Page 104 of Corrupt Me

“I am hard to stay away from, huh?”

She wants validation. I’ll give it to her daily until she no longer needs it. “Impossible.”

Sighing contentedly, she drops her head onto my chest, her breathing deepening as she falls asleep. With her in my arms, contentment settles in, and I close my eyes, drifting to the most peaceful sleep of my life.

But when I wake up, she’s not in bed with me. I can’t have that. Sliding on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, I follow the soft music down the stairs, and the view has me rooted in place. She’s moving her hips to a pop song, humming. Wearing a crop top and shorts that ride up her ass, her hair is pulled into a loose bun on top of her head.

“I feel you staring.”

“Just enjoying the view.”

She looks at me over her shoulder. “So you like what you see?”

“I love it. Is my girl fishing for compliments?”

“I never felt like this… It feels too good that I am afraid I am dreaming or that it won’t last, which sounds like I am so damn self-conscious, which makes it worse.”

In three long strides, I cut the distance between us. “I feel the same. Your beauty captivates me. I have trouble focusing on anything else when you’re in the room.”

“You didn’t even like that I was on your mind before. You were always downing a glass of whiskey or glaring at me every chance you got,” she says, a frown digging between her brows.

Incapable of not touching her, I run my knuckles along her neck. “And you glared right back, which didn’t help at all with me being all over the place anyway.”

“It was more a reaction to yours… It hurt thinking you can’t stand me,” she says meekly.

“I behaved like a jerk. I am sorry.”

The frown finally disappears, replaced by a bright grin. “You’ll have a lifetime of making it up to me.”

“I intend to hold you to that promise. Now go change before the others come down.”

Her head falls back, her laughter echoing around us. “You’re not serious.”

“I’m very serious.”

“Is it that important to you?” she asks, not dismissing my crazy demand.

“I am territorial and possessive, wanting you for my eyes only. Fuck, I sound like a madman. It’s my issue, not yours. Sorry, angel.”

“I’ll change, but you set the table.” Lifting onto her toes, she kisses me. “I love you, madman.”

I’m so damn lucky. I have no idea what I did to deserve her, but fuck if I won’t do anything in my power so that she never questions her love for me. Hearing her say that is how I want to start and end my days. I am needy as fuck, apparently, entirely dependent on her, and I don’t even care.

In the kitchen, while I set the table, my sister comes in, studying me. “You look different.”

I’ve tried to hide everything about Alice from Mia, hoping she’d never get close to knowing the truth. I thought I’d succeeded, but of course, she caught on to the differences.

“You must be seeing things.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot and intensely lately.”

“Mia…”

Her shoulders droop. Chin quivering, she looks so damn sad and hurt.

“When you started pulling away from me, I thought it was normal—part of dealing with our loss and witnessing Mom passing. I failed you because I accepted your change without question. I blamed your misery first on Mom’s death, then on hormonal changes—anything just to make it easier for me. That makes me the most selfish twin in the world.” She inhales deeply before adding, “But now, I see you with Bailey, and I realize there was more to my belief that you’re just a playboy. I even made fun of it. But it all stopped once we came here—completely and entirely. Why?”

“Sis, I don’t want to talk about it. It was not your fault. I preferred it to be like that…”

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