Page 9 of Corrupt Me

A girl halts in front of him, flaunting her generous chest and hourglass figure.Is that his type?The thought saddens me—I can’t compare. Not letting that toxic trait control me is hard.

She flicks a strand of her chestnut hair, talking and gesticulating animatedly. I roll my eyes on pure instinct. I should be used to this sight by now. But jealousy—because it can’t be anything else—burns a path over my skin. I can almost feel the blisters forming.

Of course, he smiles at her, letting her continue. He’s the worst.

I am going on a date. That’s all he needs to know. My friends will be surprised, though. We swore never to keep any secrets again—but how do I balance that with the fact that as soon as I tell them about my suspicions, they’re going to be all over Eric?

Walking away, I notice Hunter does the same.

Wasn’t she interesting enough?I type because that’s what we do when we’re not in each other’s faces, antagonizing each other.

Your jealousy is showing. It will be our secret.;)As if his text isn’t bad enough, that winking emoji could single-handedly drive me insane.

That word, though—secret—unbalances me the most. Because yes, it feels like we share a secret of our own, though I don’t know what that is.

I walk inside our college house, searching for a package delivery. I find what I am looking for on the kitchen island. I need it tonight, so I take it to my room.

Kaden is leaning against my desk, features drawn in deep thought. He oozes silent power, and as the next patriarch, I guess that fits. Our relationship has been somewhat strained since I wouldn’t help him find Blake. At that moment, I made a choice, which was not an easy one. But as the future patriarch, my loyalty should have been to him.

He arches a brow. “Anything I should know?”

“I will tell you tomorrow if my suspicions are correct.”

“Your suspicions are correct most of the time,” he states.

He pushes off the desk to leave. My chest constricts. I hate that there’s this distance between us even after months.

“I didn’t do it to hurt you,” I sigh. It’s the first time I have broached the subject.

“No, you simply made your choice, Bailey.”

He truly deserves to be the patriarch, not just because it’s his birthright. He’s smart, a natural strategist, and cares deeply about his people, making him a true leader.

I knew he’d come to the conclusion as well.

“Will you forgive me?” I ask, finally summoning the courage, waiting with bated breath.

“What do you think would have happened if you told me? Hmm?” He doesn’t raise his voice—he doesn’t have to. His presence alone commands attention.

My throat is too clamped up to reply, and he notices.

“I would have gone to see if he was all right, because even though I was angry at Blake, I just needed some time. But neither of you gave me that. I’m expected to function perfectly, every waking moment of my damn life.”

That stung. Inhaling deeply, I let out a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Felix is still out there. But he’s not the reason I want us to stop having secrets. He can’t divide us if we’re honest with each other. No secrets. Wasn’t that our credo since childhood?”

“Kaden, you’re the keeper of secrets, only sharing them when you think the time is right,” I say as I go to my desktop and open the package. I need to prepare for tonight. Inside is a new smartphone I will leave on the table to mirror Eric’s. And once that’s done, I’ll move on to his laptop next.

“I’m going on a date with Eric. If he’s working for Felix, I’ll find out.”

“Do you need help?”

“No. I don’t want him to have even a smidgen of suspicion.”

He nods, then leaves, and I upload my copying program onto the phone. Good luck cracking this one.

Since I’ve never been on a date, I knock on each of my friends’ doors and ask them to meet in our shared room––the Lady Boss Lair. When Celine moved into Kaden’s room, we redecorated hers. It has an airy and feminine touch: a plush oval sofa with a round white table in front of it and a large vanity with a mirror rests against the wall, stocked with various beauty products. There’s also a walk-in closet where we keep our evening gowns. It’s comfy and inviting.

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