Fearless Like Us

by Krista Ritchie

  I shift my weight. Seeing where she’s going. “We can be careful, Sul.”

  “Can we, Kits?” She shrugs. “We never have been.”

  “We can try.”

  “I don’t want to be scared to kiss you. I don’t want to feel guilty for kissing Banks. Our love shouldn’t be weaponized against us, and it could be at any fucking point in time.”

  Banks is quiet because he’s ready to roll with Sulli into pandemonium.

  Deep down, I want to be there, too. “I can’t get over your threat level, Sul. It’s astronomical if we confirm our triad, and that’s not even considering you might be pregnant.”

  She shifts a hand in her jacket and reveals the Plan B box. “I’m taking this today—and I know, it’s not totally effective. So if you need to consider the threat level of me being pregnant, do that. If even one of you isn’t okay with this, we don’t have to confirm anything. But I just need you to know what I really want.”

  The ball is in my court.

  Life at my fingertips.

  Not just mine.

  Hers and his, and what are even the odds? What’s the best odds of success? Best odds of happiness? Everything is muddled, jumbled, scrambled together with a big fudging question mark. Her safety. Our love. Her happiness. Our happiness. Her danger.

  Messy.

  So very, very messy.

  But the messiest things have been the best roads I’ve ever taken. Trying to keep things neat and preserve my friendship with Sulli—fearing making a move and ruining what we had—would’ve been the biggest mistake of my entire life. I would’ve left these life-changing stones unturned. I would’ve missed out on the three of us. Romance. Love for the ages.

  I’ve been trying to preserve Sulli.

  Maybe I just need to live with the girl and guy I love.

  I push back my black hair, breath easing. With my arm movement, a bracelet glides against my wrist. I tug at my sleeve to see braided red thread and beads that spell out I love Sulli.

  My lips almost rise.

  Don’t be afraid, Nine. “You really want this, Sul?” I make sure. “Even if the world hurts you and changes you?”

  Sulli glances at the crown, then looks from me to Banks, back to me. “I can’t promise either of you that I won’t change. Maybe I’ll get stronger. Maybe I’ll get weaker. Maybe I’ll cry myself to sleep some nights. Maybe I’ll regret it some days. Maybe I’ll be happy most weeks. Maybe, just fucking maybe, you’ll change with me. You’ll stand with me through the sad and happy, the peaceful and the loud, through the whole fucking adventure. Just maybe…you’ll want that too.”

  Banks and I exchange a look of certainty.

  With a shadow of a smile, he says, “Come what may.”

  I smile more. “Feel the moment.”

  Sulli eyes me, then him. “That’s a yes?”

  “That’s a definite yes,” I nod. “Kneel, Lady Meadows.”

  She drops to the snow. Exhilaration and euphoric bliss teeming between us.

  Banks asks her, “Can I borrow this?” He reaches for the flower crown.

  “You fucking may.” She bursts in a bigger, overcome smile as we stand side-by-side, towering over her athletic frame.

  I look to Banks. We’ve fallen in love with the same lively, endearing, courageous girl, and the irreplaceable feelings I share with him—the true depth of feelings we all share—I can’t leave behind. Like pieces of soul and breath. Greater than love. A reason for living. A reason for being.

  He looks to me. It’s the three of us.

  It’s always going to be the three of us.

  “Let’s crown our queen,” I tell him, and together, we rest the winter crown on Sulli’s wild, dark brown hair.

  When she rises at six-feet tall, she clasps our hands, “To the treehouse. Let’s do the huge thing.”

  Two announcements to make now.

  Everything will undoubtedly change, but what I fear more is an unlived life. Without reservation, I walk forward with them, and I climb the ladder, leading the way.

  60

  BANKS MORETTI

  Paper flowers and paper birds dangle from inside the treehouse. Almost slammed my head into the ceiling, but I duck while Sulli switches on a portable heater and we shrug off jackets.

  “We’re all set on posting a video to my Instagram, right?” Sulli asks, taking a seat on a mound of colorful pillows. Flower crown in her hair, she’s still a fucking smokeshow, but God, am I proud to be next to her, of being witness to the woman she is and of who she might become.

  And I’m proud of him. Our friendship has grown into something unexplainable. A feeling, a heartbeat, an inseverable tether. Whatever future holds, Akara has to be there. I didn’t think I could love him more, but somehow, some way, I do.

  “Akara?” I ask since he’ll have stronger opinions on the announcement strategy.

