Page 26 of Reckless Temptation

Of course, she’d be volunteering at a fucking food bank, like a freaking angel.

Sabrina wasthatgood, or that much of a goody-two-shoes.

But I refused to believe this girl could do no wrong. The darkness in my heart warned me that she couldn’t be that sweet.

No one was that goddamn perfect.

However, as I watched her with her mom and dad, I fed the beast of envy burning hot deep inside me.

I used to fit in like that, with my mom and dad. We had all been happy and together once.

“Dude.” The guy behind me cleared his throat, urging me to move up in line. Again, I had been stuck on Sabrina.

Fuck it.

I was still starving.

But now I was hungry for something else.

It seemed I was more addicted to putting this girl down than I realized. The high I got from tormenting her made me a sick bastard, but at least it pulled me further out of my own bleak rut.

Stepping out of line, I gave up my spot for tacos and stalked toward her, intent on making her miserable in any way I could.

It was only fitting.

Misery loved company, after all.

And if she didn’t wantmycompany… that was too damn bad.

9

SABRINA

“Okay. I’ll see you soon,” I told my parents as they wrapped up the last boxes for the food bank.

We didn’t get to do this together often. It was more like they would volunteer regularly and I would show up when I could. Giving back was in my blood, and I rode the glee of doing something good. I surrendered a long night of reading to come with them to help here tonight, and I refused to cringe at all the lost hours of reading and homework it had cost.

Walking away from the garage where we gave out food donations from the pantry, I sighed and smiled as I replayed the pleasant surprise of spotting one of the candidates for mayor earlier. Patrice Connely had shown up to help tonight, a fellow altruistic soul, and I relished the chance to finally meet her in person. Despite her being one of the people I’d contacted via email for my community outreach project sponsors, she was more important for another reason.

She was an alum, a former law student at the same university I was currently attending. More than that, she was a favoritegraduate who’d studied under Professor Gowen’s hawkish rule. Her word would matter, should she decide to contact her.

Elise was right about me. I didn’t want to know the wealthy or celebs like what Lorsen & Spengler represented. I wanted to associate with hardworking people on the front lines like Patrice Connely.

It looks like it paid off to come tonight, then.

I could always stay up late another night to study my ass off.

“Hey, Sabrina?”

I turned at the sound of someone rushing after me, finding a woman hurrying to catch up with me. I recognized her as someone associated with Patrice’s campaign.

But behind her, I saw Nick hanging around near a taco truck.

Dammit!

What is he doing here?

I smiled at the woman, avoiding my newest bully in the background. I didn’t want to know why he was here. No one from campus would venture this far into this neighborhood by chance.

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