Page 124 of Under the Influence

“Are you sure about this?”

I nod gently, “Just go slow, okay?”

And he does.

Cloud nine doesn’t exist when it comes to Drayton Lewis. He takes me to a whole other planet. It is intoxicating and euphoric. It almost doesn’t even seem real, like the next two hours are a daydream. Like I lived in the dark, and he is my sunrise. Complete with cotton candy clouds of pink and blue. Perfection.

Everything seems a little brighter now, including Drayton’s boyish grin that he can’t seem to wipe from his face.

“You better get out of here before my parents remember that I exist,” I sigh.

He groans, acting like an aggravated child, “I never want to leave this bed.”

“I promise that you do not want my dad finding you in my bed.” I sigh. “Not that he has any room to judge.”

He laughs softly, “I’d take on an army of dads for you.”

I shove his shoulder, “Shut up.”

He softly kisses my collarbone, “Carson is having a Halloween party this weekend. He wants the team there.”

I sit up, using my elbows as a prop, “Aren’t you afraid something will happen, like the last time you tried to hang out with the team?”

He pushes my hair behind my ear, “I’m not afraid. Nash is spiraling. He’s walking a fine line right now. As stupid as it sounds, I don’t think it’s because he’s afraid of getting in trouble for what happened. I think it’s because he wants Cori.”

“I hope she castrates him.”

Drayton kisses my cheek sweetly, “I never want to be on your bad side.”

“After what just happened, I can promise that you’re safe.”

“That good, huh?” He wiggles his eyebrows, that stupid grin still on full display.

“I mean… I don’t really have anything else to compare it to. I give you a solid ten until someone else gives you a run for your money,” I joke.

His eyes turn a violent, darker shade of blue as he pins me down and jabs his hands into my ribs, tickling me. “Someone else? Is that how it’s gonna be?”

I giggle uncontrollably. “No. Only. You,” I struggle to breathe.

“Alaina?” We hear my mom yell, her footsteps echoing outside my door. Drayton grabs his keys, quickly getting back outside my window.

“One second, Mom!”

I follow Dray to the window, getting ready to close it behind him.

“Don’t ignore me anymore,” he says. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together. Okay?”

I shut the window and watch the guy I love walk away. He disappears into the night, taking a little piece of me with him when he leaves.

Something sacred that I’ll never get back.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

MADDEN

“The band that was supposed to perform at Carson’s Halloween party pulled out. I was just wondering if maybe…” Cori bats her eyelashes and I feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck.