Book 3 -4-

[Sinful]

Malik

Red, yellow, and blue beams erupted from the ceiling’s revolving lights, illuminating the dance floor. My gaze wandered over the densely populated throng, moving and dancing to the DJ’s catchy tunes. In the VIP booth, the floor pulsed beneath my feet, and it was impossible to avoid the heat emanating from the throng.

“Malik, man, what’s up with you tonight? For weeks, you turned us down when we asked you to hang out, and tonight you’re here. It’s like you’re not. You’re not drinking. Heck, you ignore the girls who throw themselves at you. What’s your problem, dude?” Chad yelled in my ear, giving me a friendly punch in the arm. Meanwhile, a blonde carbon copy of a Barbie doll rocked and rotated her hips on his crotch.

I shrugged. He was right. I had been refusing to hang out with them, but they didn’t need to know the reason. With everything going on at home, it was hard to leave, knowing an attack could happen at any minute. Besides, if I started drinking with these