. "Yeah. A lot of girls want him. But I really didn’t think our clique—our friendship—would ever fall apart like this."


    "I know, right?" Emerald huffed. "And I always thought I was the more straightforward one in our group. Bet you even suspected me at some point, didn’t you?"


    I bit my lip, nodding slightly. "Yeah. At one point... after what happened with Silver, I didn’t trust anyone. I just wanted to be alone. There were all these threats, too. It just... I was overwhelmed."


    "I kind of expected that," Emerald said gently. "Honestly, Astraea was too much sometimes. Too cheery, too eager. That’s not always a bad thing, but there’s something about that kind of energy—it’s hard to trust when it feels like a mask."


    Emerald’s voice turned serious. "I don’t think Astraea was ever happy about the heirs being your mates. She never said it to you directly, but she did voice it to us once. That she didn’t get what was so special about you."


    "That’s messed up," I muttered, my chest tightening.


    Both girls nodded.


    But just then, the soft chime of all our phones cut through the air. We each reached for our devices almost at the same time.


    <strong>Announcement: </strong><i>Departure in thirty minutes. Students should begin packing. Transportation will be ready shortly.</i>


    The announcement blinked across the screen in red.


    "We better get moving," I said, swinging her legs off the bed.


    "Ugh," Emerald groaned. "I was just starting to enjoy being away from PSA."


    I stood and stretched, my joints popping slightly. "Let’s get it over with. I want this whole thing behind me already."


    Emerald chuckled. "You just want to get back to Dristan."


    I threw her a look, but the grin was already tugging at my lips.


    Okay. Maybe she wasn’t entirely wrong.


    ***************


    After we got the departure notification, things moved fast. Within ten minutes, the room was a flurry of motion.


    Clothes were tossed into bags, zippers zipped up with force, and makeup kits stuffed intopartments.


    Emeraldined the whole time about packing, I kept fussing over her hair, and I... just wanted to get it over with.


    I had already dressed in a casual lc sweater over a pair of dark denim jeans and my ckbat boots.


    I wore a fitted white long-sleeved top with high-waisted pants, while Emerald opted for something bold—a dark green crop jacket with matching pants that hugged her hips.


    Once our bags were packed and we’d double-checked we left nothing behind, we wheeled our suitcases out of the room and into the hallway, heading toward the elevator.


    As soon as we stepped outside into the cool morning breeze, the sharp scent of pine hitting my nose, we spotted Xade, Axel, and Kai standing by the drive, near one of the gleaming ck SUVs.


    And the moment they saw me, all three headed straight over.


    "Valerie," Kai called, his expression serious as he reached me first. "How are you feeling?"


    "I’m okay," I said, managing a soft smile as I looked at him. His eyes roamed my face like he was making sure of it.


    Axel, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to my cheek. "You smell like Dristan," he said with a low chuckle.


    Kai immediately tensed beside me.


    "Don’t start," I muttered under my breath, but Axel just smirked wider as he nced at Kai with a raised brow.


    "I’m just saying hello," he shrugged innocently.


    Kai folded his arms across his chest, jaw tightening. "Your idea of hello needs to change."


    Before I could step between them, the doors behind us opened again.


    Out walked Dristan, looking dark and refined in a navy shirt and ck jeans, followed by Ash—ever so calm with a subtle, dangerous glint in his eyes—and Ace, who gave azy grin the second his eyesnded on me.


    Behind them came Riven and Xander. Riven looked more tired than usual, but his eyes lit up when he saw me.


    And Xander... he didn’t say a word, but he did offer a smile that almost made my knees weak.


    "Well," I said, breaking the silence with a mischievous little grin, "since everyone’s out now, let’s move out, shall we?"


    Then she nced at her cousin—Dristan—and winked at me before looping her arm through Emerald’s and tugging her away.


    "Come on, Emmy, we’ll give the lovebird and... all her orbiting satellites... some time."