Page 7 of Destroyed

So, wallowing in my anger, I asked Riley if we could get together for retail therapy. She agreed, and the session hadevolved to brunch and mimosas with Kaz, who is now shopping for lingerie.

“You don’t need to be here, you know,” I say to Jamison, stepping into the room next to Kaz’s. “I can take care of myself.”

“Listen, Corrine,” Riley says, “the guys are just not sure what Lockhart is willing to do. We still don’t know who hit you guys that night. And we know what Lockhart is capable of…” She trails off, I’m assuming, remembering snippets of her recent past.

“I just don’t need a babysitter,” I say. I have pulled on a strappy bodysuit; it’s sheer and sexy and I fluff my hair in the mirror. I would normally love trying on new, sexy things, but I’m just not feeling it.

“Hey,” Jamison says. “Would you ladies want to come out this weekend? The guys are talking about getting to a club.”

“Ohhhhh!” Kaz squeals in the next stall. “Yes!”

“What do you think Corrine?” Riley asks from the couch next to Jamison. “Would that be ok?”

I look at myself again. Where Riley is curvy and full, I’m leaner and sharper. I love to run, lift, and push myself in the gym. At work, I have to be energetic since I head marketing and events for the top art galleries in the city. I pride myself on my appearance and my energy.

Right now I don’t feel good about either.

Maybe a good fuck will help.

“I’m in,” I say. I want to know if Xavier is included in this night out, but I refuse to ask Jamison.

“Let’s get new dresses for this,” I say, peeking at Riley. She just smiles and nods. I’m already starting to feel better about my plan.

Look hot, make Xavier jealous, and find a new man or woman to take home. It should be easy. It was before…

Chapter 5

Xavier

I step out of the shower, drying myself off as I walk. Leaning over the counter, I peer at my face in the mirror and breathe deeply. The marks on my face have faded substantially. There’s still bruising on my ribs and a pretty gnarly gash across my forearm from the windshield shattering against it. But all in all, my body fared pretty well.

My eyes skate to the small tattoo below my right hip bone, and I grimace. A small black and white butterfly about the size of a half-dollar sits there, mocking me. I don’t remember getting it, but I’m positive I was wasted or took a stupid dare with one of the boys. I still haven't had a chance to ask any of them about it.

Jonathan talked me into going out tonight with them. I don’t want to, but he can be pretty convincing, so here I am, preparing to go out and hopefully get annihilated. Maybe that will make me feel better about the shitshow my life has become once again.

A palm slamming against my bathroom door causes me to jump, and I hear Jonathan’s voice coming through the door. “Stop jacking off and hurry the fuck up, Xavier. Sebastian and Jamison are meeting us at the club in thirty minutes.”

I rip the door open and glare at him. His eyes trail down my body and back up again quickly before he bursts out laughing. I look down, wondering what the fuck his problem is, before realizing I forgot to wrap my towel around the lower half of mybody and am standing there completely naked, dick blowing in the wind.

Jonathan is still laughing as I push past him to grab boxer briefs from my dresser. “Sorry brother, normally my dick is the one out giving the show when you're in the room. I can’t remember the last time I saw you shirtless, let alone naked. And when the fuck did you get a tattoo? Was that a butterfly?” He starts laughing again.

“Whatever. I don’t remember.” I mutter.

He stops laughing, and I turn to look at him as I button up my shirt. He just stares at me, making me feel uncomfortable as fuck. “What?” I ask irritably.

“Nothing man, " he says as he gets up from the edge of my bed and walks to me using his arms to turn me towards the door. “Let's go get wasted brother.”

Thirty minutes later, I walked into a local club with Jonathan. “Spin,” I say, “I always thought that was a stupid name for a club.”

Jonathan laughs and pulls me towards a VIP sectional in the corner. Jamison is already there, and for once, he is not on his phone. A waitress comes by, dropping off a set of whiskeys in front of us before removing tubed shots from a pouch on her side.

“Hell yes,” Jonathan says, grabbing at least ten. I raise my brow at him while he dumps them in the middle of the table. He laughs and hands me two before grabbing two for himself.

“Fuck it,” I say out loud before unscrewing the caps, “Here’s to jogging my memory while erasing a little at the same time.”

We both clink our shots together and down them at the same time. The tang of citrus, pineapple, and coconut hits my tastebuds.

“Fuck, those are good,” I say, wiping my bottom lip with my thumb. “Where’s Sebastian?”

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