The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Chapter 70 (Joe's POV)

Andy walks away, with Gracie screaming from his arms. My heart starts pounding, wondering how far he's going to take this.

"Hey, Joe," he murmurs, putting his hand on my shoulder. Before I get a chance to say anything back, his hand closes around my collar, jerking me out of the seat.

"Come on," I mumble, not looking at him. "I told you, I didn't-"

"Cut that shit, Joseph," he yells in my face, shoving me hard. I lose my footing, falling into a table, bringing some chairs down with me.

I hear some gasps and startled screams, but one stands out to me in particular. I barely have enough time to whip my head around to see Gracie screaming and crying, trying to get to me, when he punches me straight in the nose.

I grunt in pain, forcing my body up from the ground. "What the hell was that for?" I yell angrily, holding one hand over my now-bleeding nose, walking slowly towards him. His lips tug up satisfyingly.

"Its about time you felt my pain."

"Pain? Pain from what? I didn't do anything!"

Everyone is scrambling around, shouts ranging from "Get the kids out of here!" to "Call the police!" I'm not really listening to them; my head aches from getting punched and from trying to figure out what the hell he means.

"You know. You abandoned me, left me for dead. For them. What are you called? Fall Out Boy? Everyone in that band is pathetic little kids who need a life. Why are you with them?"

That sets me off, and I throw my hand out blindly. It hits his face hard, making him stumble back in surprise.

"Don't talk about my friends like that, CC," I growl.

"Your friends? What am I, then? What happened to me being your best friend? Did you cast me off like you casted off that bitch Marie?"

"You do not talk about her like she's trash, you fucking dick!"

I don't remember what happened after that; I just hit whatever I could reach. He knows the subject of her makes me upset. He wants this. He wants a response, which I shouldn't give to him. But my anger is just so uncontrollable; I want him to be broken, beaten, like I was.

Hands close around my shoulders, pulling me back. I shove them off, but they just grip tighter. I don't realize the person pulling me is a cop. Shit.

"What is going on here?" he shouts, another cop pulling CC off of me.

"He just interrupted me, grabbing me and slamming me into the table. I fought back, for self defense," I explain, pointing at the fuming man.

"Is that true?" the cop holding me asks. CC nods, surprising me. What is his deal?

Everything that happened next was a blur. The cops cuffing CC, dragging him out the door. My knees giving out, my body sinking to the floor. Andy sitting next to me, wiping the tears dripping down my face. Gracie holding onto me tight.

"We need to get you back to the hotel," Andy whispers, and I have enough sanity to nod.

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I'm sitting on the bed, in nothing but boxers. Andy had stripped me, cleaning the blood off my knuckles, my face. Blood stained the clothes I was wearing. I liked that shirt.

"Joe." Andy sighs, walking back in from the bathroom with a wash cloth in his hands.

"Hello, milady." I smirk at him as much as I can with a busted lip, and he rolls his eyes.