by K. G. Reuss
She was drunk talking. Nothing she said made sense. I leaned up and kissed her cheek.
“I love you, Mom,” I whispered as I hugged her. She sniffled as she hugged me back. “I’ll keep us safe. Someday we’ll leave here. We’ll finally be happy. You won’t need to drink every day. Faith, not hope.”
“Faith, not hope,” she whispered back. “Promise you’ll keep yourself safe?”
“I promise.” I pulled away from her as the doorbell sounded. I hadn’t noticed that I was crying. The tears had silently fallen from my eyes, making my cheeks wet. I hastily wiped at them as I pulled the door open.
“What’s wrong?” Corbin asked immediately, reaching out for me, his fingers brushing against my damp cheeks.
“Nothing.” I brushed him off quickly and stepped outside. “Just mom stuff.”
“I can help—”
“Let’s just go, OK?” I asked, moving past him. When I turned around to look at him, he was staring up at my house, a frown carved onto his face.
Chapter 66
“Why ice cream and people watching?” I asked as we stood in line at an ice cream stand on the edge of the strip.
“I don’t know,” he muttered, seeming off and not like his typical vibrant self. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“And now it seems like a bad one?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“No.” He seemed to pull himself together quickly, the charming smile back on his face. “I guess I just needed some ice cream.”
“It couldn’t hurt,” I nudged him playfully. He responded with a big grin, his bad mood seemingly gone. His hand came to touch my lower back, his thumb making small circles. I inched away from him, not wanting to give him the idea that it was OK to touch me like that.
“What flavor of ice cream do you want?” Corbin asked.
“Um, whatever you pick out,” I whispered, staring at my feet.
“Maggie, I asked you a question. You know what you want. Tell me,” Corbin’s tone was impatient. “None of this ‘you decide’ shit. I’ll ask again. What kind do you want?”
“Chocolate,” I said, exasperated.
“Good girl.” Corbin grinned. When we reached the counter, he ordered two chocolate ice cream cones and paid. After I took my cone, we moved out of the way.
“It’s a beautiful night.” I cleared my throat as we sat on a bench facing the strip. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Corbin answered silkily. “I thought a night on the strip might be just what you needed.”
“I don’t come here much. And our group always either parties at Andrew’s or goes to Rue’s. So, this is really weird for me. To be out with just a friend.” I laughed nervously, dedicated to making him understand that we were just friends. “Brax wasn’t feeling well this afternoon, so I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I definitely didn’t want to stay home. You have really good timing.”
“That’s what I’ve been told,” Corbin answered hollowly. “Speaking of good timing, isn’t that Brax?”
My eyes swept the crowded strip, and I sucked in a breath as I saw Brax, my Brax, holding Claire up against a wall, their bodies far too close to one another for it to be anything but intimate. And then, they were kissing. My heart plummeted to ground, an aching unlike any I’d ever felt before blanketed my entire mind, body, and soul.
“I-I thought he wasn’t feeling well. And I thought he said it was nothing,” my voice quaked as I dropped my ice cream.
“Hey, it’s probably nothing—”
“He lied to me!” I got to my feet, balling my hands into fists. I wasn’t going to have a repeat of my last relationship. I thought he loved me! How could he lie to me and do this? I took an angry step forward, but Corbin’s hand wrapped around my arm and tugged me back, probably saving me from even more heartbreak.
“They’re both drunk. It’s best to just leave it alone, sweetheart. We can go back to my place—”
“Will you tell me everything?” I demanded, tearing my eyes away from Brax and his plaything. “No lies?”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” Corbin answered solemnly. “Just come home with me.” I looked back at Brax disgustedly as he continued to talk to Claire. At least they weren’t sucking face anymore.
“Come on,” Corbin said gently, steering me away. He helped me into his car, and we drove to his house in silence. I was too busy stewing in my mind, my heart breaking. It was a struggle to keep it together, to not burst into tears. But Corbin wasn’t the kind of guy you cried on. And I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. So I held it in as best I could.
