Chapter Five
Poppy
(That night in Vegas)
“You know,” Amber shouts, her mouth forced into a permanent smile. “I really needed this shit. Pippa, thanks for bringing me out tonight.” She takes another long pull from her glass.
Pippa salutes her with a drink. “Of course. What are best friends for?”
Amber burps loudly. “Best friends are for making girls like me realize they are better off without a guy like Eddie in their lives. I mean, he cheated on me! Me! The girl who loves him with all her soul. How dare he,” she growls, her inebriation only getting worse.
“She’s really drunk,” I whisper.
Pippa nods. “And it’s fucking glorious.”
“Maybe we should take her back to the hotel?”
Pippa shakes her head. “Absolutely not. The night is just getting good.” She indicates her head to a handsome stranger standing near the bar.
He’s wearing a tight white T-shirt that shows off every muscle on his stomach and black slacks.
He’s fucking devilishly handsome, but most of the men here tonight look like they could be models.
“Don’t look now, Amber, but that guy is totally checking you out.”
Amber’s head snaps his way, and she grins. “I should fuck him.”
“You totally should,” Pippa encourages, and I immediately slap her arm.
“Pippa, she really shouldn’t.”
My sister shushes me. “Amber, Eddie hurt you by cheating on you with Jinafer. I can’t think of a better way to get back at him than to fuck someone else.”
“You know, you’re right, Pippa. That sounds like an amazing idea.”
I instantly grab Amber’s arm. “Amber, don’t. You’ll regret it.”
She laughs. “Maybe, but that guy’s really hot. I should at least go talk to him.”
“Go for it.”
My foot connects with Pippa’s and she lets out a squeak before kicking me back harder.
“Don’t listen to her, Amber.”
But it’s too late, Amber’s already gone and skipping away from the table, straight up to the hottie by the bar.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I hiss, turning on my sister.
Pippa’s eyes roll obnoxiously. “You’re such a buzzkill, Poppy. Let the girl have some fun.” She motions to the dancefloor where Amber’s twerking her ass in front of the guy, dancing provocatively. “See, she’s having fun.”
I blink, and in those milliseconds, she’s got her tongue down his throat.
“Oh my god, this is such a bad idea.”
Pippa leans back in the booth and grins. “Don’t you recognize him?”
I stare at him a little harder and gasp. “Is he from the show?”
She nods. “Yup, pretty sure he was one of the dancers.”
“Isn’t he the same one that turned us both down?”
Pippa shrugs. “Probably. Come on, Poppy. Stop being such a worrywart and have some fun with me. I want to dance with my twin.”
She grabs my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor, but not before I down my shot. If I’m going to dance, something I’m horrible at, I need some liquid courage.
The music pulses into me as it hits a techno beat, the sweaty bodies of other club patrons pushing us even closer together. Two guys come up behind us and start to grind against our backsides, and for a moment, I just let it happen.
Music blends with roving hands, the colors mixing, his touch creating chaos within me.
“You’re a good dancer,” he breathes into my ear.
“I suck at it,” I shout, giggling when he grabs my tit and squeezes.
“We should get out of here,” he encourages, his hands getting a little more adventurous.
That’s when reality snaps back into place.
“Hey, watch your hands, buck-o!”
He frowns. “Don’t tell me you’re a cock tease?” He tries to grab me again, and I smack his hand away.
“She said fuck off,” Pippa growls, stepping in between us.
The dude looks from me to her and rolls his eyes. “You guys aren’t even that hot. Come on, Parker, let’s go.” He grabs his friend by the arm and tugs him through the crowd.
“For once can you just be normal?” Pippa chastises.
“He was trying to stick his hand up my dress.”
“So?”
“It was disgusting, Pippa. We’re in public.”
She rolls her eyes again. “God, Poppy, sometimes you can be such a prude. I still can’t believe you lost your virginity before me.”
Changing the subject, I surveyed the room, looking for our friend who wasn’t on the dance floor anymore. “Umm, where’s Amber?” I question when I realize she’s no longer with us at the club.
My sister, drunk and entirely too happy, skips over to me and throws an arm over my shoulder. “Does it matter?”
“Ummm, yes, Pippa. We can’t leave her alone in a city she doesn’t know.”
Pippa smiles evilly. “Oh, I’m sure she’s around somewhere.”
I know that look. I know it all too well. Pippa’s up to something, and whatever it is, it’s not good.
“Pippa, what the hell did you do?”
She shrugs. “Nothing that wasn’t needed.”
“You’ve been acting strange lately. What’s going on?”
She does a little twirl. “Can’t a girl just enjoy Vegas without a third degree?”
“No. Out with it. What do you know that I don’t?”
“Remember the Australian hunk she was dancing with.”
I nod, not liking where this is going.
“Well, our little Amber was last seen running off with him.”
“Oh my god! We have to stop her!”
“Why?” Pippa snaps, her brow arching just a tad. “Let her have some fun for once. That girl deserves to know what it’s like to fuck someone worthy of her.”
I’m done pretending not to know her true feelings.
“Pippa, I love you, but I’m sick of your bullshit. Just admit you have feelings for Eddie. This stupid game you’re playing with Amber is exhausting.”
She smirks innocently. “Oh, my dear sister, my hatred for Eddie is on par with your dislike for Wesley Dover.” Her wink tells me she knows exactly what his name does to me.
“Don’t bring him up, please.”
Pippa laughs, ignoring me. “Imagine where you’d be right now if you had lost your virginity to Wesley that night instead of losing it to Vance our sophomore year.”
“Ugh, don’t bring him up either.”
My sister has this uncanny way of bringing up the past and making fun of it. The last thing I need is to rehash old feelings that have long since died and been buried.
“What would you do if you saw him again? she goads, pushing me further.
“Which one?”
She taps her cheek like she’s thinking. “Hmm, let’s start with Vance.”
“I’d cut off his balls and feed them to Dad’s dogs.”
The glee in her laugh is unnerving. “He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
“He took my virginity, promised me a future, and ghosted me, Pippa. How the fuck do you expect me to feel?”
“Damn, feeling a bit spunky today, are we? It’s not everyday we hear a Poppy swear word.”
Rolling my eyes, I can’t help dreading what I know she’ll ask next.
“And Wesley? If you saw him again, how would you feel?”
Abandoned… annoyed… aggravated.
Every ‘A’ word that can perfectly pair with the word asshole. Because that’s what he is, an asshole.
“Ignore him like always. He means nothing to me.”
She knows otherwise. “Funny, but I don’t believe you.”
Picking up my phone, I text Amber.
Nothing.
I try calling her.
Still nothing.
Then Pippa pulls out Amber’s phone and shakes it in front of my face. “Oops, looks like I have her phone. Guess we won’t be getting ahold of her tonight.”
My stomach sours. “Pippa, this isn’t funny. What if she’s in trouble?”
“She’s not.”
“What if she gets killed tonight?”
“She won’t. Can you stop with all your negativity, Poppy? It’s ruining my buzz. Besides, our dear friend Amber is only giving Eddie what he deserves for cheating on her… karma.”
Pippa goes back to sipping her drink, but all I can think about is Amber, and how she’s out there somewhere doing something she’ll definitely regret in the morning.
Had I known how that one night would change everything for all of us, I may have tried harder to find her, saving me from a life of pure hell that came after.