Bad Influence - Episode 57&58

 

 BAD INFLUENCE

Bad Influence - Episode 57&58

(•Tainting Her Innocence•)

GENRE: College romance 

By, Mide L.

    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧

               ✮{...THE REAL DEAL...}✮

Cory didn’t address her. Not directly.

But as he turned to walk past, his girl chattering softly beside him, he leaned in barely brushing her shoulder and whispered, just loud enough for only her to hear:

"You're not a thief"

Lucy blinked.

___

The book in her hand suddenly felt heavier. Her fingers tightened around it as if it were the only thing anchoring her in that moment.

She didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe.

Didn’t dare look back.

Because if she did… she might fall apart.

Dean was saying something but his voice sounded muffled, like she was underwater.

*You're not a thief.

Five words. Five years late.

And yet, they hit harder than anything she'd expected.

Dean turned to her with a small frown. "You sure you’re okay?"

Lucy forced a nod, blinking fast to hold back the sting in her eyes. "Yeah. Just… dust in the air. You know these old books"

He didn’t buy it, but he didn’t push.

Instead, he gave a soft smile and nudged her shoulder. "Come on. Let’s find you that poetry section you wouldn’t shut up about"

Lucy let out a soft laugh, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but it was something.

As they walked deeper into the bookstore, she didn’t glance back.

But in her chest, her heart was thudding with a quiet ache.

Because no matter how far she’d come… a part of her had waited all these years to hear those words.

And now that they were finally spoken, she wasn’t sure if it brought closure…

Or opened a whole new wound.

They’d barely spent fifteen minutes in the poetry aisle when Lucy shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"Dean?" she said softly, touching his arm. "I need to use the restroom"

"Sure. I think it’s that way, near the staff section," he replied, pointing past the magazine racks. "I’ll wait here"

She nodded and walked off quickly, needing a moment more from the words still echoing in her head than anything else.

*You’re not a thief.

The hallway near the restroom was dimmer, the buzz of the main store dulled. She paused at the door, exhaling deeply, trying to steady the storm inside her.

Then...

A shadow fell across her shoulder.

She turned sharply.

Cory.

She blinked, brows furrowed. "Are you… following me?"

"I didn’t plan to," he said casually, leaning against the opposite wall. "I just… needed a second"

Lucy crossed her arms. "Why? You already said what you came to say, right?"

His jaw tightened. "It wasn’t enough"

A long silence stretched between them, heavy with years of things left unsaid.

"You believed your mom," she said quietly, looking him dead in the eye. "Without asking me. Without even giving me the chance to explain"

Cory flinched, guilt flashing in his eyes. "I was seventeen. Stupid. Scared of disappointing her. I didn’t know how to stand up for anyone, not even myself"

"You didn’t just stand back," she whispered. "You stood against me"

He stepped closer. Too close. "And I’ve hated myself every day since"

Her back brushed against the restroom door.

"You broke me, Cory"

"I broke us," he corrected. "And I never got over it"

Lucy wanted to scream at him. Push him. Walk away.

But instead… her hand reached for the handle, voice low. "I’m going inside"

"I’ll wait" he said softly.

She paused.

"What for?"

"For you to come out. For the truth. For another chance. Whatever you’ll give me, Luce"

She hesitated… then stepped inside, the door shutting quietly between them.

Lucy stood at the restroom sink, staring at her reflection.

She didn’t cry.

Not anymore, she stopped a long time ago.

She just stared. Cool. Calm. Collected.

By the time she stepped back out, Cory was still there leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets like he was casually waiting for a bus.

His eyes met hers.

She didn’t stop walking though.

"Lucy" he said and straightened up immediately.

She took a deep breath. "There’s no second chance. No ‘us’. Not anymore. You don’t get to break someone and wait around five years hoping they’ll be the same girl you left behind. I’m not her anymore"

His expression fell slightly, but she continued.

"You believed a lie, and I lived with that label. Alone. You don’t get to whisper a few words and expect it all to go away"

He opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but Lucy didn’t give him the chance. She turned and walked away without another word.

Back into the bookstore.

Back to Dean.

His eyes lifted when she approached, surprised to see her return so quickly and with a sharp fire in her steps.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, brows pinching.

Lucy didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, she reached out, cupped his jaw, and kissed him.

Right there. Between shelves of books and the quiet hum of air-conditioning.

It wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t rushed.

It was deliberate.

Dean froze for half a second before instinct kicked in. His hand found her waist, and he leaned into it.

When she finally pulled away, Dean blinked, stunned. "Whoa… uh—what was that?"

"Just proving a point"

Dean chuckled under his breath, eyes twinkling. "Remind me to get in your way more often if this is how you make points"

She smiled faintly, glancing over her shoulder where Cory stood at a distance, watching them, jaw clenched.

