Chapter 29
Hailey
I’m the first one to arrive at the ride-share pickup.
I’d like to say it’s because I’m never late for anything, but this time, it’s because I purposely left the hotel room early.
I was terrified Addy would show up any second and it’d just be me, her and the elephant in the room together.
I am going to tell her about Theo, but I hadn’t had enough time to rehearse everything I wanted to say to her and I was worried about being put on the spot unprepared, so I emailed Samantha my reworked manuscript, got ready for the day as fast as I possibly could, and then hid downstairs in the casino like a pathetic loser.
I’m scanning the doors to the Cosmopolitan’s main lobby, praying Adelaide won’t be the first person to show up, when my phone sends vibrating shockwaves through my purse.
I pull it out and feel my heart skip a beat when I read Samantha’s name on my screen.
It’s only been an hour since I emailed her the manuscript. She shouldn’t be calling me yet.
“Oh no. What is it, Sam?” I answer, anxiously biting my lip. The worst part about chasing your dreams is worrying that you’ll never make it, that you’re not good enough. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to never try in the first place.
“I shouldn’t have favorites when it comes to my authors,” Sam says, “but you, Hailey Clark . . . You are my favorite author.”
My heart jolts back into sync, thrashing inside my ribcage like a beast that needs tamed. “You read the new ending already?”
“Yes, I did, and it was spectacular,” Sam gushes.
“You absolutely knocked it out of the park! As much as I enjoyed your ability to make me shed a bucketload of tears over the original ending, I prefer the way the new ending made my heart soar out of my chest instead. Your characters absolutely deserved their happy ending. This is exactly what Hutchison Press wanted, and I’m forwarding it over to them as I speak!
There is no way there won’t be an offer on the table tomorrow.
No way. And I’m going to fight for what you deserve, okay?
This is it, Hailey. It’s time for your happy ending, too. ”
“Oh, Sam—” My voice cracks as I blubber into happy, overwhelmed tears. Sam gives me a moment to compose myself, and soon I’m laughing as I wipe my eyes. “I’m so sorry. It’s been a stressful weekend and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it. These are tears of joy, I promise.”
“Good! I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I hear back from Hutchison Press. The hard work is done, so go wild on your last day in Vegas!”
I roll my eyes, as I think: I slept with my best friend’s brother. How much wilder can it get?
“Talk soon, Sam,” I say, then throw my phone back into my purse, exchanging it for a tissue.
I gently dab at my eyes, careful not to smear my wet mascara all over my face.
I take several deep breaths until I’m fully calm and collected—or at least as calm and collected as an aspiring writer on submission could possibly be right now.
“Hailey!” I hear a voice call that I mistake as Adelaide’s at first, but then I blow out a breath of relief when I see Evie approaching instead. She’s on her own, with no beau in sight.
“Hey! No Jameson today?”
Evie stops in front of me and pouts. She’s wearing a mini skirt that’s all silver sequins and adorable and something I’d never have the confidence to pull off. “He’s busy with some work stuff, but he’s going to join us later.”
“Addy said you rebelled and ran off with him last night,” I say with a teasing arch of my brow.
“And what did you do last night, Hailey?” Evie fires back at me, her voice as teasing as mine, a knowing smile on her lips.
My face instantly falls, and she nudges her elbow into me to break the tension as she laughs.
“I don’t care if you hang out with Theo,” she reassures me.
“I mean, you were hanging out with Theo, right? Where did you guys go?”
I didn’t account for having to tell Evie the truth, too. There’s no point in lying at this point, so I just smile and avoid all eye contact. “I mean, yeah, we hung out. We ordered room service.”
“Oh. So you were in your room?” she presses. “All night?”
I look at her funny, because she’s being kind of weird. I mean, Evie’s always kind of weird. But she’s being weird like she knows something I don’t. “Yes . . .?” I answer hesitantly.
“Interesting,” she says under her breath, looking me up and down with intrigue.
“Oh, hey, here’s Theo now,” I splutter, pointing over her shoulder. Theo emerges through the doors, looks around, then sports a grin when he lays eyes on us.
“Theodore! Just the guy I was looking for!” Evie calls out as she turns to look at him. She gestures for him to hurry up and join us, and when he does, the very first thing she says is, “Hailey was just filling me in on last night.”
