BAD INFLUENCE
Bad Influence - Episode 9&10
(•Tainting Her Innocence•)
GENRE: College romance
By, Mide L.
✧༺✰༻✧ ✧༺✰༻✧ ✧༺✰༻✧
✮{...FRESHER'SNIGHT II...}✮
Xavier was here. And he was watching.
"What right does he have to tell me what to do?" she muttered under her breath, her grip tightening on Asher's jacket.
"And to destroy Asher’s jacket, especially after he helped me when that jerk spilled alcohol on me? Absolutely not"
Taking a deep breath, Hailey squared her shoulders.
"Let's head back to the bonfire" she said.
"Alright, let's go" Asher said releasing himself from Jessa's grip to join Hailey.
Together, the trio made their way back to the bonfire.
They returned to the bonfire, the night had only grown wilder. Laughter and shouts filled the air, students hyped up on adrenaline and alcohol. The flames flickered high, over the crowd as a rowdy game of Truth or Dare unfolded in the center.
A guy, clearly tipsy, stumbled forward, groaning as his friends roared with laughter.
"Come on, dude, a dare’s a dare!" someone shouted.
His dare? Ride another guy like a horse.
"Bro, I swear if you—"
Before he could finish, a sudden shift in the atmosphere silenced everything. The laughter died. The chatter faded. One by one, heads turned, eyes locked on something or someone behind Hailey.
A strange chill crawled up her spine.
She turned slowly.
And there he was.
Xavier.
Standing just a few feet away, his expression blank, unreadable but his eyes burned with something dark. Something dangerous.
Her breath hitched.
The firelight danced across his sharp features, highlighting the piercings on his brow and tongue as he exhaled a lazy stream of smoke. But there was nothing lazy about the way he stared at her.
"Take it off. Burn it. Now"
A thick silence settled over the group.
Before Hailey could respond, Asher stepped forward.
"Who the hell are you to order her around?"
Xavier’s gaze flicked to Asher, his expression still unreadable, but the air around him turned colder.
"I wasn’t talking to you" he said flatly.
"You can’t just order her like that. That’s my jacket"
Xavier let out a quiet chuckle, dark and amused. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaled, then tilted his head slightly.
"Exactly, more reason why she should burn it"
The atmosphere became more tensed as Xavier took a slow step closer.
Girls whispered excitedly, their eyes glued to him, taking in the way his black shirt clung to his lean, muscled frame, the way his tattoos peeked from under the fabric, the effortless dominance in his stance.
Jessa, who always had something to say, was silent for once.
"I’m not burning it. You have no right to tell me what to do" Hailey finally found her voice.
"That so?"
He took another step forward, invading her space, eyes locking on hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch.
"You don’t get it, do you, princess?" His voice dropped lower, just enough for only her to hear.
"When I tell you to do something, you don’t argue. You obey"
A shiver ran down Hailey’s spine, but she refused to look away.
Asher stepped between them.
"Back off, man"
Xavier let out a low chuckle, amused by Asher’s attempt to stand up to him. His gaze flicked to the jacket once more before he smirked, slow and wicked.
"You think you can protect her from me? You have no idea what you’re dealing with"
The fire crackled behind them, the only sound in the heavy silence that followed. All eyes were on them now, the truth or dare game long forgotten.
Swift.
Effortless.
Before Hailey could react, his fingers curled around the fabric of Asher’s jacket, gripping it with a force that made her gasp. With one sharp tug, he yanked it off her shoulders.
"Hey!" Asher snapped, stepping forward, but Xavier didn't spare him a glance.
He held the jacket up, staring at it like it was something filthy, something offensive. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw it straight into the open fire.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The flames hungrily consumed the fabric, sparks crackling into the night as the jacket curled and blackened in an instant.
Hailey’s breath caught. "You—"
Xavier turned his gaze back to her, smirking.
"Problem solved" he muttered, his voice eerily calm.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Asher yelled.
Xavier finally looked at him, bored amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
"Relax, pretty boy. You can buy another one"
Hailey stood frozen, watching the last remnants of the jacket turn to ash. She should be angry. She should be yelling. But all she could feel was the weight of Xavier’s gaze, daring her to defy him again.
Asher’s fist flew toward Xavier, fast and fueled by anger.
It connected. A clean hit to Xavier’s jaw.
But Xavier didn’t even flinch.
The force barely made him turn his head, and when he did, it was with slow, amused precision. His tongue swept over his lower lip, eyes dark with something close to mockery.
“That was cute” he said, cracking his neck as if shaking off a mild inconvenience.
Asher's chest heaved with rage.
"You arrogant—"
Xavier was already moving towards Hailey. With zero effort, he stepped into Hailey’s space, fingers closing around her wrist like a steel vice. Before she could react, before Asher could stop him, he pulled her forward, forcing her to stumble after him.
"Hey, let go!" Hailey protested, struggling against his grip, but Xavier didn't slow down.
"Stay out of this, pretty boy" Xavier threw over his shoulder.
"Before you embarrass yourself again"he added.
The crowd parted as he dragged Hailey away, some watching in stunned silence, others whispering excitedly. A few girls looked at how he grabbed Hailey, enviously.
Jessa hadn't said a word. She just stood there.
The bonfire crackled behind them, but Hailey barely heard it over the pounding of her own heartbeat.
Xavier didn't stop until they reached his motorcycle, parked under the dim glow of a streetlamp.
Hailey yanked at his grip, but he only let go when he wanted to...when he turned to face her, his jaw tight, his piercing eyes locking on hers.
"Didn't I warn you?" His voice was dangerously low, sending a shiver down her spine.
She swallowed hard. "Warn me about what?"
