Up and down the back row, heads snapped toward us in absolute, stunned disbelief. Julian looked like he had just seen a ghost. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Benny looking over at us again, her pen hovering over her notebook as her eyes darted between Gabriel's laughing face and mine. She seemed completely caught off guard, a subtle, puzzled shadow crossing her features as if she was trying to process a side of Gabriel she had never witnessed before.
Gabriel Jakes didn't laugh in class. He didn't smile at students, and he certainly didn't look at anyone with the soft, captivated attention he was currently giving me.
"Military lines, huh?" Gabriel murmured, his voice dropping so low it was meant strictly for my ears. His dark eyes danced with amusement. "Careful, Lyra. You're going