“Yeah?” Theo says cautiously, catching my eye. He’s trying to gauge what exactly I’ve been filling Evie in on, and I’m sure he can see my flustered panic in the awkward, tight way I smile back at him.
“Yeah,” Evie says. She crosses her arms over her chest and dramatically shifts her gaze back and forth between Theo and me, like she’s testing which one of us cracks first under pressure. “For future reference, you two should know the balcony doors aren’t soundproof.”
It takes me a moment to understand her point, and when I do—oh my gosh. I am so horrified I actually gasp out loud. “You . . . You heard?”
“Yes, I heard!” Evie hisses, wrinkling her nose, and Theo presses both his hands over his face, smothering his laughter. “This is not funny, Theodore. I was forced to evacuate my room. I have actual trauma and you owe me a therapy session.”
“Evie, I am so sorry, and so embarrassed, and—”
Evie holds up her hand to silence me. “Girl, it’s okay. You have needs. I get it,” she says, and I cup a hand over my mouth, biting my lower lip hard as I fight through the humiliation. “And I’m not even mad about it, by the way. It’s about time you finally made a move, Theo. Proud of you.”
Theo’s still laughing, but he drops his hands from his face now to look at her as she talks.
“All I’m saying is . . . Next time you guys are screwing in the room next door to mine, can you keep the noise down?”
“Evie,” I say, but then I break into laughter too. It’s all I can do to stop myself praying for the ground to swallow me whole. I embrace the embarrassment, the blazing red cheeks, the clammy sweat—and I laugh hard.
Theo holds a hand sincerely to his heart and promises her, “We’ll be more discreet next time.”
I can’t help peeking at him. Next time.
“Here comes Addy,” Evie says, and I follow her line of sight until I’m also watching Adelaide make her way toward us. “Does she know yet?”
“No, so please don’t say anything,” I plead. “I’m going to tell her later.”
There’s an unspoken mutual agreement between the three of us to promptly end this conversation as Addy nears us.
My first thought is that there’s something slightly off about her.
Addy usually has a very positive, bright aura about her and a permanent smile etched on her face, but today there’s only the smallest hint of a smile and a weary sort of look about her.
I figure it was a long night looking after a drunk Liam. She probably didn’t get much sleep.
“Hey, Addy,” I say with a smile and a quick hug. She’s wearing a stunning red sundress that contrasts with the stark blond of her hair. “You look amazing! How’s Liam this morning? Still in bed?”
“Thanks, Hails,” Addy says quietly, then rolls her eyes in agitation. “He’s fine now, but he’s not coming with us. He was talking about going to the casino with the guys instead.”
“Yeah, Tyler and John told me no chance in hell when I suggested they come to the sign,” Theo says, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he glances around the small circle of us who have shown up. He’s the only guy. “So it’s just us four?”
“You don’t need to come,” Addy tells him. “Go to the casino with the rest of the guys.”
“No, I want to come.”
Evie scoffs and says, “I wonder why that is.”
“I’ll order an Uber!” I announce, loud enough to silence Evie’s remark.
I pull out my phone again and summon a car for the four of us, and it arrives within a minute.
Us girls take the back seat while Theo rides up front next to the driver.
I’ve always felt so comfortable around the Sinclairs, like they’re my very own family, but there’s something different in the air as we head for the Las Vegas sign.
I’m keeping a secret from Adelaide, I’m anxious Evelyn will spill the truth before I get a chance to tell it myself, and I’m developing feelings terrifyingly fast for Theodore.
My head feels like it may just split open from the pressure of overthinking it all.
Our Uber drops us off at the side of the road next to the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.
Crowds of people are waiting their turn, so the four of us join the end of the line.
I throw on my sunglasses, but I’m not even hiding from the sun at this point.
Everything feels so weird, and I’m convinced it’s all because of me, but as we gradually move up in line and I observe the small talk between the Sinclair siblings, I realize there is tension between Addy and Evie.
They’re being kind of cold with one another, and Theo notices it, too, because he asks exactly what I’m thinking.
“Are you two fighting or something?”
Evie turns to Theo as though she’s relieved someone has finally mentioned it, and she’s quick to explain, “Addy was being a control freak at the pool party yesterday and has yet to apologize.”
“Because you were making stupid decisions!” Addy defends, hands on her hips.
“Damn, Hails, we missed all the drama!” Theo says, then points a stern finger at Evie. “What exactly were these stupid decisions? Don’t tell me they involve that Jameson guy.”