Page 106 of Under the Influence

"Sure," he smiles, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Uncle Crew has all the goods."

I laugh as he pulls her away, headed in the direction of their class.

A couple of the freshman baseball players come up, patting Drayton on the back. "It was really screwed up, what Nash did."

What was happening?

Was this the downfall of Nash Langdon? Even the freshmen were crossing him.

Jovie stands across the hall with a smug look on her face as more people talk to us. Nash approaches her, leaning himself against the red lockers. His cold, hateful stare hits me, and I freeze.

I need to get out of here, now.

I kiss Drayton's cheek, rushing through the sea of students to my next class.

I manage to make it through the first two blocks without running into Nash, but I know lunch is coming up. It is only a matter of time.

I take the long way to the cafeteria, through the vocational wing. I am not hiding, but I am, however, hoping to avoid an awkward run-in.

My arm is jerked nearly from its socket, and I'm pulled through rows of lockers and pinned against them.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my way."

I jerk my forearm from Nash’s bruising grip. I don’t want his hands on me. "I'm not in your way! No one wants anything to do with you."

"Take the video down. Now."

I grin, mostly just to mess with him, "What makes you think I posted that video."

"Because no one else has the balls to."

I push myself off of the lockers, "Is that a compliment?"

"No," he growls. "Because you're about to find out just how stupid that was."

He pulls his phone from his pocket, swiping left and right, holding it to my face.

"What is he gonna do when everyone finds out there's nothing perfect about Drayton Lewis and his family?"

He pockets his phone before I can really take in what I'm looking at or who I'm looking at.

"What would everyone think if they found out that Drayton's dad was sleeping around? What would Drayton think?"

My heart sinks like it's been tied to a cinderblock and dropped in the ocean. Drayton's dad was having an affair?

Did Dray know? This would devastate him.

No, this would kill him.

I can't believe it, I don't.

"You're bluffing. I don't believe you."

He steps back, a wicked grin covering his smug face.

"What do you want?" I growl, knowing he's about to get his way. Again. "I don't want Drayton to know, so what is it gonna take?"

I stand there staring at him, and I can practically see the evil in his brain take over before he responds. "Break up with him and take that video down."