His head tilted slightly, a mocking smirk playing at his lips.
"That I don't want him touching you. And yet, here you are, wearing his jacket like some damn trophy"
Hailey clenched her fists. "He was just helping me—"
"I don’t give a damn" he cut her off, stepping closer, forcing her back against the cold metal of his bike.
"You don’t take things from him. You don’t let him put his hands on you. You don’t let him think he has a shot”
She glared up at him.
"You don’t own me, Xavier"
"No? Let's see about that princess" His fingers brushed against her exposed arm and Hailey's inside tingled.
Xavier held out a helmet to her, Hailey hesitated.
"Get on the bike, princess" he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.
She stared at the helmet, then at him.
"I never said I was going anywhere with you"
Xavier arched a brow.
"You think I dragged you out here for nothing?"
Hailey's fingers curled into her palm. She could still hear the murmurs from the bonfire, feel the weight of the stares that had followed them as Xavier pulled her away like she belonged to him.
She took a step back, but Xavier was faster. He closed the space between them, his presence overwhelming.
"I won’t ask again. Get on the damn bike"
Hailey swallowed hard.
His fingers twitched at his side, like he was restraining himself.
"Don’t test me, princess"
She snatched the helmet from his hands, glaring at him as she pulled it over her head.
Xavier smirked, satisfied, before swinging a leg over the bike. He revved the engine, the deep rumble vibrating through her chest.
"Get on" he said again, and this time, she did.
The moment Hailey climbed on the bike, her hands hovered awkwardly at her sides. She refused to hold onto him, even though the thought of falling off scared her.
Xavier glanced over his shoulder, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"You better hold on, princess, or you’ll be kissing the pavement"
She clenched her jaw, hating how smug he sounded. But as soon as he twisted the throttle, the bike lurched forward, and instinct took over as her hands flew to his waist, gripping the fabric of his jacket tightly.
She felt his chuckle vibrate through him.
"That’s more like it"
The wind whipped against her face as Xavier sped down the road, the distant sounds of the bonfire fading behind them. Her heart pounded, not just from the speed but from the way his warmth seeped through his jacket, from the reckless energy that radiated off him.
She had no idea where he was taking her, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.
Really Hailey?
Without warning, the sky split open, and heavy raindrops crashed down on them. Hailey gasped as the cold water drenched her instantly, soaking through her clothes in seconds.
But Xavier didn’t slow down. If anything, he rode faster, weaving through the empty streets like the downpour was nothing but a minor inconvenience. The roar of the engine and the pounding rain blurred together.
Hailey’s fingers tightened around his waist, her body shivering against his back.
"Xavier—" she called but he didn’t stop. Not when the rain became heavier, not when the roads turned slick, not when the distant sound of thunder rumbled across the sky.
It wasn’t until they reached an abandoned, half-constructed building on the outskirts of town that he finally braked, skidding to a stop. The bike rumbled beneath them for a moment before Xavier killed the engine.
Hailey could barely catch her breath, her heart hammering from the wild ride. She shivered violently as she slid off the bike, her soaked clothes clinging to her skin.
Xavier swung his leg over and faced her, completely unfazed by the rain. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, water dripping from his jawline. Even like this...soaked and dangerous, he still looked infuriatingly good.
She wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth chattering.
"Are you crazy?" she snapped.
"You could’ve—"
'Keep it low, you're shouting princess" he said entering the uncompleted building and she followed closely behind him till they got inside.
Xavier pulled a cigarette from his back pocket, placing it between his lips as he flicked his lighter open. The small flame illuminated his sharp features for a second before the tip of the cigarette burned red. He inhaled deeply, exhaling a slow stream of smoke into the cold air.
Hailey clenched her fists. She wanted to ask him why did he smoke so much? What was he trying to drown out with every inhale? But she bit her tongue, deciding against it. He wouldn’t answer anyway. Or worse, he’d mock her for asking.
Instead, she stayed quiet, watching as he took another drag, his body relaxed despite the storm outside.
The rain still poured, the sound heavy against the unfinished walls, but Xavier didn’t seem to care. He exhaled again, letting the smoke curl around them, then moved his gaze to her.
Without warning, he stepped closer.
Hailey’s breath hitched as he reached for the hem of her dress. The wet fabric clung stubbornly to her thighs, but Xavier didn’t hesitate. He gripped it, his fingers rough against her chilled skin, and slowly began to lift it.
Hailey’s breath stuttered as Xavier pulled up the soaked fabric, his fingers grazing her thighs. Her pulse pounded in her ears, a warning she didn’t know how to heed.
She snapped out of it, her hands shooting down to stop him.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, voice shaky.
"What I should have done a long time ago?" He said and before Hailey could get what he said, Xavier’s fingers grazed her thighs, pushing her soaked dress higher. His touch was rough, sending heat spiraling through her body despite the cold.
She gasped, hands flying down to stop him.
"Xavier—" she started but the words never fully formed.
Because in the next second, his lips were on hers.
The cigarette still hung between his fingers as he kissed her, the faint taste of smoke invading her senses. It was firm, demanding, nothing soft, nothing hesitant. He didn’t just kiss her. He claimed her. Owned her. Like he was branding her with every press of his mouth.
Hailey stiffened, her pulse a wild drumbeat in her ears. But Xavier didn’t pull back. His free hand slipped under her dress, fingers teasing up her back until they reached the clasp of her br@.
A sharp snap and the clasp came undone effortlessly.
Hailey breath almost seized.
Xavier smirked against her lips before deepening the kiss, his fingers moving to cup her soft b👀bs.
Hailey’s mind screamed at her to stop this. To push him away.
But her body?
It betrayed her.
___
💕TBC💕
Next Episode
It's getting interesting
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