"Come on, Paperback Boy," she said, grabbing Dean’s hand. "Let’s go ruin someone’s ego"

Dean laughed and followed, his fingers lacing through hers like it was always meant to be.

And Cory?

He didn’t follow this time.

He just watched them walk away—

Realizing far too late...

She wasn’t his to chase anymore.

He made a grave mistake years ago, and it's  irredeemable.

•••

THE KNIGHT'S RESIDENCE*

The scent of cinnamon tea drifted through the Knight residence as Hailey stepped through the familiar doorway, clutching her phone like it might ground her.

She’d been here countless times over the years to check in on Mrs. Knight, to binge-watch shows with Vanessa, to sit on the porch and talk about grief, boys, and everything in between.

But today, her legs felt like lead.

Mrs. Knight was in the living room reading a newspaper. 

Vanessa appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair tied in a loose puff and her oversized hoodie slipping off one shoulder. 

"Hailey! That was fast. Mom just said you texted"

"We need to talk"

Mrs. Knight turned. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"

Hailey looked between them, heart pounding. "I… I saw Xavier"

The words dropped like a bomb.

Vanessa blinked. "Sorry, what?"

Hailey stepped further in, voice trembling. "Last night. He came to Jasmine’s  window. He was real, Vee. I touched him. He talked to me. He’s alive"

Mrs. Knight’s newspaper slipped from her hand.

"What... did you say?" she whispered.

Hailey nodded quickly, breath shallow. "He looked exactly the same, just older. His voice, the way he talks, the teasing, everything. It was him"

Vanessa descended the stairs slowly, like her body was moving through molasses. "Hails… I know we talk about him a lot. We miss him. But this, this isn’t funny"

"Do I look like I’m joking?" Hailey snapped, eyes suddenly brimming. "I wouldn’t play about Xavier. Not with you. Not with your mom"

Mrs. Knight had gone completely still, one hand on the arm chair to keep steady.

"Sweetheart, you’re saying he’s alive… after five years? That he just showed up?"

Hailey swallowed hard. "He said he had to disappear. That it was necessary. He wouldn’t tell me everything, just that… it had to happen"

Vanessa’s voice cracked. "And he came to you?"

Hailey turned to her slowly. "I didn’t ask for that. I didn’t even know he was alive until he was standing in front of me. I was just as shocked"

Vanessa paced now, one hand pressed to her temple. "But why wouldn’t he come to us? To Mom? To me?"

"We both know why"

Vanessa stared at her, a thousand emotions flashing behind her eyes... pain, confusion, hope.

"Are you sure it was him?" she whispered.

Hailey’s voice softened. "I knew the second I looked in his eyes"

Silence stretched across the room like a storm cloud.

Mrs. Knight finally stood up from the couch, her hands trembling. "My baby… he’s alive..."

Tears slipped down Mrs. Knight’s cheeks silently.

"Why now?" Vanessa whispered. "Why not sooner?"

Hailey shook her head. "I wish I had the answer"

For a long time, none of them spoke. The room was quiet save for the ticking clock and the soft sob that escaped Mrs. Knight’s lips.

But the air felt different now.

Not heavier… but fuller.

Hope, fragile as it was, had finally walked back into the Knight home.

Vanessa’s eyes were still glistening when a quiet sound broke the stillness.

Footsteps.

From the hallway.

Hailey turned first.

Her heart skipped violently in her chest as she saw him.

Xavier.

Walking in with that same casual arrogance that always made him seem untouchable. Hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets. Hood halfway off his head. Dark jeans, messy hair.

Like he wasn’t five years late.

Like he hadn’t broken them all.

Vanessa gasped, the color draining from her face. "No… no way…"

She stumbled backward, grabbing the edge of the couch for balance. Her hand trembled as she pointed. "You— X-Xavier?"

He stopped a few feet into the living room, eyes flickering between them.

"Hey, Ness" he said flatly.

Her knees buckled, and she sank slowly to the floor. "I’m gonna pass out. I swear to God—"

"Don’t" Xavier muttered. "That’d just make things more dramatic than they already are"

Mrs. Knight stood next. Her face was pale, her breath caught in her throat.

She took two urgent steps forward, then froze.

Her voice cracked like glass. "Xavier?"

His jaw flexed.

He didn’t answer.

She took another step, hands rising, desperate to touch him to confirm he was real and not some cruel illusion.

"Please, let me—" she whispered, reaching for him.

Xavier instantly stepped back. "Don’t"

The rejection was cold.

His mother froze, pain flashing across her face like a whip.

Hailey held her breath, watching it all unfold.

Mrs. Knight’s hand dropped slowly. "You’re really here…"

Xavier looked away, gaze hard and detached. "Unfortunately"

Vanessa was still on the floor, staring at her brother like he was a ghost. "You’re alive… all this time. You were alive"

Xavier gave a slow nod. "Yep"

"That’s it? ‘Yep’?!" Vanessa’s voice shot up, her hands trembling as she stood shakily. "You let us mourn you! You watched us fall apart!"

