Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Moretti vs. Moretti. Thatcher and Banks were squared off in the ring, but unbeknownst to the audience, the boxing match had been choreographed in advance. By Banks. They weren’t a match-up at first. The plan had been for Thatcher to duke it out with Oscar, but Banks didn’t want anyone to injure his twin. Thatch’s recovery from his surgery, after the Summer Fest shooting, had been slower than I bet most of us realized.
He’s one of the stubborn ones. So he wasn’t gonna drop out of the fight. Second best thing was to make him fight Banks.
I still thought I should’ve been up there, but I accepted my place. Cheerleader. I didn’t half-ass it either. I shouted so much my voice started going hoarse, but during the clash of the Morettis—that’s when I really worried about Froggy.
She kept intaking sharp breaths and swaying from side to side. She’d check her phone like she was obsessing over the time. She’d smooth her clammy palms on her velvet emerald-green dress and fiddle with her dangly silver earrings.
Scooter was on the other side of her. It’d been one reason why I stayed so close. Couldn’t believe she invited the guy, but after she had rehashed how that came to be, I’d realized that he’d invited himself.
He tried passing her a vodka cocktail. “Here. It’ll take the edge off.”
She pushed it back, too anxious to drink.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked Frog over the commotion.
She nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah, I need to talk to you too.” She practically yanked me out of the venue and onto the carpeted casino floor.
We ended up sitting at two Flaming 7 slot machines, and I lit a cigarette while she clutched her knees. Facing each other. “It’s Quinn.” She purged out his name like it’d been festering inside. “It’s not good, Donnelly. He shouldn’t be on the title card—let alone the main event match. Not while…” Her face was torn up.
“Frog,” I consoled and immediately snuffed out the cigarette on a plastic ash tray. “While what?”
“Nessa. She…” I saw the gutted look in her eyes, and my stomach started eating itself.
I shook my head. I’d abandoned the idea that Quinn’s girlfriend could be abusive. Nessa. Vanessa. I’d convinced myself lately that it was all fucked-up in my brain. That I didn’t trust girls with that name. That’s all. He was fine. There was no reason to go to Oscar. No reason to pry deeper into Quinn’s personal life.
No reason to be a better friend. The one he needed. It hurt knowing I failed him somewhere along the way.
“I think she hurts him,” Frog said. “He has this massive bruise on his back, and when I asked him about it, he got so defensive of her before I even mentioned her name. And I know the Oliveira brothers were pro-boxers, but if he’s being physically…if she’s hurting him like that…I don’t think he should be in that ring.”
“We’ll stop him,” I said.
She exhaled, releasing her grip on her knees. “You believe me?”
“I had a hunch too. I just didn’t want it to be true.” My voice sounded hoarse again. I couldn’t even chalk it up to being a kickass cheerleader.
Then I saw Scooter in the distance. Lingering near a blackjack table, he scanned the casino for Frog, and I kept her at the slots for one more second.
“Don’t go yet,” I said.
“Quinn—”
“You,” I emphasized and cocked my head toward Scooter. She could see him. He hadn’t found her yet. Before she defended him, I said fast, “You’re so quick to see red flags in others. You see what Quinn is going through, but why can’t you see what’s happening to you?”
Her eyes reddened. “I…it’s not the same.”
“Yeah, it is.” I hadn’t wanted to be too late for Quinn, but like hell was I gonna be too late for her. “He’s manipulative. He preys on your emotions. He’s not good people, and you’ve got good people around you. And when this is all said and done, it’s gonna be you, me, and Quinn.” Tears started running down her cheeks. “You’re gonna protect Luna for a long, long time, and I’m going to be with her forever. You won’t ever lose her or me. I’ll always be here for you—and not just ‘cause you’re her Number One Protector. You’re my friend. My friends are family, and you’ve gotta release this guy from your life. I know what it’s like to have friends who don’t want anything good for you, and it’s soul-sucking. Don’t let anyone dim your light.”
She nodded, hugged me, and wiped her face with the back of her hand. I wished I had tissues to give her. Best thing I could find was a cocktail napkin on our way out. She told off Scooter right there, and I didn’t give him much chance to grovel to Frog.