Her Corrupted (Havensridge University Book 1) Read online

  Her Corrupted

  Havensridge University

  Book 1

  Copyright © 2021 C.E. Lashua

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this publication only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronical, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the copyright holder’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by EVE Graphic Designs LLC

  Author’s Note

  Please keep in mind that Her Corrupted is a college bully reverse harem romance with multiple dark themes that include but are not limited to non-consensual sexual acts, severe instances of bullying, mental and emotional abuse.

  There are instances of graphic sexual acts and violence.

  This is book 1 in the Havensridge University series and does end on a cliffhanger.

  Tread carefully.

  Enjoy!

  Dedication

  I really wouldn’t have been able to pull this book off without the amazing support of my husband. Thank you so much.

  And for everyone, who’s stuck by my side through this chaotic journey, thank you. I appreciate you so much. More than I can say.

  Chapter One

  The birds were singing a glorious tune by the time I stepped out of my beat down, rusted up Ford. The air was different. Granted it was the city, but it felt fresher. Better and more open. No longer confining.

  Inhaling a big whiff of my newfound freedom, I took in the scenery around me. All the people that were busy scurrying from one building to another, most of them looked excited to start their new lives just like I was. Some, however, looked older and much more irritated about having to move back into their dorms. Those ones I could tell from the rest by the way they were kicking their feet against the ground, refusing to move any faster. The tables near the upperclassman were filled across campus with returning students, the line moving especially slowly. The lines near the freshman building however, seemed to be moving twice as fast. The students grabbing snatching their information packets out of the administration hands, eager to start their newfound life. I suspected when the awe of being there finally wore off, I’d be in the same postion they were.

  Taking one last deep breath, I closed my eyes to take in the sounds of traffic and the bustling of the scenery. The way the wind caressed my skin as if in welcoming.

  “Hey,” a crude voice called from behind me. Looking down, I spotted the taxi driver leaning over through the open passenger side window. The slicked back greasy hair and scar under his left eye gave him an edgier appearance than he would’ve normally had, I’m sure. “It’s gonna be fifty bucks.”

  “Oh, right.” Reaching down into my purse, I rifled through for my wallet. “Sorry about that. I just got so excited to finally be here.”

  Handing him the bills, all I got in return was an acknowledging grunt before he stepped out to help me take my bags out of the trunk.

  “Thank you for the ride. And the help,” I said, offering him a smile in gratitude. His eyes narrowed into slits for a moment before giving another grunt and returning to the driver’s seat.

  Shrugging, turning back around to my new home, I stopped in my tracks as I caught sight of the most heartbreakingly handsome man I’d ever seen. He was lounging back on the grass with a hoard of girls circling around, vying for his attention. The way his messy hair was styled, I could tell it was intentional. Coifed back with a few strategically lose strands out of place, one of them curled right over his forehead, giving him an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. His white button-down shirt open, revealing a delicious spectacle of his six-pack. The girls around him were eating up like it was their main course, and he was going to be the dessert. Hell, I was getting hungry just watching him.

  “EH, girly, did you hear me?” Turning back around, I realized the taxi driver was still there, once again leaning out the window.

  “I’m sorry.” I shook my head trying to get that man out of my head. “Could you repeat that?”

  Sighing like it was the biggest problem in the world, he went on, “I said to keep yer wits about you in a place like this.” Nodding over to the guy I had just been drooling over, he said, “Especially with them types.”

  “Them types?” At this point I was curious where he was going with his warning but ultimately he merely shook his head and sat back in his seat.

  “Yeah, them types.” He put the car in gear. “Just be careful.” That was all the warning I received before he rolled up his window and sped off.

  Huh, very strange.

  Leaning down, I grabbed the handle of my duffle bag and hiked it up over my shoulder, taking hold of the other in my left hand. One more deep breath. I’ve got this. I can do it. It’s a huge step and a new adventure. A new life waiting for me once I stepped off the sidewalk.

  Flashes of Harmony’s and Eric’s faces pushed themselves into my mind with a twinge of guilt before I managed to push them aside and concentrate on what laid ahead of me.

  Finally taking that first step, I felt the morning dew on my toes as my flip flops became covered in the water, daring one more glance in the pretty-boy’s direction.

  Which was apparently a huge mistake since he was looking straight at me, a pensive look across his face. In the blink of an eye, though, his expression changed and there was a come-hither smile stretching from ear to ear. Noticing my stare, his tongue darted out and slowly made a licking trail across his bottom lip before his teeth gently bit down, making his groupie of girls lose all of their senses and not even try to hold back their squealing any longer.

  As much as I didn’t want to admit it, my stomach was being filled with butterflies and an intense sensation started to build between my legs. Clutching my bags tighter, I started to book it for the registration table by the Freshman dorm before I broke down and began flinging myself at the mystery man just like the other girls who clearly had no shame.

