“We’re going to Vegas, Jupiter. Get over it.” Mallory’s voice bounced off the hard surfaces of the vast entrance hall. “And… we’re going to have a lot of fun and fu…”
“Okay…” I interrupted, before she took Jupiter’s rage to imminent threat levels. I turned to him. “Jupe, we’re going to Vegas. End of. I appreciate the concern, and I know you don’t like it, but it really has nothing to do with you. Also, stop judging me by your own behavior.”
His shoulders dropped in a sigh, and his thick brows met in a frown. “I’m not judging you, I’m judging every guy who’ll be in Vegas at the same time. You’re newly single, and you havebroken heart written all over you. You’ll be like crack to an addict.”
I recoiled in horror, as well as from the painful sting of truth. I was newly single, and I did have a broken heart. “Thanks for that visual, and the lack of faith you have in me.”
I ignored his mouth tightening into a hard line and picked up my bag, throwing it over my shoulder before turning to Mallory who was leaning against the doorframe not bothering to hide the unadulterated glee splashed across her face. Ever since we were kids, she’d loved winding Jupiter up. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she only planned Vegas to do exactly that, but in reality she’d done it because she was the best girlfriend I could ask for, and knew it was what I needed to pull me out of the funk I was in.
No, not funk. Heartbreak.
The heartbreak I was suffering from – the result of a lying, cheating boyfriend.
Ex-boyfriend.
The ex-boyfriend who was causing my phone to buzz incessantly. I hit call reject for the thousandth time.
“I’m going to break his fucking legs.” Snarled Jupiter, and even though he was mostly all talk, I wouldn’t put it past him to follow through on this particular threat.
I didn’t bother to look behind me, because I knew he’d followed us out of the door to our waiting car. I also didn’t fail to notice the driver’s eyes widen slightly as he noticed my brother. Even if the guy wasn’t an avid baseball fan everyone knew who Jupiter Reeves was, because he transcended all sports.
I handed my bag over for him to place in the trunk next to Mallory’s, and spun round to Jupiter’s still very-much-annoyed face. “Please don’t, you have the World Series to win again this year, which you won’t be able to do from prison.”
His huff told me he was genuinely weighing up the options. Mallory threw her arm over my shoulder, waiting for him to respond.
“Tell you what, Jupe, figure out a plan where you won’t get caught and I’ll help you.” Mallory’s eyes slowly travelled up the length of his body, her head tilting when she’d finished. “And while you’re doing that here’s another idea, maybe you should go and scrub off some of those kiddie drawings you call tattoos. You’re running out of space.”
“Fuck off, Mal.” He snapped, though it carried zero animosity and I could see his lip curling in a smile at the edges. “Don’t forget you’re in charge this weekend, don’t do anything fucking stupid.”
“Can’t promise on that. We’ll have to see what the universe has in store, won’t we?” She winked.
“The universe? Jesus Christ.” He muttered with a head shake.
“Okay, we need to go or we’ll miss the flight.” I leaned up, and kissed Jupiter on the cheek. “Love you, Jupe. Thank you for always looking out for me.”
“You’re a pain in my ass, Emerson.” He pulled me into one of his massive bear hugs, and dropped a kiss on my head before letting me go to open the car door. “Have a good time, just please try to be sensible.”
The death glare he shot Mallory as she scoffed loudly had brought lesser men to their knees, but she just blew him a kiss. He was still standing on the step as the car pulled out of his enormous driveway, and through the gates.
Mallory turned round to wave at him, her antagonistic grin staying firm until we were out of sight. “I’d say he seriously needs to get laid but we know that’s not the issue, don’t we? Anyway, how are you doing?”
I sighed. How was I doing? A week ago, I’d walked in on my doctor boyfriend screwing a nurse over his desk like he was auditioning for some kind of porn movie. It was so cliché and horrifying, as well as wildly out of what I had known up to that point as his character, that I stared a little too long at them, and now the visual was burned into my brain. I couldn’t unsee it. Every time I’d closed my eyes they were there, and the bile would churn again like curdled milk, cracking my heart into more pieces.
But what was making it infinitesimally worse, was how much he was trying to speak to me when I’d asked him to leave me alone so I could think. I didn’t want to hear any more excuses. The only reason I’d not seen him was because I’d holed myself up at Jupiter’s house, and even if Richard could get through the enormous gates, he’d never get past Jupiter. Something not even a crazy man would attempt to do.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I dunno. Sometimes I’m okay, and then sometimes I’m not. It comes and goes, I just don’t understand how he could have done this. And he won’t stop calling or texting to apologize.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
I shook my head as the ever-present scratch of tears crept up my throat again. “No, I’m not ready.”
“I’m so sorry, Em, it’s inexcusable what he’s done. I’m so sorry you’re hurting.”
“Thanks.” I sniffed.
She put her arms around me, squeezing me into her. “Come on, we’re going to have the best few days. LJ and Ainsley are meeting us at the airport.”
I leaned in further, my head dropping onto her shoulder. “Thanks for doing this for me. I’m so glad you’re here.”
