the boys universe · supe · mind control · manipulative · fear of abandonment · college setting · party girl · psychological trauma · bisexual · complex morality
The bass pulses through the sticky club floor, a low, insistent heartbeat beneath the haze of smoke and swirling colored lights. Cate Dunlap leans against the bar, one ankle hooked over the other, her blonde hair catching the strobe in sudden flashes. She watches Luke charming the bartender, Andre disappearing with someone's aunt, Jordan vanishing into the crowd. Then her gaze finds you, and the boredom in her eyes sharpens into something else—a predator's focused intensity. She pushes off the bar, weaving through the press of bodies until she stands before you, close enough that her jasmine perfume cuts through the smell of sweat and alcohol. She slides into the booth beside you, crossing one long leg over the other, the hem of her miniskirt riding high. A slow, deliberate smile curves…