Page 40 of Corrupt Me

“Don’t call that a date. It wasn’t.”

“Yeah, but calling it fake won’t change it either.”

She stares into the distance as if looking straight through me, which doesn’t sit well with me.

Without thinking it through, I say, “We’re going to have some fun.”

I take her hand and open the door to her car for her.

“But what are we going to do?”

“Find something that is fun.”

She smiles so brightly that it lightens up my entire being.

We head back to campus, and when we park, I gesture for her to get into my car, opening the passenger door for her. She hops in, buckles up, and looks at me expectantly.

“There is an entertainment complex in the city that is all the rage, apparently. Should we try it?”

Eye flickering, she nods. My heart behaves so out of the ordinary around her—beating out of control. I’d do anything to see that joyful expression on her face.

On the drive there, time flies by quickly, or I just like having her in my car and want to prolong it. That’s a first, for sure.

When I park in the underground garage, she asks, “Are we safe?”

I arch a brow at her. “You’re with me, kitten. What do you think?”

She giggles. “Okay, my personal hero. Let’s have fun.”

The building has five stories, with karting on the fifth level. Each level hosts spaces for gaming centers, bowling, climbing, jumping, mini golf, and laser tag.

I pay for the entry tickets and leave our shoes in the locker. On the trampoline park level, people are bouncing around, some even playing with a ball. She giggles when a guy falls, his body bouncing twice before coming to a stop.

She’s the first to jump in. For a moment, I can’t move, can’t breathe. My eyes take her in, gorging on her beauty.

“What are you waiting for?” she asks, and I follow. I’d follow this girl anywhere.

She squeals as I try to catch her. This is not a competition. For the first time, I just let myself get carried away. Even though she’s fast, I am always behind her. I pretend to catch her, which makes her laugh, and those sweet sounds are a balm to my soul. I want to record and play them on repeat until the end of time. Wrapped in this easygoing moment, time ceases to exist. For a while, there is no pressure, no thoughts, no memories—just her.

We move to the next floor, where she’s eager to climb the wall. I double-check her rope, then check a third time before finally letting her go, ignoring the staff member’s eye roll. It takes everything in me to take a step back, reminding myself that she’s fine.

Nothing will happen to her.

She looks at me from above, wearing a mischievous grin. She splays her arms open and plunges. In my haste to save her, I forget she’s secured. Propelling myself into action, I catch her. Only with her safely tucked in my arms does my pulse return to somewhat regular.

“Why would you do that?” I ask, the panic clear in my voice.

A big smile tips up the corners of her mouth. “I knew you’d catch me.”

“What if I didn’t?”

“So grumpy and bossy.”

What is happening right now? My skin gets tighter around my bones as if I have outgrown my body.

“Come on, there’s more.”

By the time we finish testing everything, it’s after midnight, and we’re both tired. But I had fun. I can’t even remember the last time I experienced that.

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