Page 57 of Under the Influence

“Do not touch me,” I sneer.

He drops his hand, my blood dripping to the floor.

“Shit,” he breathes, yanking his black shirt over his head, revealing his skin. Abs that belong on the cover of a Men’s Health magazine are underneath. I jerk my eyes away, reminding myself that he’s the enemy.

He wraps his shirt around the cut, tying it off tightly. His wet hair clings to his forehead, and he studies my arm intently, sorrow filling his eyes. I should be afraid of him, but I’m not. I’m not even mad at him, really. He plops down on the floor, silent. I can almost see the apology lingering on his lips.

I wait around for it like a fool, too, before I realize it’s never going to come. So I stand, dusting off my bottom.

“Where are you going?”

“To find my phone and go home,” I snap.

He sighs, “I’m going to take you home.”

I let out a manic laugh, “Yeah, I’ll pass.”

I turn to walk away, but his voice jerks me back, “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.”

I stand, frozen in disbelief, unsure if he’s really apologizing or if I wished it into existence. I know I should walk away, but the sincerity in his eyes tugs on my heartstrings a little bit. My heartbeat picks up, and I can hear it over the thunder.

Traitor.

Most of the time, I see the cold monster that walks the halls of Legacy, but this is the third time I’ve looked at him and seen straight through his rugged exterior to the boy I used to dream about. The boy I used to pretend was watching my dance routines. The boy I wanted to spend forever in the batting cages with.

I feel the tears burning my eyes, so I turn to walk away, refusing to let him see me cry.

“Corinne, just stop. I just… I fucked up.”

I shake my head, pushing my feelings aside and my tears away, “No, I did. I thought I could play along. That I could beat you at whatever sick game you have going on inside your head, but the truth is, I’m sick of games, and I’m sick of lying. I never should have left school with you.”

He stands up, closing the gap between us, “But I don’t want you leaving school with anyone else.”

Confusion swirls in my brain, “What does that even mean?”

He starts pacing the floor. His blue jeans hang so low on his hips that it makes me ache a little between my thighs, wanting to see what’s underneath, but I push that feeling away.

She’s a traitor, too.

“I don’t know!” he yells. “I sure as hell don’t want you, but I don’t want anyone else to have you either. You don’t deserve to be happy. None of us do.”

His words sting, but the pain in my chest makes me forget about my bleeding arm.

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

NASH

“Why did you steal your dad’s keys?” Corinne asks me from the floor of this empty house.

“Why won’t you drive your car?” I fire back, watching her pale.

“Fuck you,” she spits. “You don’t deserve an answer to that.”

“And you do?” I laugh. “You’re the reason I have to steal the keys!”

She starts to stomp away again but my shirt tied around her arms catches my eye. It’s my fault. I hurt her. My hands find my hair, tugging it so hard it might pull from my scalp.