  A soft chuckle chased me all the way across the quad, diverting my concentration from walking and making me slam face-first into a set of lean shoulders near the table.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Picking up the bags that got dropped in the process, I looked up to meet a set of warm chocolatey. Only there was nothing warm about the hard set of his face. In fact, he looked about ready to make me drop dead.

  “It’s alright.” Unlike Mr. Campus Romeo from earlier, there was no flirtation to his grin. It was all feral and menacing. His eyes themselves looked capable of killing me on the spot. “There seems to be an abundance of dense girls filling the campus this year.” Pointedly looking over at Romeo with his cacophony of females and then back at me.

  “That was rude.”

  “Was it?” The smile seemed to grow in ferocity, adding a dangerous edge to his dirty blonde hair and casual stance.

  “Yes, it was,” I insisted. “It’s not like I meant to, and I did apologize.”

  “Right,” he drawled. “Because apologies make everything miraculously better.”

  For the first time in our conversation, a haunted look came over his face, giving it a faraway look. There was no telling what was going through his mind, but I found myself drawn to the shadows that lingered there. The shadows t
hat concealed every personable part of him. I found myself wanting to delve deeper into them. Before I had a chance to say anything else, it was gone. Disappeared as if it had never been there.

  “Next time, watch where you’re going.”

  “Why?” My defenses instant rose again. ‘Because everyone isn’t as friendly as you?”

  Eyebrows rising to his hairline, he looked down his nose at me, making me immediately regret the words. For once, why couldn’t I have kept my big mouth shut?

  “Precisely.” With that he turned on his heel, picking up a folder from the table and headed toward the Freshman dorms.

  “Don’t take it too personally,” The girl from behind the table said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “He’s like to everyone.”

  “Oh?” Tearing my eyes away from his retreating back, I turned to face her.

  “Yeah.” The word came out more as a sigh than anything else. “Too bad, too. Otherwise, he’d have all of the girls crawling all over him just like Roman does. Not that he doesn’t anyway with who his family is.”

  “Roman?”

  “Mhmm.” Tilting her head off to the side, she nodded in the direction I came from. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the same guy from a couple minutes ago staring straight at me. Noticing me staring once again, he got to his feet and started walking over toward us.

  Nervous about being caught, I tucked my head down and turned away.

  “Could I have my registration information please? It’s for Meadow Feld.”

  “Oh,” the girl seemed taken aback for a moment before reaching into the giant bin and grabbing my folder. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered as I turned toward the Freshman dorm and booked it as far from the advancing stranger as I could.

  Of course, there was another more laughter that followed, but I was far enough away to make it through the doors and close off the sound before it had a chance to settle in my ears for too long.

  Looking down, I took note of the number 314 and began searching for my room. Finding the stairs, I started to make my way up them in search for the third. Now that the initial excitement and the embarrassment of the two guys was over with, I felt a new dread starting to settle in. The nervousness of meeting my new roommate.

  Since freshman were required to share rooms, I couldn’t request a single but that was okay. I didn’t want one anyway. I loved meeting new people and seeing the differences between us. That thought sounded a little strange in my mind, even as it came through.

  My parents weren’t exactly the type to enforce rules or set boundaries. Basically, Harmony and Eric let me do whatever I wanted if I didn’t cause too much trouble or draw too much attention to them. It’d be a shame if the authorities ever found out about all the marijuana they had growing in the woods on the extra plot of land we owned. Then their whole world would come crumbling down.

  I’d much rather deal with the anxiety of starting a new school than deal with the pressure of them being severely disappointed in me. Which was how I ended up at Havensridge University. Not too far from their hippie lifestyle so I could still go visit, but far enough away for me to live my own life. Which was exactly what I needed: a break from their overly suffocating laid-back lifestyle.

  By the time I reached the top of the long stairwell, I was way out of breath. I was severely lacking in the exercise department. Maybe I could take up running or yoga or something after classes started. I remembered seeing something about them having a private gym here for the students, which was awesome, right next to the music hall, which was even more exciting.

  Continuing down the hallway, I finally came to a stop outside 314. Standing there listening to the blaring pop music coming from inside, I felt the tiniest sliver of hope. Clearly we had the same type of music so it wouldn’t be too bad. We could bond over that. Harmony always said that peace and love are what makes the world go around, and that it was human nature to bond over similarities.

  Shaking my head, I shook that thought out as fast as it popped in there. If I stuck to their ‘flower-power’ way of thinking, I was more likely to push people away than to make friends.

  One step and a time. That’s all it took.

  One more deep breath, because apparently that was helping to calm my nerves, I turned the doorknob and was wholly surprised at what I found.

  There she was, my new roommate, dancing around to an old school Britney Spears song in her underwear, an oversized white shirt, and a hairbrush as a microphone. Talk about one hell of an introduction.

