Page 63 of Corrupt Me

Panicked, I scoot up, and what I see breaks my heart. A layer of sweat covers Hunter’s body, his brows bunched together, pure pain twisting his face as he tosses on the mattress.

I reach out and touch him, gently pulling him from his nightmare. “I’m here. I have you.”

He opens his mouth, and my heart tumbles to my stomach. “No. Alice, no.”

That name—I know that name. But the vehemence with which he says “no” has me trying to tear him away from the clutches of that nightmare, shaking him awake.

When he finally opens his eyes, flashing with disorientation, I barely hold on to my tears. His subconscious must be trying to work out something he refuses to acknowledge. I hold him tight to me. “It was just a nightmare.”

“Did I say something?” he asks, voice so cold and distant that my body stiffens. With his eyes focused on me, he catches that.

“What did I say?”

“You said, ‘No. Alice, no,’” I recount.

“Fuck.” He rolls out of bed as if he can’t bear to be near me. It pains me so much that I palm my chest to ease the hurting organ it’s supposed to protect. Tears spring in my eyes.

Running both hands through his hair, he dresses quickly and hurries out.

“What happened to you?” I ask in the empty room.

Sleep eludes me, so I give up trying and return to digitizing the Family archive. My focus is scattered, making it a slow process to sort through the gold inventory. When my alarm rings, I get ready for the day and pack my laptop.

The girls are in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, but they all stop when they see me.

“Morning,” I say, grabbing a banana, though I don’t feel hungry.

“Remind me again about your relationship with Alice,” I say to Mia, who eyes me quizzically.

“She was my mom’s best friend, the one who stepped in after Mom died. Why?”

“Just curious. So, were you close?”

“Hunter was closer to her.”

“I think he had a crush on her. All the girls he messed around with had something in common with her,” Celine says.

As jealousy poisons my veins, I can’t shake the memory of Hunter calling out Alice’s name in his sleep, his voice filled with unmistakable pain. I pull out my phone and Google her again. She’s beautiful and elegant, with sun-kissed skin, brown hair, and eyes. Nothing like me. Is that his type? Because he couldn’t have her, he was with girls who looked similar.

My mind is all over the place as we head to class. While the girls chat about the upcoming vacation, I’m stuck on Hunter. My classes drag, and even my media technology professor, who usually favors me, gives me an annoyed look when I fail to pay attention.

To make things worse, Eric is waiting for me when class ends. The last person I want to deal with, but I plaster a smile on my face anyway.

“You looked distracted. Could it be because of me?” He smirks, looking so damn proud of himself.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” I grit out, tired of setting boundaries.

He places a hand on his chest in mock hurt. “Any plans for tonight?”

“Yeah, spending it with my friends.”

“Will Hunter be there?”

“Hunter will always be there,” I say, unable to hold back.

Something malicious flashes in his eyes before he masks it. “Should I be worried?”

“Look, Eric, I am not ready for a relationship, nor do I want one. All I can offer you is friendship.”

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