  “A video works great.” He takes a seat on her left.

  I sit on her right.

  With Sulli between us, she first tears open the box of Plan B. I hand her the water bottle after she swallows the pill. She’s an untiring current, and right now, nothing is slowing her powerful stride.

  I slip a toothpick between my rising lips.

  “Just do what you’d always do with me,” she tells us, throwing the box in the corner.

  I bite down on the toothpick. “Alright, alright, alright.” I curve a strong arm over her shoulders. She leans her weight into me.

  Akara tosses a strand of hair at her face. She elbows him with a smile, “While we’re recording, Kits.”

  “You left that part out, Sul,” he teases.

  She wags her brows and pops open her camera app, then switches to video function. To align all three of us in frame, I angle myself and cock my head. Akara fits on a beanie, looking like a pro-skateboarder. I watch Sulli’s smile mushroom until she bites her lip.

  “Fuck, you two are way too hot for this—like, Banks, your eyes are seriously fucking smoldering.”

  I’m just staring at Sulli.

  “Kits, you look sexy cool, and I look…” Emotion touches her gaze, seeing herself in the camera. Sitting tall, steadfast, confident—a girl who knows exactly what she wants. Who’s unafraid to chase after love and life.

  Akara and I are grinning down at Sulli.

  “Wow,” she breathes.

  Her finger hovers over the red record button. Waiting just a beat.

  Akara reminds her, “We can take multiple videos and pick the best one.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  I touch the back of her head reassuringly before my hand falls to her shoulder again. “You’ve got this, mermaid.”

  She exhales one last time. “One-hundred-fifty miles per hour. No brakes.” And then she presses record. Without a pause, she begins, “Hey, if you don’t know me, my name is Sullivan Minnie Meadows. I’m twenty-one—I’ll be turning twenty-two in February. And some of you might know me as the daughter of Ryke and Daisy Meadows. Others might know me as an Olympic swimmer. If you’re closer to me, you probably know me as the girl who eats too many sweets and curses too fucking loudly.”

  My mouth curves up, and maybe I should be watching the video screen. But I can’t take my eyes off the 3D-real-life Sulli.

  “Lately, there’s been a lot of speculation about my love life—but before I talk about that, I want to make an official, formal announcement.”

  She’s doing the thing.

  After a short pause, Sulli says, “I’m going to compete in the Olympic Team Trials in June. I’m out of retirement. And I’m shooting for the summer Olympics.”

  I can’t wait to see her race for gold.

  She’s already emailed Warwick University about ending her coaching position. Whether or not she’s pregnant will put a screwball in her Olympic plans, but that’s not in the forefront.

  Next, Sulli says, “Now about my love life, which I know is juicier.”

  Akara flings her hair at her face again.

 
She snorts, “Kits.”

  I shift my toothpick, and Sulli devours me in the camera. My chest rises, and back to the recording, we all look straight ahead.

  Nothing can bring me down. I’ve got the girl. I’ve got the guy. Screw the world to hell if they think they’ll take them away from me again.

  Death might not be as close. But hell, I’m excited for the life I’m living.

  Her green eyes flame with a determined fury. “I’m in a relationship with Banks Moretti and Akara Kitsuwon. A poly relationship. And I love them equally. That’s the fucking gist of it. But if you have issues, please kindly refer to the fucking caption of this video.”

  With this, she hits the stop button.

  Something washes over all of us.

  I say first, “That was the one.”

  “Definitely,” Sulli agrees. “That felt right.”

  “It felt fudging right,” Akara says, smiling at us.

  Sulli begins to insert the video onto Instagram. She captions the post, and my lips rise reading the words. That’s our Sulli.

  She nods strongly and reads them out loud, cementing what we all believe.

  “To whom this may concern,” she recites, “fuck you.”

  She posts the video.

  I smile. “Get some.”

  Thank you!

  Thank you so much for reading Fearless Like Us!

  More is still to come in Akara, Banks, and Sulli’s epic romance. With their poly relationship confirmed to the public, you’ll see how the triad navigates their relationship dynamics under this new intense spotlight…and what screwballs will be next for Sullivan Meadows as she goes for gold? You’ll find out! Danger, romance, and drama are on their way!

