Page 24 of Corrupt Me

“He knows because we recognize each other’s souls… and that makes him antsy.”

“Dane is so unfocused at practice.” Abi sighs. “I don’t know how to make it better. He’s like, ‘I don’t fucking care about racing when Felix is out there wanting to kill you.’”

“Blake was sleeping more, and that has gone to shit now,” says Mia. “I check him every night for injuries, even though I know there’s nothing.”

“So love makes you paranoid?” I ask.

“Yes,” Celine replies. “And yet, it’s the only thing keeping me strong.”

When we reach the club, the music pumps so loud it drowns my thoughts. Tyson and his best friend Xander have turned the school’s old, abandoned sports facility into the go-to night spot. The thrill of the forbidden, knowing it’s illegal, makes the experience even better. Maybe this was a good idea after all.

Tyson welcomes us with hugs, but there’s no more playful flirtation. Interesting. I wonder if it has something to do with his stepsister, Ivy.

At the bar, Xander pours us each a shot, and we drink them in one go. Tyson and Xander make a great duo. These two are always together, best friends since childhood. While Tyson is outgoing and basks in attention, Xander is the silent, more mysterious type. His bottomless blue eyes hide loss. It seems like he doesn’t allow anyone near him. It’s always on his terms. We all have a story, and I bet his is interesting. I also wonder why guys like them, with endless options, chose our college. Maybe they want to make it on their own, or maybe they’re simply running from something. In most cases, for heirs away from home, it’s a combination of the two.

“Where are your men?” Tyson asks.

“They should be here any moment,” Celine says while the others shrug. There’s no need to explain. They’ll come, and the girls secretly enjoy it.

“It’s getting boring around here with no more racing,” he says with a nostalgic gleam.

Personally, I’m relieved that my friends stopped racing. They stopped chasing their demons once they settled down and realized what they had. Occasionally, they do it for fun, though they don’t need an audience for that. But it was that audience that filled Tyson’s pockets.

“We’re trying to stay alive, but my apologies for inconveniencing you,” Abi snickers.

“Still no word?”

Mia shakes her head.

“I’m here if you need me,” he says, and his entire body stiffens when his stepsister saunters to the bar.

Abi chuckles.

“What’s so funny?” he snaps.

“How’s staying away from temptation working out?” Mia asks him.

“I don’t fucking know what you’re talking about,” he grumbles.

Ivy stares at his back and tips back a shot.

“Are you desperate for attention?” he yells at her, and she glares back at him. She’s wearing a skirt that barely covers her ass, high heels, and a shirt with a deep V-neckline.

He storms away, and she sighs, eyeing us as we watch her.

“Hi, I’m Abigail.”

We have seen each other around, but it’s our first interaction.

She extends her hand, then moves down the line to the rest of us, holding Mia’s hand longer.

A remix of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” blasts out the speakers. Abi decided it was our song, so now we have to sing and dance along every time it plays.

Out on the dance floor, I lose myself in the beat, moving with the rhythm, until I feel someone watching me. The baby hairs on my nape stand up, and I glance around, spotting Eric at the bar, gawking right at me.

I push through the unease and turn my back to him, instantly chilled.

“The fucking creep,” Abi says and moves in front of me. “I’m here, Bailey.”

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