  Not quite sure what to say, but not wanting anyone else to catch her so exposed, I quickly entered the room and shut the door behind me. The click must have been loud enough over the music since she twirled around and let out an ear-piercing scream. Not wanting my eardrums to burst, my belongings fell to the floor around me as I instantly covered my ears from the reverberations.

  “I’m sorry!” The girl tossed her hairbrush onto the bed and bounced over to me, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Tugging on my earlobe a bit to attempt to stop the ringing, I glanced up to see her worriedly peering into my eyes. Even with the concern, her emerald eyes were filled with life and an unknown joy I had never felt before. She was the peppiest person I had ever met. Which was saying something because Harmony was pretty uplifting a lot of the times, but it was a different kind. More like she was baked out of her mind most of the time that nothing ever seemed to really both her.

  “You startled me,” she gave a little laugh, pulling her perfectly manicured hand away. “I didn’t mean to scream so loudly. It just kinda happened.”

  “It’s alright.” I gave a tiny smile in return trying to let her know I wasn’t really bothered by it. Trying even harder not to let her know how anxious I was.

  Taking me in for a moment longer, from my worn-out flip flops to the holey jeans, up to the tank top and the black waves in my hair, she gave another smile before throwing her arms around me.

  “I’m Jessie. Jessie Hurst.” Pulling back, she reached down to grab my bag and carried it over to the bed that wasn’t overflowing with clothes.

  “Thank you,” I managed to get out.

  “It’s the least I could do.” She flung another smile my way. She seemed to throw them around like they were pieces of candy. But, hey, I wasn’t going to complain. It was nice to be around people for a change. Anyone really. “You know, after almost making you go deaf and all.”

  A tiny laugh burst out of my chest. Halfway between a sigh of relief and an actual attempt at a laugh.

  “Meadow.”

  “Huh?” Tilting her head in confusing, she gave me a look that said I was a bit crazy.

  “Meadow,” I repeated. “My name is Meadow Feld.”

  “Oh,” realization dawning on her. “That’s such a pretty name!”

  “You think so?”

  Losing a bit of the pent-up nerves, I began making my way over to the bed and unpacking the rest of my meager belongings.

  “Of course,” she reassured, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s beautiful. So wild. So free. So…” She stopped speaking then to look over at me. She was doing that a lot and I was beginning to think I had something on my face. Attempting to be nonchalant, I wiped away at my cheek with the tips of my fingers, hoping against all hope that there weren’t any crumbs from breakfast there. “Sorry, I was just thinking how nice it’d be to be like that.” A tiny laugh escaped. “Wild and free.” A heavy sigh left her lips before she turned around to confront the massive amount of clothes on her bed.

  “Anyway.” Grabbing a pair of boxer shorts from the pile, she flung them on, leaving the rest where they were. “Where are you from?”

  Damn, I was really hoping to prolong that question. Or never answer it. Preferably the latter.

  “Just a few hours away. In the country. Tiny little place.” That was an acceptable response, right? Judging by the look
on her face, she had more questions than answers.

  Not giving my new roomie a chance to ask and pass judgement on me, I started pulling clothes from the duffelbag and hanging them in the closet. It wasn’t very big, but that didn’t bother me. Harmony and Eric were very minimalistic people and tried pushing those views on me. Along with every other belief they had. Suffice it to say, I was used to living scarcely.

  “You didn’t bring very much with you, huh?”

  “Fuck.” Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn’t realized that Jessie was standing over my shoulder peering down onto bed, my body instantly jumping five feet into the air.

  “You okay?” She gave a tiny laugh as she watched me get my bearings.

  “Yup, completely fine. You just scared the shit outta me.”

  “My bad, sorry.” Giving a sheepish smile, she bit the bottom of her lip before continuing. “You spook pretty easily, huh?”

  That question brought back a whole flood of memories. I stood there attempting to push them away, trying so damn hard to stay in the present and not let the memories take over. I concentrated on Jessie. Her hair. Her nose. Her perfectly styled pixie cut. Those scorching green eyes that seemd to pierce right through me and see all of my secrets.

  Controlling my breathing, I focused on the now and forced the image of Duke out of my mind. The boy who once meant everything to me. The boy who was once always there for me. The boy that utterly shattered my world.

  Forcing myself to ignore those images, the broken shards of my existence that scraped across my memories, I gave another tiny smile hoping that she wouldn’t push the subject. She didn’t, thankfully. But she did keep staring with a pensive look on her face, and I honestly wasn’t sure which was worse.

  Refusing to delve deeper and hating myself for making everything awkward on my first day, I fished unpacking in silence. Even with all of the clothes on her bed, Jessie apparently didn’t have the same notion. She turned up the music and kept singing along to the throwback pop hits she had playing in the background.