He bypasses my promise. “I care about two things. Money and loyalty. You fuck me out of either of those…”
And I’ll suffer the consequences.
Yeah, I get it. Loud and fucking clear.
“I can fight, and my loyalty is unmatched.” I mean, look at Mom. Despite her betraying me, I still showed up and paid her debts like a fool.
Tommy keeps his hands in his pockets and continues to stare at me. I feel the weight of his eyes but like hell if he thinks it’s going to break me. Besides, that’d almost be impossible since I’m already in pieces to begin with.
“Eli, what do you think?” Tommy inquires. “Should I give him an opportunity to prove himself? Should I let The Battleground swallow him up?”
Eli just smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. The hardness that took over in the ring melts off him. “I think Pretty Boy deserves a chance. I’ve seen him with a boxing bag, and it’s not a pretty sight.”
“You enter the mouth of the beast,” Tommy says to me. “He won’t spit you out, and if you’re one of the lucky few he doesn’t want, it still won’t matter. You won’t be whole by the end of it.”
An out isn’t something that’s on my mind. But even if it was, being mangled beyond anything I ever knew wouldn’t be new or scary for me. It’d just be another day in the long tumultuous life of Colson Moore.
TWENTY-TWO
VIOLET
Violet:When are you heading home?
Olive:Wrapping up what I need to then getting the hell out of here! Hallelujah.
Violet:You’ll miss it.
Olive:Will I?
Violet:Of course. Need I remind you how much you dreamed of attending school there?
“And that is a fucking wrap,”Ev beams, walking into the living room with two wine glasses cinched in her hand. She lifts a bottle of sauvignon blanc above her shoulder and drops onto the couch next to me, the cushions sighing as she comes down on them. I take the glasses long enough for her to pop one of the two hundred dollar bottles of spirits Sylvia told us to go to town on from the kitchen cabinet. She was supposed to celebratewith us as per tradition, but she messaged Everleigh an hour ago explaining she wasn’t going to make it.
I changed out of my stuffy day wear when I walked in through the door an hour ago. Ev was already out of her finely pressed skirt and blouse, and together we decided it was time to celebrate.
“No more finals. We arefinished. No studying, no thinking about class for the next few weeks.” She bypasses the appropriate amount of wine and fills our glasses to the tippy top.
“You love your classes.” I push my toes into her leg, teasing her. There have been times she gushes over her creative writing instructors and the assignments they give. “You sure you’re not mad over not having anything to keep you busy?”
She makes a pfft sound that rolls off her tongue. “While you’re right, and I do usually love my classes, I’m ready to say goodbye to this semester. I’m excited about the TA gig I have starting when we come back, but I really need this break, so I’m stuffing it down until we’re back.” Her eyes drop to the drink in her hand, and I can’t help but wonder if Tristan is still on her mind, if their breakup has affected her more than she shows.
I nibble the corner of my mouth, take a sip of my wine, then murmur, “I’ve been so swept up in my own life that I haven’t asked how you’re doing with the Tristan situation. I know you loved him, Ev, but if he can’t see past the glitz and glam…”
She smiles sadly, lifting her glass to clink into mine. “Then he doesn’t deserve me.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s been hard seeing him around, but…I have an entire backlist of an author I’ve been wanting to catch up on. So, there won’t be a minute I won’t have something to distract my mind. Plus, a friend from class gave me a manuscript she’s been working on. I told her I’d look it over and have it back to her bythe end of break. It’s the same one you caught me with the night you went to see Colson.”
She’s always had a love for romance books. And honestly, I find it kind of endearing that she lets go of her stresses and winds down with characters who spend more time holding each other at arm’s length until they realize they love each other than choosing to do anything else. “As long as you’re happy.”
“Lord knows that the books I read havewaybetter sex in them. Bet I can learn a thing or two by the time I find interest in men again.”
I cackle. “Everleigh!”
She shrugs. “Can’t blame a girl for having a strong sexual appetite.”
I smirk. “Tristan couldn’t keep up?”
