Bad Influence - Episode 35&36

  

 BAD INFLUENCE

Bad Influence - Episode 35&36

(•Tainting Her Innocence•)

GENRE: College romance 

By, Mide L.

    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧

                ✮{...THE NOTIFICATION...}✮

Hailey felt her heart twist in her chest, a strange, gnawing emptiness filling the space where words had failed her. She wanted to call out, to stop Jessa, but the sight of her walking away in tears made Hailey’s own eyes burn with a feeling she couldn’t place.

What just happened? Hailey thought.

Hailey blinked rapidly, trying to shake the weight on her chest. But before she could make sense of her thoughts, Xavier laughed.

That laugh made her freeze.

She turned toward him slowly, catching the devilish glint in his eyes as he leaned casually against a nearby post, one brow raised, that crooked smirk playing on his lips.

"What’s funny?" she asked softly.

He took a step forward, dark eyes gleaming with mischief. 

"Nothing, Princess. Just funny how you’re only realizing now"

She frowned. "Realizing what?"

He stopped in front of her, so close she had to tilt her head up. His gaze dropped to her lips for a beat before rising to meet her eyes again, heat crackling in the space between them.

"She’s been in love with you for a while" he said simply, like it was common knowledge.

Hailey’s breath caught. "W-What?"

Xavier chuckled again, brushing a thumb across her cheek, like he had every right to touch her.

"Don’t act surprised. The girl looks at you like you hung the damn stars. And you? You’ve been so wrapped in your perfect little bubble, pretending not to notice"

She swallowed hard, her heart thudding against her ribs.

"You knew?" she whispered.

"Of course I knew. I see everything, Princess. Especially when it comes to you"

His voice dropped, smooth and dark like velvet laced with smoke.

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her hand and started walking, not waiting for her response. His grip was firm, possessive, and strangely comforting.

"Where are we going?" she asked, quickening her steps to keep up.

He glanced back at her, that cocky grin back in place. 

"Getting out of here. The movie’s boring, and your mind’s clearly somewhere else. You need a distraction. Lucky for you…”—he tugged her around the corner, stopping in front of his matte black motorbike—"…I’m a damn good one"

The bike gleamed under the streetlight, sporty and dangerous—just like him. He let go of her hand only to grab a spare helmet hanging off the side.

"Get on" he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip.

"Unless you’re scared" he teased, straddling the bike with effortless swagger. 

"Don’t worry, Princess. I don’t bite"

Then his eyes dropped lower, lingering.

"Unless you ask real nice"

Her cheeks flushed crimson.

She should’ve said no.

But instead, her body moved on its own.

She slid the helmet on and climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"Hold on" he murmured.

And just like that, the engine roared to life.

The wind bit against her skin as they sped through the empty streets, the city lights blurring past in streaks of gold and neon. Hailey clung tighter to him, her cheek pressed to his back, his scent...smoke, leather, danger are all flooding her senses.

This was crazy.

She should be anywhere but on the back of a bike with Xavier Knight.

But it felt…right, ofcourse.

Like the rules she’d lived by were being rewritten, one reckless heartbeat at a time.

Xavier didn’t speak, didn’t glance back. He just rode like the world belonged to him. 

Eventually, they pulled up to an abandoned rooftop parking lot, it was quiet and bathed in moonlight. The city stretched beneath them, alive and oblivious.

He cut the engine and glanced over his shoulder.

"Off" he said simply.

Hailey slid off the bike, legs unsteady, adrenaline still pumping. Xavier followed, removing his helmet and shaking out his dark hair, eyes gleaming as he watched her.

"So" she said, hugging her arms to her chest, "why bring me here?"

He stepped closer, close enough that her breath hitched.

"Because you needed to breathe" he said softly, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "And because I needed to be alone with you"

Her heart skipped.

"Xavier…"

He tilted her chin up. "Don’t say my name like that unless you’re ready for what comes next"

She didn’t speak. Couldn’t.

The space between them shattered.

He leaned in slowly, giving her every second to pull away.

She didn’t, not when she wants it too.

And when his lips finally touched hers, it wasn’t soft or sweet.

It was claiming.

Hot, raw, possessive.

Like he’d been starving for her.

Like she didn't kiss him almost an hour ago.

Hailey felt like her lips were still burning, branded with the heat of his kiss. Her chest rose and fell quickly, eyes wide as she stared up at him—at the smug twist of his mouth, the hunger still lingering in his gaze.

Xavier tilted his head slightly.

"Am I already winning your heart, Princess?" he murmured.

"Because if I remember correctly…"—he trailed a finger down her jaw—"…you kissed me in front of the cinema"

Her breath caught.

The night air felt warmer than it should’ve, or maybe it was just him... standing there like sin wrapped in leather, with that smirk that knew exactly what it was doing to her.

"I didn’t mean to…" she began.

Xavier’s brow quirked. "Didn’t mean to what? Kiss me?"

Her silence was the only answer he needed.

He took a step closer, and she instinctively took one back, until her back hit the cold railing. Her pulse roared in her ears.

"You think you can kiss me like that, then pretend it didn’t happen?" His tone was soft, but there was something fierce underneath, like a warning cloaked in velvet.

"It didn’t mean anything"

Xavier’s eyes darkened, the playful glint now replaced with something heavier, hungrier.

