hidden | ethma

twenty five

"want to go do something?" ethan asks me. 

i look at him skeptically. "like what?" 

"like play poker." 

i shake my head. "i don't gamble."

ethan snorts. "of course not." 

something in his tone makes me angry.

"you know what," i say, standing. "let's go play poker. and i'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll be crying back to jersey." 

ethan's smile widens and he stands with me.

"not if i beat you," he says, raising an eyebrow. 

i smile back at him. "best of luck," i say. 

ethan stares at me another moment before turning and leading me to his car. i feel like i've ridden in this so many times at this point, i can't say i mind now. i mean, when we first met, i would have never thought i'd be voluntarily going to play poker with ethan. maybe i'm doing this to spite aaron, but either way, i don't care. 

"where is this place?" i ask ethan. 

he half smiles. "the closest thing portland's got to a casino." 

i furrow my brow. "aren't we underdressed, then?"

ethan looks at me from the corner of his eye. "no, we're fine."

he soon pulls into the lot of a building that's close to the river. the building is all black, with tinted glass doors. a tall man stands out front, his arms crossed over his chest. 

"there's a bouncer?" i ask ethan as we walk up.

ethan shrugs as we approach the man. 

"dolan," the man greets ethan. "good to see you." 

"you too, man," ethan replies. "busy tonight?" 

"nah, it's a monday. only three or four tonight." 

"cool. see you around." 

the man nods to ethan and we walk inside. 

"three or four what?" i ask ethan. 

"fights," ethan replies. 

i swallow the trepidation that has begun to spark inside of me. why did i agree to this? i know what type of people ethan is involved with. hell, i was attacked by two of them. 

inside, lights are dim and it looks like a legitimate casino. a bar is in the middle, and cigarette smoke fills the air. i feel like i've been transported to vegas, with all the glamor this place holds. 

ethan leads me to a poker table in the far corner. i recognize max, the guy i met when i first moved in, sitting at the table. he smiles at me in recognition. 

a few other people sit around the table. a girl with long, black hair and olive skin smiles at me as well as a boy with fiery red hair. my heart almost stops when i recognize one of my attackers, nate.