“Do you want a drink?” Corbin called out from his kitchen as I settled on his couch. “I have water, soda, orange juice, vodka… “
“A water,” I replied. He turned up a moment later holding two glasses and a bottle of vodka.
“Times like these require vodka, sweetheart. Not water. Trust me.” He poured us both large glasses. I was grateful. Maybe it was a better idea than water. I tipped my glass back and finished it quickly.
“More?” Corbin asked, eying me.
“Yes,” I answered. By the third glass in, I’d started to settle down and could talk without feeling like I was being strangled.
“Tell me everything,” I implored.
“Are you sure you want to know? Sometimes everything can be painful.”
“I’d rather know a painful truth than a terrible lie,” I shot back. Corbin shifted closer to me on the couch. I moved so that I could see him better. “You were there with him, right? That night at the club with Claire?”
“I was,” Corbin answered delicately.
“What really happened? I have to know because I like Brax,” I rushed on. “I-I want us to be honest with one another. He never told me anything about that night. Just that they knew one another. Not much else in details.”
Corbin let out a sigh, like he didn’t want to tell me. Bro code. I’d heard Zach and Andrew talk about it before. Just when I was about to ask again, he spoke, but not before giving a dark chuckle and shaking his head.
“He took her back to my place. He kissed her. He touched her. They did some drugs together. We all did.”
“Even you?” I asked, my voice shaky at the knowledge.
“Babe, it’s what we do to relax and have fun. They messed around with each other. Her dress was hanging off her by the end of it. And in my experience, you can’t make someone do something they don’t want to even under the influence. They may protest, but drugs make them let go and act on deep, hidden desires. So, licking, sucking, and fucking sort of come with the territory when drugs and alcohol are involved.”
“He-he had sex with her?” I felt like I was going to throw up.
“No.” Corbin shook his head, letting out a tiny laugh. “Not so much. But as close as he could get without actually doing it if that makes sense. I’m honestly really surprised that he stopped. He wouldn’t have if you weren’t in the picture. Stopping was never one of his strong points.”
I pulled my cardigan tighter around me as I shivered. I hated knowing that about Brax. He needed more help than maybe I could give him. And that broke my heart.
“Hey, come here. It’s not all that bad.” Corbin tugged my hand away from where it grasped my sweater. “He obviously wants you. I think you should hear him out. Let him explain.”
“I’m just upset that he would put himself in that situation. And bring a girl along for it. Does he like her or something?”
“Well, yeah, a little. He sort of has to,” Corbin replied gently.
“Why?” I swallowed hard, not even sure if I wanted to know.
“Because of who he is. It’s what he does, sweetheart. You saw him tonight. Trust me, if he tells you that he didn’t like what he did with her, he’s lying. Remember what I said? We don’t do things we don’t want to do unless there’s a seed in the back of our minds that wants to.”
“And you?” I looked up at hi
m, feeling like I was going to fall apart at any moment.
“What about me?”
I looked at him pointedly, and he let out a small laugh.
“I’m a willing participant in anything that can get me high, get me off, or get me ahead. But at least I’m honest about it.”
“I need to go,” I sighed. “I need to think.”
“No, don’t confuse the two, baby girl,” his voice changed, becoming low and husky. “You want to go, or at least that’s what you’re telling yourself. Deep down inside though, you know you want to know what it’s like to let go. To not think. You want to know what it’s like to stay.”
“I don’t,” I whispered, lying. He raised an eyebrow at me like he could see through me.
I stilled for a moment, studying him. He was beautiful. Just like Brax. And probably the same sort of creature as Brax. Maybe he’d tell me everything Brax hadn’t said. Or maybe I was just so heartbroken that I was searching for a promise of something, anything, and didn’t trust myself to be alone with my thoughts.
“What are you going to do, Maggie?”
“Stay,” I whispered.
