Read Damage Me (Crystal Gulf Book 2) for Free Online Page A

frowned, checking out her clothes. Her shorts were shorter than anything I would ever buy, and she’d intentionally pulled her tank down, highlighting her cleavage. “Was it hard to walk down the sidewalk without being propositioned?”
    “I’d rather be propositioned than peed on. By my cats,” she added, snickering. “Seriously, Hillary. You’re so pretty. You have a perfect body. Why do you dress like you’re going to a retirement party?”
    “Perfect?” I snorted. “Define perfect.”
    “Size two. That’s perfect.”
    I knew first hand that perfection did not exist. We could never truly grasp it because it wasn’t something you obtained, but coveted. Most times I didn’t consider how I looked from the perception of others. In doing so, I only felt let down. I was comfortable with myself, and I thought that was all that mattered. What was there to be uncomfortable about when my mother picked it all out for me?
    “How about I change that.” I reached over and snatched what was left of her cake, shoving it into my mouth. “Bye size two. Hello, huge butt.”
    She pursed her lips and set her mug down. Then she reached into her backpack and took out her cell phone. Her thumbs raced across the screen. “There. I feel better.”
    “What did you do? Piper,” I repeated when she ignored me. “What did you do?”
    “We’re going to get sexy tonight.”
    Sexy and Hillary weren’t two words that went together. “I’d rather not.”
    “Too bad.” She returned her phone and picked up her mug, taking a sip. “Can I ask you a question? Without you getting mad.”
    I nodded warily.
    “What are you so afraid of?” When I frowned, she continued. “You’re on this straight and narrow path that you didn’t even pick. You do everything your mom says. I get it, I really do. You’re all each other has. That forges a tight bond. But the last rule you broke was eating carbs after midnight. What are you so afraid of? How can you know this is what you want when you’re not even the one who wanted this first?” Her light blue eyes were alive with an emotion I wasn’t familiar with.
    I studied it as I pretended to contemplate her question. My best friend didn’t look the same anymore. Gone was the shy little Piper, who used to come over and play dolls. It made me truly wonder what happened to her this past summer while I’d been busy. She was hanging out with Emery and Jasmine too much. They were taking my friend. I’d let them, unknowingly losing her to the other side of the railroad tracks.
    “I’m not afraid. Not too long ago you understood how I felt. Because you felt it too.” I doubted having sex was responsible for her change. It was something else. Something was pushing Piper over the edge. I could either sit here and drive my point home and risk pushing her further away, or I could give in just enough to keep her here. “How sexy are we talking?”
    A huge grin broke across her face, and she bounced in her seat. “Hot. Emery’s bringing some things over. I texted her your address. This is going to be so much fun!”
    I smiled at my best friend. Inside I wasn’t smiling. My red lights were going off like crazy.
    Danger! They screamed. In danger of rule breaking. Back away while morals are still intact .
    But Piper needed me. I couldn’t leave her.
    I had a feeling I’d left her enough already.

Chapter Three
     
    Dylan
     
     
    My nails scratched indulgently at my wounds.
    “Ahh,” I moaned, closing my eyes in bliss.
    This was as close to sex as I was going to get. I scratched harder, feeling blood around my fingers but not stopping. I sagged against my hospital bed and basked in the pleasure radiating from my pain. It was fitting of my life, deriving pleasure from the wrong. So I scratched harder, craving a single second of escape.
    Once I’d had enough, I opened my eyes to find my fingers bloody and my gunshot throbbing red and angry. Shit . I had to admit this looked bad. I wiped most of