Page 110 of Corrupt Me

“Is she here?” A deep voice carried into my room from the hallway.

I nearly choked on the rice at the sound of Preston’s voice. My gaze flew up to the back of Sam’s head.

She stood blocking the door, arms crossed in a defensive position. “It doesn’t matter if she is. It won’t change the fact that I’m not letting you in. Actually, I have a few words I’ve been meaning to get off my chest.” I saw Sam lift her hand and stick it past the threshold, assumingly on Preston’s chest as she shoved him farther into the hall. She started to close the door behind her. Sam’s anger on my behalf remained a constant steady thing like our friendship; she was always on my side regardless of right or wrong.

“Sam,” I called out.

My best friend glanced over her shoulder, her head poking back through the door.

“It’s okay. You can let him in,” I said.

“Ever,” she replied firmly. “Are yousurethat’s a good idea?” Her teeth gritted together.

“No, but I can’t avoid him forever.” Regardless of how much I might want to. It would take more than a few days for me to come to terms with his part in my nearly getting killed. I couldn’t place all the blame on Preston, but damn, if I still wasn’t upset. The high from being in love was making me soft.

“Like hell,” she hissed, her fingers pressing deeper into the edge of the door.

“Sam, I swear, it’s fine. Truly,” I added when she continued to look unconvinced.

Her sigh was loud. “Do you want me to stay?”

I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

Sam faced Preston again, her body lined with tension. “You hurt her…and I’ll break all the other bones in your body. The onesyour friendsmissed.”

“Noted,” he retorted.

“I’ll be in my room. Text me when this asshole leaves.” She grabbed her carton of Chinese food and headed back toward the hallway, leaving the door open for my ex to walk inside.

He hovered on the threshold, his eyes following my best friend. “Sam,” he called after her.

I’d lost sight of her, but I assumed from Preston’s body language that she had stopped.

“I know it won’t mean much, but I am sorry. For all of it,” he said, his back pressing into the wooden frame.

“You’re right. It doesn’t mean jack shit. She could have died. Ever might forgive you, but I won’t.” Nothing in her voice gave an ounce of grace, her words trembling with scorn.

Preston accepted her response with a nod, none of his usual arrogant rebuttal. “I respect that.”

“At least one of us respects the other because I sure as hell lost all for you.” It was just like Sam to let him have it, no holding back. And with those parting words, Sam left me alone with my ex.

Preston glanced at me. We stared at each other, an awkward silence lingering in the air. “If she didn’t hate me, I’d be concerned,” he said, trying to break the ice.

I didn’t say anything, and I just watched him as he stepped into the room, the space suddenly feeling so small. I set my foodon the side table beside my bed, waiting for him to say what he came to get off his chest. “You look better,” I commented. The last time I’d seen him, he’d been covered in blood. It was nice to see Preston looking less like he got hacked up by a botched murder attempt from a serial killer, but it was the only nice thing about seeing him. My anger and hurt lingered for so many reasons. He still had plenty of bruises to make it painfully obvious he’d been through some trauma.

“You look…different,” he retorted after a thoughtful pause.

Why did he pay attention to me when we weren’t together, but when we had been, he wouldn’t have noticed if I dyed my hair green? “Could be the shiner on my cheek,” I mumbled, hugging my knees up to my chest. I’d tried to cover it as best I could, but the mark Angelo left on me had started to turn a nasty shade of purple.

He shoved off the frame, closing the door behind him, and winced. “That’s not it. I’m surprised to find you in your room. I assumed you’d be in Tristan’s.”

The straight line of my lips turned into a frown, my patience tapering. “What do you want, Preston? If you came to see if I was still shagging your brother, you can go. There’s the door.”

“No, that’s not why I’m here.” He slumped against the wall, dragging in a deep breath. “I-It’s hard for me. I’m still getting…used to the idea.”

I toyed with the end of my sleeves, the oversized sweater I wore reaching past my fingertips. “Tristan told you?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

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