Omission Read Online Free Page B

about fifteen pounds. He had longer hair than the rest of us, and wore it pulled back in a ponytail. He had a half sleeve of tattoos on his right arm and wore a small ring in his bottom lip. He looked the part of a bad boy, but he was one of the nicest guys I knew.
    “How you doing , man?” Lucas grabbed his own beer and sat next to me.
    “Not bad.” I shrugged.
    “Hey, you did the right thing , Garrett. You know that, right?” He took a drink of his beer, waiting for me to answer.
    I nodded. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t have a choice, it was time.”
    “He’s gonna be good.” Lucas gave my shoulder a squeeze as we heard the other two meander down the stairs.
    “Are we ready?” Ryan asked, looking between us.
    Ryan was the biggest of us all. He had me by an inch, but I am pretty sure we weighed about the same. Ryan and I worked out together in the gym regularly. After I quit the team, I was worried I wouldn’t stay in shape, but I was probably in the best shape of my life right now. Ryan worked out to maintain his image more than just for lacrosse. He was a total man whore. The girls loved him, and he didn’t discriminate, leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake.
    Ethan was only about five foot te n and was built like Jackson. He was lean and muscular and fast—damn, that little shit could run. If he got the ball in a lacrosse game, there weren’t many people who could catch him. He could spin and run, losing his defender, leaving him wide open. It was fun to watch.
    “Let’s go ,” I said, standing up and tossing my empty bottle into the recycle bin as I headed to the door.
    Their house was literally just off campus. This had been perfect when I was involved in the party scene. We never needed a designated driver. If we could walk, we could get home. We paused on the sidewalk while Lucas locked the door.
    The night was cool, and it was already getting dark as we walked toward the main drag . I had to admit that it felt good to be out. It was great to feel the energy of the people around us, young and vibrant, just waiting for whatever the night could throw at them. In a way, I felt like a load had been lifted off of my shoulders—at least for a while.
    “Where are we going?” I asked as we slowed down on the sidewalk, almost causing me to run into Lucas’s back.
    “Right here.” Ryan pointed at the door. Oh great! Of course we are , I thought, as we stood in the small line to get into Pastimes . My heart rate picked up as I anticipated seeing her again.
    I was the last one of my friends to enter . When I paused to hand my ID to Rob, he reached out and shook my hand before he handed me back my ID. “How is she?” I spoke lower so no one else could hear. I didn’t want to try to explain anything to the guys—at least not tonight.
    “Fine, not that she would tell us if she wasn’t.” He looked over his shoulder where I caught a glimpse of her moving around behind the bar. I nodded. “Thanks, man.” He nodded back at me, reaching for the ID of the next person in line.
    Lucas grabbed a table as Ryan and Ethan headed for the bar to grab us some beers. “Shit, this is going to be funny.” Lucas was watching as Ryan approached the bar. “What is?” My eyes followed to where Lucas was looking, settling on Payton.
    “Ryan totally got shot down by this girl last night.” He laughed.
    “Which one?” I asked as I watched Payton move behind the bar with expertise. She was so petite, and one would think this crowd of unruly students would intimidate her, but she just took it in stride, laughing and smiling with everyone.
    She looked so different than the last time I’d seen her. I would have never guessed that she had been attacked just days before. She seemed so strong and undeterred. It was amazing.
    “The little dark haired one.” I felt my muscles tighten as I watched Ryan lean forward trying to charm her, I’m sure with one of his obnoxious pick up lines, and I knew right away that I