Page 96 of Corrupt Me

“What were you planning to do?” Abi asks knowingly.

Dane pulls her to his side. “No walls could keep me from coming to you, princess.”

The night passes by too quickly as we drink and dance, swept away by the music and partying together. By the time we reach the cabins, nostalgia fills the air. Our vacation is approaching its end.

***

The next three days are all about snowboarding or skiing, and enjoying group activities like playing games every night.

Tonight, we’re gathered at Kaden and Celine’s cabin. It’s so funny how competitive Kaden, Celine, Abigail, Dane, Blake, and Hunter are while Mia and I have to play referee. Such sore losers, acting like kindergarteners. Rematch is thrown out while we play freaking Charades.

“They could take over the world while competing and not realize it,” Mia says to stop their bickering. “We’re playing Pictionary next.”

A groan follows, but not even five minutes into the game, I laugh as Abi and Celine move to the boards. While Abi draws intricate circles, Celine draws a single dot. Instantly, Kaden says, “Center.”

“What the fuck? That’s not fair,” Dane shouts and points at Abi’s drawing. “That’s the center. You’re amazingly talented, sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” she smiles sweetly at him, then throws her arms in the air, pinning Celine and Kaden with a glare. “And I wasn’t finished.”

“Then stop trying for a masterpiece. And FYI, Kaden’s first thought is always that I’m the center of his world,” Celine retorts.

“You know it, Sky,” he winks at her.

Blake and Hunter are up next. Mia and I inhale deeply as our men taunt each other. They outdo themselves while drawing a ship.

“Let’s have some fun,” she suggests, and I am all for keeping it playful.

“A whale,” Mia says to mess with Blake, and I barely suppress my amusement when his eyes bulge out.

“Silver, look again. I know you know the answer.” He thrusts his finger into the board while Mia tilts her head, pretending to ponder.

“You have this, kitten,” Hunter says, full-on smirking. I bet he’s so sure we’re going to win.

I shrug. “A sausage?”

The shock is so sudden that his jaw hangs. It’s a miracle I don’t burst into laughter.

“I’ll show you sausage.” His tone is low, with an undercurrent of threat that makes me all hot and bothered.

“A pile of shit, that’s what this is,” Dane mumbles behind us, throwing his back onto the couch.

“Come on, we don’t have forever,” Kaden says, tapping his foot.

Celine’s eyes spark. “We’ll win anyway.”

Abi shoots up, pointing at Mia and me. “It’s a freaking ship, even though you two suck at this. Now move. We’re next.”

“I guess our attempt backfired,” I say as Mia and I shake our heads at them.

To keep the peace, we switch to girls versus boys, though the guys won’t stop mumbling, “Cheats.”

When we win, they groan and accuse us of distracting them. We don’t, of course—we’re fully invested in the game—but they’re sore losers. For the third time, I remind them that it’s a freaking game.

***

On the flight back, the mood is downcast, and we are all silent. Reality makes us all expel a deep sigh, knowing what we have to go back to.

When the jet lands, a Sprinter van awaits us, effectively ending our vacation. As we take our seats, every mile brings us closer to our life back in Greenville.

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