Page 76 of Corrupt Me

What Tristan did and where he went or didn’t go was none of my business.

Get a grip on yourself.

I didn’t want toseeTristan. I didn’t want toknowhe was in the same building. Hell, on campus.

I had to keep reminding myself like a fucking mantra to make it true.

Despite the sun shining gloriously in the soft blue sky, it was still early morning. Maybe not for everyone on campus, as I spotted several people walking about, but definitely for my best friend. When the elevator stopped on the third floor, I contemplated knocking on Sam’s door. Did I want to wake her up? Then I glanced at my room only feet away, and nothing about being alone appealed to me. It actually made my stomach churn.

I knocked. Once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth, I finally heard shuffling on the other side of the door.

Sleepily, Sam blinked at me, a yawn wide on her lips. “Ever? What time is it?” she sluggishly asked before shaking her head. “Don’t answer that. I don’t actually want to know.”

Standing like a wounded puppy, I smiled sadly, my lips wobbling. “Can I crash here?” I fought to keep the tears at bay.

Without a word, she swung the door open wider and turned, padding zombie-like back to the bed. I walked in and locked the door behind me, dropping her keys on the desk. Shedding my shoes, I climbed into bed beside my best friend who welcomed me with a hug.

“Come here,” she muttered. Her eyes were closed, and her breath had a faint sweet smell of alcohol from the night before. “I missed you. Don’t ever leave me again.”

We shared a pillow, facing each other, and the feathers were a relief to my throbbing head. “I had sex with Tristan.”

Her eyes flew open. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Sam wake fully so fast in her life. Not an ounce of sleep hung in her gray eyes. “Say again. I think I’m having a nightmare. Like one of those dreams where you can’t figure out if you’re awake or asleep.”

I dropped another bomb. “Preston got a girl pregnant.”

The dark aqua strands of her hair nearly blended in with the bold color of her sheets. Nothing about Sam was basic. It took a lot to render her speechless. For a few moments, I wondered if I’d broken her.

“What the fuck is happening? Okay, now I know I’m dreaming.”

“Does this feel like you’re asleep?” I pinched her in the side, and she jerked away from my hand.

“Bitch,” she said, smiling, her eyes clearer now, less shocked.

My lips arched into a downward bow. “I liked it. A lot,” I admitted, my hands resting under the pillow as I lay on my side.

Sam’s brow arched. “The sex? I need a minute to process. My brain doesn’t function fully until like happy hour. You had sex? You? My virgin queen?”

Humor tugged at my lips despite not wanting to find anything laughable in this. “Your girl is a virgin no more.”

She sucked in a breath. “I’m going to sever Tristan’s balls in half. I can’t believe him. I mean, actually I can. But Tristan? Seriously? He’s the guy you decided wasthe one? I can’t say I’m surprised, but in a way, I am. Everly! What the hell?”

We both knew I’d crushed on Tristan for years, but I’d never considered it more than that until recently. Probably sometime after my mom died if I put a timeline on the shift of my feelings from crush to something substantial. “It doesn’t seem real.”

“Well, does the ache between your legs feel real?” she replied.

I shot her a dry glance. She had a point. I couldn’t deny I was sore.

“Did you forget about the shit he put you through? The photos?” she reminded me.

“No,” I groaned, rolling on my back to stare at the slightly discolored ceiling. “Trust me, I know how fucked up this is.”

Several heartbeats passed as Sam soaked in the information. “You slept with your blackmailer. Not many girls can say that.”

I loved that her first thought hadn’t been you slept with your ex’s brother. Sam wouldn’t hold that against me. “It’s not as sinister as it sounds when you say it like that.”

“Was he at least a good lay? Not that you have anything to compare it to. The bastard better have lived up to his reputation and given you the best damn orgasm. You better have been screaming his name.”

“Sam.” I groaned again, my cheeks warming to a rosy color as a hint of a smile touched my lips. I wanted to bury my head under the pillow, feeling slightly embarrassed.

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