Page 31 of Corrupt Me

She softened her features. “Wherever you go, I go.”

“Sorry,” I muttered, releasing a breath. This wasn’t how I wanted the night to end, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was a dark cloud.

She hopped onto the curb, crossing the grass to the sidewalk, and waited for me to join. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault Tristan doesn’t know how to be a decent human.”

“I know.” I sighed. “But I wanted our first night to be fun and memorable, but I’ve ruined it.”

She snorted, unsheathing her aqua hair from its tie and shaking it out. “You did no such thing. And the night isn’t over yet, my friend.” Sam slipped the rubber band onto her wrist and looped her arm through mine. “The party doesn’t end because Tristan says so. We make our own fun. Always have.”

The pressure in my chest eased. “What would I do without you?”

“Marry Preston, have a dozen babies, and be utterly miserable,” she said dryly, the wind ruffling her hair.

She’d been joking, but there was some truth in her statement. It could have been my future. “Thanks for that.”

“What are friends for if not to keep it realandkeep you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” Sam opened a cooler on the side of the road and grabbed a few bottles, handing me two and grabbing two for herself. “Now, how about we take these and bingeVampire Diariesuntil we pass out?”

She knew it was my comfort show. How could I say no to that?

The sounds of the party faded as we walked to the other side of campus. Lampposts lit the way, giving a sense of safety. Flies buzzed around the warm glows, repeatedly running into the glass. We were only a few blocks from our building when I swore I heard something like a pebble skipping over the pavement.

I glanced around, and it suddenly dawned on me that we hadn’t seen another soul in the last thirty seconds. The back of my neck tingled with that instinctual feeling your body uses to warn you when something’s wrong.

Sam glanced over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes. “Is it just me, or are we being followed?”

“I feel it too,” I whispered, staring into the dark corners.

Sam’s hand went into her pocket. “Tristan?” she suggested, a feasible guess.

“I don’t know. Probably.” Did we want to take the chance? FSU was a relatively safe school, but it didn’t matter what the criminal stats said. Danger lurked around every corner.

Sam clutched her keys, a little bottle of mace hanging from the ring. “Tristan,” she berated, raising her voice. “This isn’t fucking funny, you jerk. Go torment someone else.”

Silence followed.

No Tristan came out of the bushes. No Tristan chuckled from behind a building.

And yet the feeling remained.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Sam whispered, her pace going from a crawl to a near run as she dragged me along.

I stumbled a few feet later, tripping over a depression in the sidewalk. The two bottles in my hands slipped through my fingers, shattering on the ground and splashing liquid over my legs…the least of my problems.

A pinching pain radiated at my ankle, and I cursed, “Fucking heels.” Hobbling on one foot, I sank against the nearby building, examining my foot.

“Are you hurt?” Sam immediately asked, creasing her forehead.

“It’s my foot. I think I just twisted it a little. Nothing serious.” I slipped off my shoes, testing my ankle by putting a bit of pressure on it. The pain made me hiss, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “I’ll survive.”

“Here, give me those.” She indicated my shoes. “It’s probably best you stay on flat feet. I’ll get you some ice when we get home. Watch the glass.”

I handed over the cursed heels and was about to take a step when something pierced my neck. My hand came up, automatically slapping at the mosquito who decided to make dinner on my blood tonight.

Sam’s head whirled toward me, her gray eyes sparkling bright under the moon. “What the hell was that?”

I stared at my hand and the smear of blood across it. “I got bit by a bloodsucker.”

“Jesus, Ever,” she exhaled, a hand pressed to her chest. “You’re giving me a heart attack tonight. I’m about to call the jackass to come help me get you home.”

---