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5 Point:
Chapter 6 Another outing
The fading light outside signaled the end of the day, and I absently reached for my phone, turning off airplane mode.
The sounds of laughter and the occasional clatter of bowling pins leaked through the thin walls of the lounge area, but inside the private room where I sat, it was oddly quiet. The noise from the alley beyond felt distant, almost like a hollow echo, barely covering the emptiness in the room.
William, my boss, had suggested I head home hours ago, but work had become my only refuge these days.
Then, the vibrations of my phone broke my reverie.
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Ring! Ring! Ring!
I winced at the sound. “Ugh, Bradley. Not now, I muttered under my breath, bracing for another unwanted call. But when I looked at the screen, a different name appeared: [Jeff Wilson].
Curiosity got the better of me, and I answered.
“Finally, Ashley!” Jeff’s voice blasted through the phone, impatient and loud. “Where the hell are you? We’ve been waiting since 4!”
“What?” I paused, confused by his urgency. “Waiting for me? Why?”
“Why?” His voice went from annoyed to baffled. “You and Bradley set this up! The bowling night? Don’t tell me you forgot.”
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“Wait, what?” I frowned, struggling to make sense of this. “I never-”
“Just get over here, Ashley. We don’t have all night!” Jeff cut me off, hanging up
before I could protest. A message with the address and private lane number followed immediately after.
It clicked. The Strike Zone–a bowling alley on the edge of the city known for its retro vibe, dim lighting, and private lanes. A place where businessmen and criminals alike
often booked rooms for more… clandestine gatherings.
A few weeks ago, I’d mentioned to Bradley how I wanted to go bowling to blow off some steam. But, of course, something always came up. First, it was some territorial dispute with another capo. Then, it was
Hallie’s latest “crisis,” some warehouse
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mix–up she’d dragged him into.
The thought of Hallie and Bradley together stirred up that all–too–familiar bitterness in my chest.
But then, a thought hit me.
This could be the perfect opportunity to end things with Bradley once and for all. Jeff and Hallie would be here–close enough to Bradley to make sure the message was clear. If I handled this right, I could break free from his control and his lies, once and for all.
With a determined breath, I grabbed my jacket, shoved my phone into my bag, and walked out of the office. Tonight, everything would change.
Outside The Strike Zone, the neon lights flickered against the deepening twilight. The
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usual buzz of the crowd filled the air–people unwinding after work, groups celebrating the end of the week. The rhythmic thud of bowling balls and the crash of pins formed the soundtrack to the lively atmosphere.
As I approached the entrance, a young man in a faded Strike Zone shirt greeted me. He looked like one of Bradley’s men, trying to blend in with the staff.
“Miss Harris, Mr. Martin’s been expecting you. Private lanes this way,” he said, his tone clipped, motioning toward a quieter section in the back.
I followed him through the crowd, weaving between people celebrating strikes and others lamenting gutter balls. He led me down a corridor past rows of shoes and lockers, until we reached a section of lanes roped off from the rest of the alley.
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Finally, we stopped in front of a sign labeled [Lane 10].
From inside, I could hear Jeff’s voice–loud, frustrated. “I’m telling you, Bradley, she just stormed off the other day. What does she even want? A damn apology?”
My hand froze just above the door handle. Jeff’s tone was always blunt, but tonight there was a sharpness to it that unsettled
- me.
Hallie’s soft laugh followed. “Relax, Jeff. Ashley’s had a rough week. You know how it is when emotions run high.”
“Emotions?” Jeff’s voice was dripping with frustration. “I’ve seen Bradley bend over backward for her, and for what? She’s still giving him the cold shoulder! Bradley’s
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running everything, and this is how she treats him?”
I froze, my heart pounding painfully in my chest.
Hallie’s voice echoed again, dripping with that sickening sweetness I had come to loathe.
“Come on, Jeff. Ashley’s not just any girl. She’s Bradley’s girlfriend. Maybe she’s even destined to be more… like our future donna.”
“Hallie…” Jeff’s tone shifted, softening into something almost pleading, a familiar undercurrent of longing. “You don’t have to pretend. If you weren’t always off with your side deals, you’d be the one standing beside Bradley now. We both know that.”
A cold wave of nausea swept over me, and
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my stomach tightened. Everything I had feared, everything I had suspected, was falling into place. Bradley wasn’t just looking out for Hallie out of some sense of duty- there was a deeper connection between. them, one I had been too afraid to face.
Jeff’s voice rang out again, sharp and unwavering.
“Listen, Hallie, in my eyes, you’re the only one truly fit for Bradley. She doesn’t have what it takes.”
It was all true. I hadn’t been imagining it. Hallie had always been the one who
mattered most, the one who held the power over Bradley, the one he would always
choose.
“You coming in, or do you plan on eavesdropping all night?”
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I froze, my heart pounding, as Bradley’s voice sliced through the tension. He loomed in
the narrow hallway, his shadow falling over me, eyes darkened with something I couldn’t place.
“Why should I go in, Bradley?” I shot
back, my voice low but seething. “I never agreed to this night. This was all your idea, remember?”
Bradley let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to shake off the weight of it all. “Ashley, don’t do this right now…”
“Do what, exactly?” I snapped, my patience snapping like a brittle thread. “I heard everything. You’ve always had feelings for Hallie, haven’t you? This whole time, and you never had the decency to tell me!”
