Page 51 of The Way We Are

“After Cormack’s cut, a little over ten G’s,” I reply, tapping two fingers on the bundle of bills stuffed in my pocket.

Isaac whistles, impressed by my tally. “You’re doing good, but you’ll burn out if you keep the double schedule like the past few weeks. Maybe reel it back to one fight a night for the remainder of the month,” he suggests.

I shake my head. “Nah. I’m good. I’m done.”

Isaac’s gray eyes lift and lock with mine. “Done?” He only says one word, but his squinted gaze reveals way more than his words ever could.

"Yep. Done. I've been tucking away my winnings as you suggested, so I've got a good nest egg saved up for my next chapter. One more week, and I'm outta here."

Brax is quiet, but I don’t miss the sigh he couldn’t harness. He has expressed concern about my desire to leave Ravenshoe a minimum two to three times a day since I told him my plans, but he also knows I’ve got no reason to stay.

I may not have the means to make a life for myself out of this town, but it’s got to be better than the half-assed one I’ve been living the past few years.It can’t get any worse.

“Alright,” Isaac says, quirking his lips. “You always know the road back home if you change your mind.” He gathers a bundle of hundreds from his suit pocket before counting out fifty of them. “Here’s the original buy-in I kept aside for you, minus Cormack’s cut for registration.”

“Keep it,” I reply, thrusting the money back in his direction. “I would have never earned what I did the past five weeks without your help.”

Isaac smiles, humbled by my reply, but Brax glares at me like I’m mad.

“If you don’t take it, I fuckin’ will,” Brax warns.

After slapping away Brax’s grabbing hands, Isaac slides the money into my sports jacket. “Anything earned without merit I don’t want. You earned that money, Ryan. Not me.” A smirk tugs at his lips before he continues, “Besides, you’re going to need every penny for the suit Ricardo is making for you. I heard he ordered fabric from Italy for you?”

I huff out a chuckle. "Yeah, he did. I'm gonna look like Prince Charming."

This time Isaac’s laugh is genuine. "Usually, I’d recommended you treat any woman like a queen. But this is prom. The standard rules don't apply to prom."

“True, but I’ll stick to my gentleman act.”

Brax gags, sickened by my pledge.

I promised to show Amelia that no girl deserves an asshole for a date, and I intend to keep my promise. Amelia is a nice girl—she doesn't need a man like Axel in her life. Although we haven't gone out as suggested weeks ago, we've spoken on the phone numerous times. Our conversation never veered far from prom, but the handful of times it did, it flowed freely. There was never any moments of awkward silence or discomfort. It was just an everyday conversation.

Unfortunately, that also means it was void of any spark. I'm hoping I’ll feel that missing element when we attend prom later this week. If not, I can leave town with a clear conscience. It's a win-win really.

Isaac taps my driver side door two times, returning my focus to him before saying, “If you change your mind about disappearing, you know where to find me.”

He waits for me to nod before returning to his vehicle. His dramatic exit is as fast as Regina’s.

After checkingover my shoulder for the fourth time the past two minutes, I slide out an old shoe box hidden under my bed. The money I've been stuffing inside the past five weeks has grown so dramatically, the lid no longer sits flat.

I add tonight's prize money to the stack, not needing to count the bills to know my total. I've finally reached the amount I calculated weeks ago when my plans to leave Ravenshoe resurfaced for the first time in years. Everything I need to leave my old life for dust is now in place—I'm just doing it minus the one person I had always factored into the equation.Savannah.

I remember when Isaac handed me the first ten thousand dollars I had won. I thought I was as rich as a prince. Now I have over five times that amount, yet I feel as poor as dirt. I try to pretend the money I've amassed is merely a means to freedom, but a niggle surfaces in my mind every time I add to the stack.

I had initially planned to use this money to show Savannah I am just as worthy of her time as Axel. Unfortunately, it took me weeks to understand that money makes smart people stupid and honorable men dishonorable.

As long as greed is stronger than compassion,

there will always be suffering.

--Rusty Eric

23

Ryan

White lights dance in front of my eyes when the flash of a camera blinds me. Amelia's mom floats around us, snapping pictures from every angle. Her excitement is as high as Amelia's, an addictive mix of thrill and anticipation on what is about to happen.

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