  INFAMOUS LIKE US - BOOK 10

  MFM ROMANCE

  Akara & Sulli & Banks

  All caught up on the Like Us series but still craving more from Maximoff & Farrow, Jane & Thatcher, Oscar & Jack, and Sulli, Akara & Banks? If you’re the kind of reader that wants to revisit your favorite characters and keep updated on their whereabouts, our Patreon is the place for you! We have bonus scenes, podcasts, and behind-the-scene snippets from the entire Like Us series — featuring all your favorite characters (including side characters!). And there is new content releasing…Every. Single. Month! It’s all available on our Patreon!

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  Signing up to our Patreon gets you access to all the past bonus scenes (over 300,000 words of material — the size of 3 books!), podcasts, and extras, plus the new content for the month.

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  Thank you so much for continuing this Like Us series journey with us. We are at Book 9. About to be on Book 10! It’s been an epic ride, and we’re far from over. We’re so very grateful for your continued interest in these characters and the world. We write long series because we love them, and we’re so happy to find readers who love them too.

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  All the love,

  xoxo Krista & Becca

  Also by Krista & Becca

  ADDICTED SERIES

  Addicted to You

  Ricochet

  Addicted for Now

  Thrive

  Addicted After All

  The Addicted Series Box Set

  BAD REPUTATION DUET

  Whatever It Takes

  Wherever You Are

  * * *

  CALLOWAY SISTERS SERIES

  Kiss the Sky

  Hothouse Flower

  Fuel the Fire

  Long Way Down

  Some Kind of Perfect

  CIRCUS IS FAMILY SERIES

  The Failed Audition

  The Secret Ex-Boyfriend

  LIKE US SERIES

  Damaged Like Us

  Lovers Like Us

  Alphas Like Us

  Tangled Like Us

  Sinful Like Us

  Headstrong Like Us

  Charming Like Us

  Wild Like Us

  Fearless Like Us

  Infamous Like Us

  Misfits Like Us

  Unlucky Like Us

  Nobody Like Us

  For the most updated list of our books, please visit our website: www.kbritchie.com

  About the Authors

  Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.

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  For Like Us series Extras, Bonus Content, and Podcasts every month:

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  Pronunciation Glossary

  The Italian used in this book is an Italian-American language developed by Italian immigrants. It is an incomplete language and uses Italian, English, or both. Different Italians speak different dialects in certain areas, and what is used in the Like Us series is prominent on the East Coast. Words may vary in pronunciation and spelling in different communities.

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  gabbadost’: pronounced gaa-baa-dahst (Origin: capa dura/capa tosta)

  * * *

  mapeen: pronounced maa-PEEN (Origin: moppina)

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  musciad: pronounced moo-SHYAAD (Origin: musciata)

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  scustamad’: pronounced skoo-stoo-MAAD (Origin: scostumato)

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  stunad: pronounced stoo-NAAD (Origin: stonato)

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  vaffangul’: pronounced VAA-faan-GOOL (Origin: vai a fare in culo)

  Acknowledgments

  The love Akara, Banks, & Sulli share has been a whirlwind, and it’s given us such life & happiness. We hope Fearless Like Us has brought some happiness & hope to you. As Banks’ grandma (and our grandma) would say, be happy. We hope you’re all happy today, and if you’re feeling a little blue, we hope these characters can be a source of love for you. They’ll always be here. And this triad’s love story is not over yet.

  Akara, Banks, & Sulli officially have the longest book in the Like Us Series (so far!), and that means this book took some extra love and care to get exactly right. Big thanks to our mom for her support and editing skills. You’re the calm during our deadline-mode panics and the queen of catching our worst typos. Without you, these books would never sparkle. We love you a waffle-lot.

  Thank you to the admins of the Fizzle Force—Lanie, Jenn, and Shea—for your continued support, for everything you do behind the scenes, and for always throwing the best pre-release parties.

  Thank you to our agent, Kimberly, for finding this book a home in audio. We truly love when these characters get to come to audio life.

  Thank you to the patrons of our Patreon for being a huge source of light and love in our lives. We know we always say this, but we truly would not be full-time writers without the support from Patreon. You all fuel our creative wells and keep us inspired daily. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

  Thank you to the bloggers, bookstagrammers, booktokers, reviewers, and readers who shout about the Like Us series from the rooftops. With so many stories out there to consume and recommend, we’re forever honored that you’ve chosen to spread the word about these books.

  Thank you to you, the reader, for picking up Book 9 in the Like Us series and continuing this journey with us and these characters. Without you, these stories wouldn’t breathe and live on past creation. We’re so very grateful you picked this one up. And we hope you’ll continue this awfully big adventure with us.

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&n
bsp; All the love in every universe,

  Krista & Becca