Page 57 of Corrupt Me

Sam:

Tristan is there?

Of course, she would instantly know who I was referring to.

Me:

He showed up at Preston’s dorm.

Sam:

I told you I should have come with you.

I miss all the drama.

You good?

Me:

No. But I’m safe. I’ll be back in the morning.

Sam:

I think I’m more worried about you spending the night with Captain Dick. Be careful.

I didn’t tell her about finding the girl in Preston’s room or that she was pregnant. Not tonight. I lacked the energy to do so, and the last thing I wanted was to trigger more tears. I got the feeling talking about Preston cheating would do just that…make me cry.

It wasn’t the boyfriend I mourned. Truth be told, Preston had been a shitty boyfriend. But as one of my closest friends…that’s what I missed. Some of my favorite core memories had been when we were younger, our families getting together, Preston,Tristan, and I hanging out before those latter teen years when things like boobs and hormones got in the way. Before Preston showed any interest in me other than friendship.

If I could go back, I never would have kissed him.

What if it had been Tristan who kissed me first? Would things be different? Would I be different? My whole life could have been altered, and going down that what-if path was unhealthy, my thoughts immediately turning to Mom. Would she still be here if I hadn’t started a relationship with Preston?

It was a ridiculous notion, considering her depression had nothing to do with me. I knew that logically, but my insecurities sometimes got the best of me. It boiled down to a young woman missing her mom.

The car door opened, jarring me out of my head, and Tristan darted inside behind the steering wheel looking like he just jumped into the ocean with his clothes on. Every inch of his shirt and jeans was plastered to his body.

Fuck, why did he have to look so good wet?

I shouldn’t be having any thoughts about Tristan. Period. Not just because tonight ended things between his brother and me on a permanent scale, but because he wasTristan.

He started the car and shoved a slash of dark hair off his face before glancing at me. His eyes began to look away but then returned to me, narrowing. “Are you cold?”

“What?” I looked at him and blinked, my brain finally registering that I was shaking and my teeth were chattering. I hadn’t noticed. Lifting my eyes back to Tristan’s, I nodded.

He cursed, and with an even deeper scowl, if possible, he flipped on the heat, turning the dial high. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.” He leaned over the center console into the back seat, reaching for something. A moment later, a hoodie landed in my lap. “Put that on. Now,” Tristan instructed not so pleasantly, shifting the car into gear.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked, my voice quivering as my body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

His lips pressed tight together. “I’m not happy.”

I slipped my arms into the sleeves before tugging the soft material over my head. Warmth engulfed me, but it wasn’t enough to cease the shudders. It also didn’t help that I was now surrounded by Tristan’s scent.

By the time he stopped the car and turned off the engine, I had hoped the chills wracking every muscle in my body would have subsided. My hopes were giving me a big fuck you tonight.

I was better than before but only marginally.

He gave me no chance to open the door and get out. My reflexes were also slower than normal. “Let’s go, Shortcake.”

---