Wreck Me (Corrupt Legacy Series #2)

“Go have fun,” I tell Blake.

“What about you?”

I am regretting my decision with a fury.

The moment I playfully push him away, he opens his arms in obvious invitation. Two girls carrying cups walk over to him, and he pulls both of them to his sides.

Jessica and her group approach me, saying, “I would kill for those abs.”

Flicking a strand of my hair back, I say, “Eat less and exercise more.”

I turn on my heel with their gasps following me. A heavy dose of guilt seeps into my bloodstream, but I needed to do that. Being nice makes people think they have a chance to be my friend. I can’t afford it. Caring means someone can take that away from me.

“She’s such a cliche,” I hear someone from their group say, but I ignore it and keep walking.

Suddenly, I feel someone watching me, and my pulse spikes.

I search until our eyes lock, his pinning me in place while simultaneously stealing the breath from my lungs. Dane cocks his head, undressing me with those sinful, bottomless brown eyes of his, trapping me in his gravitational pull. It takes so much strength to force my gaze away and focus on something else.

Blake is playing strip poker on a blanket near the bonfire. He’s the only guy in the game. Letting him have his fun, I urge myself to keep walking.

I sense Dane behind me. It’s strange how I can tell his scent and his movements apart from everyone else’s.

“Never expected you to show up, princess,” he says, reaching my side.

I stubbornly stare ahead while he lights another smoke.

“You’re really trying to die young?”

“Tomorrow is not guaranteed. For anyone, Abigail.”

“It should be illegal for someone to be so young and so cynical.”

“Age is just a number. Some are born old, some die young.”

“So, we’re going to exchange words of wisdom with each other all night?”

Silence descends. When I tilt my head, he definitely should not look this good with that cancer stick between his lips, but he does.

“There’s a party in the other direction. I’m out of here.”

He follows me, just as I knew he would, and that knowledge has butterflies caressing my ribs.

We take a path further into the forest, walking in silence. Strangely, it doesn’t feel awkward at all.

I have no idea why I bring him here—to my place.

The small lake stretches in front of us. The moon casts a pale light, shimmering on the surface, making it appear ethereal. An old boat rests abandoned next to the brittle deck. I wish I could hop in and it would take me somewhere else. Anywhere else.

The two-story mansion on the property lies in ruins, its structure barely holding on to its hinges. Shadows from the surrounding trees give it a spooky air. Yet, this is my favorite spot in Greenville.

As if he has a private invite to my thoughts, Dane walks toward the deck and hops on the boat. He extends his hand and waits.

“Come on, princess.”

This moment feels like I am about to make a decision that could change everything. I take a step toward him. And another, the deck creaking under my feet.

His open invitation shoots my rationality into a hundred pieces, making it impossible for me to reassemble them into common sense. This boy is dangerous, and yet I dive into the abyss with open arms. And it’s liberating.