He didn’t flinch.

"You think you’re the only one who suffered?" Vanessa’s voice cracked. "You think you’re the only one who had pain? What about Mom? Me? Hailey?"

He looked at her then. Just for a moment. And his expression shifted, only slightly like something behind his eyes softened for a second before hardening again.

"I didn’t come here for explanations" Xavier muttered. "I came to let you know I’m not dead"

Mrs. Knight stepped forward again, voice breaking. "Xavier… whatever it was, wherever you were, we can fix it. Please, I need my son back—"

"I was never yours" Xavier cut in coldly. "Don’t pretend now"

The room froze.

Mrs. Knight’s face crumpled like paper.

Hailey stepped forward instinctively. "Xavier—"

"No" he snapped, eyes still locked on his mother.

"You know what hurts more than disappearing? Coming back and realizing nothing’s changed. Same fake tears. Same sudden affection"

"That’s not fair" Mrs. Knight whispered, trembling.

"You were never a mother to me" he said calmly, voice like ice. "Just a woman who gave birth"

Mrs. Knight covered her mouth, tears slipping fast now. Vanessa turned sharply toward Hailey, eyes wide and stunned, unsure what to say or do.

"I faked it" The words dropped like a thunderclap.

Hailey's breath hitched. Vanessa’s mouth fell open.

"What did you just say?" Vanessa croaked.

"I faked my death" Xavier repeated, slower this time. "I worked with Dr. Linus. He owed me. And he kept his mouth shut"

Vanessa staggered back to the couch like her knees couldn't hold her. “You mean… the doctor knew? The hospital? Everyone?”

Xavier nodded once. “Just him. And one more person, but that’s not important”

Hailey stepped forward, her eyes sharp and wet. "Why?"

He swallowed hard, then said simply:

"I needed to cool my head… from everything"

The room spun. Literally. Hailey felt her lungs squeeze in rage.

"You WHAT?" she hissed. "You faked your death. Made everyone cry. Mourn. Fall apart because you needed to ‘cool your head’? Is that a joke?!"

"I was dealing with a lot!" he snapped, frustration creeping into his voice.

SMACK!

The slap came fast.

Hailey’s palm stung.

And Xavier’s head turned with the impact, his cheek reddening instantly.

The room froze.

Even Vanessa gasped audibly.

Hailey’s voice shook. "I don’t know when I did that. But I’m glad I did"

He stared at her, blinking slowly.

"You left me" she whispered, heart cracking open. "You left me thinking you died, Xavier. I cried myself sick. I begged God. I lit candles. I screamed your name in nightmares"

He said nothing.

Hailey took a shaky step back, tears brimming. "All of that… because you wanted a break?"

He slowly turned his head back to face Hailey, a dark shadow creeping over his expression.

"Well…" His voice was low now. Almost too calm. "That’s not the real issue here"

Hailey’s brows knit, lips parting slightly. "What?"

He exhaled, stuffing his hands deeper into his hoodie pockets like the weight of what he was about to say needed anchoring.

"My heart," he said. "The defect… it got worse"

Hailey’s body froze. Vanessa straightened up sharply. Even Mrs. Knight’s sobs quieted to a sharp breath.

"I solved it once" Xavier continued. "Surgery, pills, lifestyle… all of that. It gave me a few extra years. But lately… it’s failing again"

He gave a slow, bitter smile. "So, yeah. I came back. Because it seems like this time… I’m actually dying for real"

"No" Hailey whispered, a single tear trailing down her cheek. "Don’t say that"

Vanessa’s face contorted in denial. "No—no, you just said you were better! That you handled it. Don’t lie now!"

Xavier looked between them, then at his mother.

"I came to say goodbye properly" he murmured.

Mrs. Knight's legs gave way, and she slumped to the armrest.

Vanessa began to shake her head violently, her voice rising, broken. 

"You don’t get to do this twice, X. You don’t get to leave again and say it’s permanent"

Xavier’s eyes finally locked with Hailey’s.

"But this time, I wanted you to know first"

Hailey swallowed hard, every nerve in her body frayed.

"You think that makes it better?" she whispered, fists clenching. "That now you’re dying for real, suddenly everything you did before doesn’t matter?"

Xavier didn't answer.

Because what could he say?

She stepped toward him one last time, inches from his chest.

"You don’t get to break me again, Xavier Knight" she whispered.

Hailey opened her mouth to say something else…

But Xavier swayed.

Just slightly. Just enough for her heart to lurch.

"Xavier?" Vanessa’s voice rose.

Then he stumbled.

And this time, he didn’t catch himself.

He dropped fast and hard hitting the floor like the truth had finally caught up with him.

"XAVIER!" Hailey screamed, rushing to him including his sister and mother.

His lips moved.

But no sound came out.

Only blood.

___

💕TBC💕

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