“That’s a good girl. Give me your glass. We’re going to have some fun.”
Chapter 67
“Give me the damn remote, Corbin!” I giggled loudly, reaching over as he held it high above his head in an attempt to keep it away from me. I lurched sideways and nearly fell off his couch. But he quickly caught me by the arm and hauled me back up.
“If I’d have known that getting you shit-faced would result in me being forced to watch chick flicks all night while you ate all the ice cream in my freezer, I wouldn’t have done it,” Corbin retorted, continuing to hold the remote high over his head.
“This is what girls do when their hearts get broken,” I grunted, going to my knees as I tried for the remote again.
“I’m pretty sure when brokenhearted girls get together, they have naked pillow fights. At least that’s what my mind sees. Don’t ruin it for me, princess.” He smirked as I reached for the remote again.
“Ugh! Such a typical guy,” I said sourly, flopping back on the couch and folding my arms over my chest. “We’re out of vodka.”
“Which is actually really unheard of for me,” Corbin mused. “Want to get out of the house for a bit?”
“And do what?”
“Whatever you want. What do you want to do, Maggie? Heartbroken’s choice.” He stared at me with his piercing green eyes, waiting for an answer. I wanted Brax! My heart ached for him, but it quickly hardened when I imagined what he was doing in that moment.
“I want to dance,” I whispered. “Take me dancing.”
“Dancing it is.” He held his hand out for me to take, and I did so without hesitation. “You can’t wear that. This is why I told you to wear something sexy.”
“Who cares? It’s just us.” I rolled my eyes at him as I tried to steady myself on the edge of the couch.
“It looks like I’m taking you to a church social, not a hot dance club. Devil, Maggie. Wait here. I might have something.”
He disappeared for a moment only to return with a very tiny, red halter dress and high heels.
“Do you have a storefront in your bedroom or something?” I asked, peering past him.
“No.” He smirked. “But I have a lot of female guests that leave things behind.”
“How could they forget their clothes?”
“I can be quite persuasive.” With a smug look, he held the outfit out to me. “I bet you fill this out way better than she did. Here. Take it. Go put it on. It can be your heartbreak dress. Maybe you’ll break a few hearts in it and even the score.”
I looked at the dress for a moment. It was quite pretty. I’d have never in a million years picked something like it out and worn it.
“C’mon, live a little,” Corbin coaxed smoothly. “If Brax can go have fun, so can you.”
I snatched the dress and shoes from him and stomped to his bathroom and quickly changed. I pulled the ponytail out of my hair and let my dark locks cascade around me. I didn’t look like me. I looked like a girl who knew what she wanted. And damnit, I wanted to have fun. I could blame the alcohol or Corbin’s influence or even my heartbreak at Brax’s betrayal. Whatever it was, it fueled my fire.
“Wow,” Corbin murmured as I came out of the bathroom in the outfit.
“How do I look?” I gave a tiny spin, staggering sideways. He caught me quickly with a laugh.
“You look like a beautiful drunk.” He chuckled, handing me my purse. “Ready?”
My phone buzzed, and I quickly unearthed it to find a message from Brax.
I miss you!
Snorting, I clicked the phone off and looked up at Corbin who was studying me closely.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Chapter 68
I danced and laughed and drank so much that I had no idea what I was even sad about anymore.
“Come on! Dance with me!” I whined with a slur, tugging on Corbin’s hand as he sat drinking at a table.
“You’re a real pain in the ass, Westbrook,” Corbin sighed, tipping his glass to his lips and swallowing down the contents.
“So? I’m your pain in the ass tonight,” I proclaimed. “You said we could do whatever I wanted. This is what I want. And I want you to do it with me.”
“Fine.” He got to his feet, took my hand, and led me to the dance floor. I let out a squeak when he pulled me close to him and began grinding on me. My face flamed red with his nearness.
