Page 15 of Corrupt Me

Relationships are so messy. I have no idea why people still bother with them.

She rolls her bottom lip through her teeth, innuendo clear in her words. “You look like someone who could take my mind off things for a night.”

That’s the other thing that is starting to frustrate me. Girls take one look at me and decide I am only good for one thing and for one night. Sure, I am emotionally unavailable, but that has nothing to do with being a fuckboy. Yet, once you get a label, it’s like carrying an invisible stamp you can’t shake.

I am still nursing my drink when I check my phone, seeing it’s been half an hour.

I’ve heard all about this girl’s cheating boyfriend, but she is afraid to be alone, so she will probably take him back. Bailey hasn’t looked in my direction for a while. I don’t bloody like that. In my mind, I have strangled the life out of the asshole who has her attention a thousand times over.

It’s a mission, but damn, she’s good at pretending. She has to be pretending—it’s the only thing keeping me in place right now.

That pang of hurt hits again. She pretended with me too. Seeing her all soft, delicate, and dainty, like some fragile flower, bothered me. Here she was, a complete stranger, stirring something protective in me, something that took Celine much longer to do. The first time I saw Bailey, she reminded me of Celine—innocent, too good to be true—yet I treated Celine worse until she learned how to fight.

When Bailey finally stands up, she passes by, shooting daggers at me. I smile smugly at her, staying planted in my chair.

I stay half an hour longer to mess with her. I can’t believe I am this petty, fully aware she’ll be stewing over it. She makes me so unhinged that I fear losing control over myself.

I need a moment to get a grip before returning to the house. Me being soft on her ends right now.

She wants to live dangerously? I’ll make sure she’s ready for it.

Tedious. That’s the only word that comes to mind as I endure my fake date. I refuse to call it real. It’s a mission, and I got what I wanted. I have suffered worse than listening to someone talk about themselves—especially when he thinks he knows every answer better than I do.

The hardest part is knowing that Hunter is flirting with another girl just a few feet away. Dressed in black to match his soul, he looks devastatingly handsome. I swear his wardrobe consists of nothing but black. Even his watches all have black leather bands with silver faces. I can’t fault him for it—I can relate to practicality. Fewer choices mean better time management. Black suits him, making his silver eyes more vibrant and complementing that mysterious aura perfectly. It’s so unfair that he looks the way he does—a waste of beauty on that surly guy.

It takes everything in me not to go over there, push that girl away, and shake some sense into Hunter. He would love to get that kind of reaction out of me. It’s getting harder to keep my annoyance at him at bay when he constantly provokes me.

Half an hour later, I offer Eric a practiced smile. “It was a lovely date, but I have to finish a project for tomorrow.”

“Always so studious. I could give you my notes.”

The audacity of this guy.

When he insists on paying, that’s where I draw the line. We split the bill because I’d rather eat dirt than have him pay for something of mine.

As I walk out, I’m ready to be done before my face freezes in this fake smile for good. I walk past Hunter, and it takes everything in me not to pick up his glass and pour it all over his conceited face.

Abi and Dane are on a bench, trying to be smooth as they kiss, but they glance at me, and I dip my head in a quick nod. The others can’t be far away. My friends have my back.

As we make our way back to my house, Eric launches into why he doesn’t like pets. “They’re messy and needy,” he drones on while I tune him out.

On principle, I think people who don’t like animals are freaking psychopaths.

I keep my smile while counting the minutes. Sadly, this won’t be the last time I have to tolerate him. Not only that, but I also have to keep Hunter in check. If he does something to Eric, we will lose the only chance we have of outsmarting Felix. Besides, Hunter is not the one suffering through this date.

When we’re in front of the house, Eric leans into me, but I whip my head to the side, and he kisses my cheek instead.

“As it was an incredible night, I was wondering—”

I cut him off because I want to be done with tonight already. “I’d love to go out with you another time.”

His eyes flicker with satisfaction, and I say an awkward bye. Once inside, I wipe my cheek with the back of my hand.

I head to my room and get to work on my laptop, ignoring the fact that Hunter hasn’t come home yet. Whatever. I don’t care. Stabbing my fingers into the keyboard, I gain access to Eric’s device. Bingo. He won’t even know I can see and hear everything. It’s done, and now I just have to wait.

By the time I change into leggings and a top and pull my hair into a bun, there’s a knock on my door.

“Come in.”

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