Page 119 of Leave Me Broken

He reaches around me and grabs two plates and does the same for cutlery before passing me one set and the other to Parker behind him who looks dead to the world with his hood low on his forehead. I’m not even sure his eyes are open but he’s walking.

“What if we don’t?”

My heart skips at the thought alone. “Ashley Pearson, are you suggesting we play hooky?”

His eyebrows sink and confusion fills his face. “Hooky?”

After I explain, his smile is wide. “Skiving—that’s exactly what I’m suggesting and instead of the parties, I take you out.”

“Like a date?”

“Your first ever.”

And suddenly I’m not, not looking forward to tomorrow anymore.

“Where is she?”

After another sweep of the studio, I shrug. “This is where she told us to come, right?”

Janelle scoffs. “She didn’t tell us anything. Whoever kidnapped our best friend did.”

“Now imagine if that were true and you just joked about it.”

She shrugs. “I’m not joking. If her mom didn’t periodically post something about Ronni, I would have called out the SWAT team already.”

I actually don’t doubt that.

We’ve been standing in this small photo studio for ten minutes waiting for Ronni to show her face so we can get back to the hotel. Since Janelle has to be primed and ready for the party tomorrow and I want to be for my first date, we agreed on having a spa night in our hotel room. Ash wasn’t happy about not having me for the night, but Luca promised he would keep him busy—without strippers or exes.

I’ve gotten several texts and I’ve been keeping him informed with us just standing here.

I don’t know how much time passes, a long enough time of Janelle and me waiting around that we play “I” spy. Surprisingly there is a lot to spy in this white box.

It’s Janelle’s turn and she takes her time looking around the room, then she goes rigid and a huge smile spreads across her face. “I spy with my little eye—our best friend.”

I whip around. Ronni is crying and a choked sob comes from Janelle before the three of us are running full speed at each other, not caring when we collide and fall to the ground in a three-way hug.

“I can’t believe you guys are here,” Ronni cries into Janelle’s shoulder while choking me with her thin arm.

We hug for a long time before pulling away. Then we just stare at each other, smiling, because the truth is, I can’t believe it either. It’s been so long since we have been a trio and now here we are. We get three whole days with Ronni, besides volleyball, because she flies out to Milan on Friday and her manager is giving her a break until then.

“So, are you like free to go?” Janelle asks.

I pick up how Ronni winces with that question. It’s not that obvious, and if I wasn’t staring at her so intently, or hadn’t known her my whole life, I might not have seen it.

“Yeah, let me just . . .” She looks around. “Oh, there he is. Hang on.”

She pushes to her feet, then strides across the room, looking more graceful than I’ve ever seen.

“She looks so different,” Janelle mutters while Ronni interacts with some guy. I’m guessing her manager. The manager that apparently doesn’t think I’m a good influence on Ronni.

Ronni does look different. Her chestnut brown hair is still pin straight but it’s longer now, mid-back, or so. It’s only been three months since I saw her but it feels like a lifetime. Her manager seems to remind her of something because he’s pointing at his watch. Ronni nods as she glances back at us and offers a weak smile before her manager hooks her chin and drags her attention back to him. Then he scowls at us.

“Did you—”

“Mhm.” Janelle frowns. “Does Ronni look . . . too thin?”

Ronni has always been the smallest of the three of us and that’s saying something because Janelle is thin too, but this Ronni is like all skin and bones. It’s very noticeable in her white tank top and blue jeans. “Yes.”

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