Emerald's Pride

CHAPTER 3

8 YEARS AGO
NEW YORK CITY

Emerald St. Clair's POV

"...okay class, that will be all. See you tomorrow."

I raised my arms upward to stretch my sore muscle. Thank goodness my classes were done for today.

"Hey, Em!" Mia, one of my friends in prep school, stood in front of my desk with a grin. "Let's grab some coffee before going home. Jasmine and Hannah are also coming."

"Sure." I grinned at my friend, placing my things back in my bag. Our classroom was almost empty, but I was not in a hurry to leave. I have nothing else to do at home anyways.

"How's Ruby?" Mia asked as we walked in the hallway of the school. My mind was already thinking about what to order once we were in the coffee shop just a few blocks from our school.

I glanced at her before answering. "She still has flu. I hope she'll be fine soon. Mom and Dad are already worried about her condition."

"Oh, I hope she'll be fine soon."

"Don't worry about her," I informed Mia with a devious smile, running my fingers through my long red hair. "She'll be back to her old self in a few days."

"O.M.G! You won't believe it." Jasmine squealed once they were near us in the hallway of the school.

I frowned at them. "What's going on?"

Hannah made a gesture of fanning herself using her hands. "There's a guy outside, and he is the most handsome man you'll ever see, I swear."

"Really?" Mia's eyes lit with curiosity. "He's really that handsome?"

"Yes!" Jasmine answered, sighing dreamily as if remembering the handsome guy outside our school. "He is a drop-dead-gorgeous-panty-dropper kind of guy, I tell you. And those spellbinding dark blue eyes—oh my..."

The three of them screamed like children who found out they were going to Disney Land for the first time.

I sighed deeply while shaking my head. "Girls..." I warned them, "...they are already giving us a weird look. I thought we were going to grab some coffee. Let's go."

"Do you think he has a girlfriend studying here?" Mia asked, completely ignoring me while we walked towards the exit of the school. "I mean, why is he waiting outside if not for his girlfriend, right?"

"I am not sure," Hannah answered with a sad sigh. "But I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Coffee before boys, remember?" I reminded them once we were outside the school gate.

"That's him," I heard Jasmine whisper to Mia. "Handsome, right?"

I unwillingly followed their gaze when my eyes collided with the guy who was leaning casually against the hood of his car with his arms crossed in the middle of his chest sanguinely. He politely ignored the not-so-subtle flirtatious smiles of the girls passing his direction, who were trying to get his attention.

My eyes narrowed instantly. Wait a minute. I knew this guy. He was an acquaintance of Ruby. If I am not mistaken, he's a prince somewhere in middle-east if I remember my twin correctly when she talked about him the other night.

From what I could see, he's a few years older than me. He's definitely not a high school student anymore but more of a college student, maybe.

A panty-dropping kind of smile, indeed, formed on his lips when he caught the sight of me. He carefully detached himself from the hood of his car and started walking in our direction.