“Don’t get shy on me now, princess,” he cooed in my ear, sending a shiver through my body. “You wanted to dance with me. This is how I dance.”
God help me, I tried. I just wasn’t that kind of girl. I couldn’t move the way he wanted. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
He tugged me close to him, so there wasn’t space for air between us.
“Let go. Move with me. You’re overthinking this,” he murmured in my ear. “It’s just a dance, Maggie.”
“Just a dance,” I whispered, loosening up and moving my hips.
“There you go,” Corbin continued in my ear. “Turn around.”
He spun me around, so my back was to his front.
“Keep moving. Let yourself go. You’re always holding yourself back. Let your bad girl out for a moment. Dance like I’m a stranger. Like you don’t have to worry about remembering who I am in the morning. Come on, sweetheart,” he continued to purr in my ear. My head felt murky, and it wasn’t just from the alcohol. I struggled against whatever was happening to me.
“Maggie, you’re fighting it.” His lips brushed against my ear as he continued to whisper in it. I let out a whimper as his hand came around and rested on my abdomen, his body grinding against mine slowly. “Let go. It’s all innocent fun. No one will ever know. And he’s probably doing the same thing right now with another girl.”
Hearing him say that to me about Brax broke my heart into pieces. My mind flashed with what I’d seen between Brax and Claire. I moved against Corbin, and he let out a growl of approval. I lost track of time as we danced. And I knew I shouldn’t be dancing with him the way I was. But it was like there was a force keeping me from stopping myself.
“You’re tired,” Corbin murmured as I sagged against him later that evening, my body feeling deliciously numb.
“Mhm,” I mumbled sleepily.
“Let’s go back to my place,” he said. With his arm around my waist, he steered me outside and to his car. I sank down onto the leather seat as he put my seatbelt in place. I must have closed my eyes because the next thing I knew, I was plummeting into a dream.
Maggie! Listen to me!”
I looked around as I stood on the edge of the lake. There. The man was rushing toward me, his violet eyes wild.
“Don’t go with him! Run! You need to wake up and run! Maggie!”
I backed away from the man, terrified. Something about the way he spoke frightened me.
“Maggie! P
lease! He’s not good! He’s a wicked one! He’s sent to harm you! Please, on all that is holy, Maggie, run from him! He will break you!”
“I love him!” I shouted back, thinking of Brax and his beautiful wings. He wasn’t wicked! He was my angel! An angel who’d betrayed me with another girl. My eyes burned with tears.
“It’s not him, Maggie!” It was like he’d hit an invisible wall and couldn’t get to me any longer. He looked around frantically as I took another step back. “Don’t do it, Maggie. Please. Wake up and go home. He’ll do anything to keep you. I am not the enemy!”
I turned on my heel and fled down the beach, wanting to get away from the strange, beautiful man behind the invisible wall.
“Maggie! Maggie!”
“Maggie,” Corbin’s soothing voice called out to me. I opened my eyes, my heart thrumming wildly in my chest. “You OK?”
“B-bad dream,” I whimpered, trying to control my breathing.
“Come on, let’s go inside,” Corbin murmured, pulling into his driveway. He didn’t wait for my answer. He was at my side, helping me into his house. “Tell me about your dream,” he continued as he opened his front door.
“There was a man with violet eyes. He keeps coming to me in my dreams. He said Brax is bad. I’m afraid to sleep. He scares me,” I mumbled, leaning against Corbin. “He’s not human.”
“Who’s not, princess? Who’s not human?”
“The man. Brax. You,” I slurred out. Corbin pulled me into the house quickly, making me stumble behind him. I let out a yelp of surprise as he lifted me into his arms and brought me to his bedroom and laid me in bed. I struggled to get up when he disappeared, but he returned so fast he may not have ever been gone.
“Open your mouth,” he instructed breezily.
“Why?” I mumbled as he loomed over me.
“I’ll make the bad dreams go away,” he said, his voice low and commanding. “Do you want them to go away?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