"That’s where you’re wrong, Princess. It meant everything"

Before she could respond, his hand landed against the railing beside her head, caging her in. Not forceful... never that. Just enough to make her feel it. The tension. The heat. The pull.

"Stop running from it, from this"

She blinked up at him, her heart thudding like a drumline, her chest rising and falling with each ragged breath.

"I’m not like the girls you mess around with, I don’t play games"

He leaned in until their foreheads touched, his voice a whisper meant only for her.

"Who says I’m playing?"

Her lips parted, but no words came out. And then—

His lips touched hers again but he pulled back too quickly, leaving her aching and confused.

"You’re messing with my head" she breathed.

"And you" he smirked, "are messing with everything I thought I wanted"

Hailey didn’t know if that was a confession or a warning.

Maybe it was both.

She looked away.

"You kissed me because you felt something" he said. 

"You can lie to yourself all you want, Princess. But that moment? It was real"

He turned, walking a few steps toward the edge of the rooftop, his hands sliding into his pockets. The wind ruffled his dark hair as the city lights bathed him in gold and shadows.

Hailey stared at his back, her throat dry, her mind spinning.

"Xavier…" she started.

He glanced over his shoulder.

"You said I needed to breathe" she whispered. "But every time I’m near you… I forget how"

His jaw clenched, and for once, he didn’t have a snarky reply.

Silence stretched between them, heavy and charged.

And in that moment, something shifted.

Not just between them…

Inside them.

Hailey stood still, arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying to ground herself against the storm raging inside.

Xavier was silent, his back still turned to her as he stared out over the city. The wind danced through the air, but it couldn't carry away the weight between them.

She took a cautious step forward. "Why are you doing this?"

He didn’t turn. "Doing what?"

"You act like you care, but tomorrow, you’ll go back to being Xavier Knight the guy who doesn’t do feelings. The guy who smokes his pain and flirts with destruction"

He turned at that, slowly, like her words actually struck something deep.

"You think that’s who I am?"

She lifted her chin. "Isn’t it?"

He stepped toward her again, eyes locked on hers like they held answers he never wanted to face. 

"I never cared about anything real... until you showed up in my world looking like trouble dressed in innocence"

"That doesn’t answer my question" she whispered.

"It does" he murmured. 

"Because I am trouble, Hailey. I don’t want to hurt you. But I will... if you let me too close"

She blinked, eyes glistening with emotion. "Then why pull me in?"

His fingers brushed the side of her face again, soft this time. Barely there. 

"Because I can’t stop myself"

"I don’t know what this is between us, Xavier" she whispered. "But it scares me"

"Good" he said simply, stepping even closer until their foreheads touched again. 

"Because the moment it stops scaring you... is the moment we both fall too deep to crawl back out"

Her breath hitched, and she reached up hesitantly, fingers grazing his jacket like maybe she could hold onto the moment.

"Then maybe we’re already falling" she whispered.

A beat passed. And then Xavier pulled her into his arms. Like he needed to feel her close just to breathe right.

Just silence. And the sound of their hearts trying to beat in sync.

And maybe, just maybe, that was louder than any words could be.

•••

MONDAY, HILLSWORTH COLLEGE* 

Hailey stepped out of her dorm room alongside her roommate, Ava. The late morning sun filtered through the hallway windows as they strolled casually, talking mostly about classes, professors, and the usual college buzz.

Then, without warning, Ava glanced sideways and asked, "So… how are things with you and Xavier?"

Hailey didn’t respond. She only smiled softly, but enough to speak volumes. Ava picked up on the unspoken message and gave a short nod, not pressing further.

"I’ll catch you later" she said, already heading off in the opposite direction.

Hailey made her way to class, and that's when she saw him.

Asher.

She hadn’t seen him in a while, and he looked… different.

Gone was the neat black hair she remembered. In its place was a striking blend of pink and red hues, his hair tousled just enough to look effortlessly cool. One side was shaved in a clean undercut, giving him an edgier, almost rebellious vibe.

And he looked straight at her.

His face lit up with a familiar. With a few long strides, he closed the distance between them.

"Hailey" he said, that same calm, easygoing tone she remembered. "Did you miss me?"

She blinked, caught off guard but smiling despite herself. "You changed your hair"

He grinned wider. 

"Yeah? Thought it was time for something bold"

Her gaze lingered on him for a second longer than she meant to. Different suited him more than it should have.

She tilted her head slightly, still taking him in. "You’ve been MIA. Why haven’t you been in school?"

Asher gave a casual shrug, eyes twinkling as if he was dodging more than just the question.

"Life got a little busy. Nothing dramatic"

She raised a brow, not buying it, but she didn’t press.

"Missed me that much, huh?" he teased, nudging her lightly with his shoulder.

Hailey rolled her eyes, trying not to smile too much. "Maybe a little"

He chuckled.

Asher looked around briefly, then turned back to her. "Where’s Jessa, by the way? Haven’t seen her either"

Hailey’s smile faltered slightly. "I… I don’t know. She’s been kind of distant lately"

Before Asher could respond, a collective buzz echoed around them. Phones dinged simultaneously, and a wave of gasps swept through the students nearby.

Hailey’s phone lit up too. She reached for it, heart skipping.

Something had just happened. Something big.

___

💕TBC💕

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