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Smile when needed.
Seem interested.
However, Brittany wasn’t lying when she told me that I don’t hide it well from her anymore. Somehow we get separated from Rebecca, only by a few feet, and Brittany tugs on my hand to pull me to a stop.
“Here.” She holds out a room key she must’ve grabbed from Rebecca at some point. “Go rest, Trace,” she tells me quietly. “You’re not here anyway, and maybe it’ll help if you take a break.”
A reassurance that I’m fine is on the tip of my tongue. But damn if the offer isn’t too tempting. “What room are we in again?”
“529.”
“I’m sorry,” I offer.
“Don’t be. Text me if you need anything.”
I nod and lean down to kiss her softly, just in time for Rebecca to start coming over to rejoin Brittany. I make my escape before she can reach her. The room is quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner and the occasional footsteps of people walking down the hallway. I plop onto the bed. Twenty minutes pass, and I’m no closer to a nap than I was before. For the first time, I truly realize how Brittany could’ve gotten to the point where she’d taken a sleeping pill when she shouldn’t have.
My sigh seems to echo around the room. I roll over onto my stomach, readjust the pillow, and close my eyes.
Please let me rest, so I can be a decent boyfriend on this trip.
“Trace.” My shoulder shakes some more. My eyelids pull themselves apart. Brittany is leaning over me. “Sorry to wake you up, babe, but we’re going out to get something to eat. Do you want to go with us?”
“Yeah.” My stomach cramps with hunger. I sit up and run a hand through my hair. “Where is Rebecca?”
“Waiting downstairs.”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready.”
She nods, and I go into the bathroom. A few minutes later, I come out and wave for her to come on. Brittany takes my hand as we walk toward the elevators.
“Did your nap help?”
“Yeah,” I answer, silently adding for now. “How was exploring the hotel? Gamble any?” We step into the elevator and I press the button for the lobby.
“Just the slots; I’m already twenty dollars in the hole. I kept losing and losing. So far, I don’t see the appeal.”
I laugh, and it feels good to do so. “Keep playing and maybe your luck will change.” She keeps shifting her weight, seemingly anxious, so I ask, “You doing okay, Britt?”
“Everything is a bit overwhelming, but I’m doing well. For now anyway.”
Damn. She amazes me every day. I lean against one of the walls and pull her to me, resting my forehead against hers. Brittany seems surprised, but she waits for me to speak. “Don’t ever forget that you are much, much stronger than you think.” She had the guts to add that for now when I held it back. The ability to speak openly about your issues with someone you care about is a strength, one I’m obviously and sorely lacking.
The elevator dings and I nudge Brittany, so she’ll walk out. “What makes you say that?” she asks with confusion.
“Because it’s true and I want to make sure you know it. There’s Rebecca,” I finish as I spot her.
We eat dinner at one of the many restaurants in the hotel. It’s Italian and the food is delicious. It’s relatively easy to participate in their conversation. I do feel better in that I can function like a normal person without it wearing me out at the moment.
“Are we doing anything tonight?” I ask.
“We were thinking of going to the Bellagio to see the fountain show,” Rebecca begins. “Then back here. Tomorrow, explore half the hotels, gamble, and the show for us at night. The next day, we’ll explore the rest of the hotels we want to see and go to Fremont Street.”
After that, we go home. The girls wanted to stay for the entire length of spring break, but they weren’t able to pull the money together for that. I’m thankful we aren’t staying that long.
“Sounds good.”
Once we finish dinner, we hail a cab to take us down to the other end of the strip. We’re pushing for time as it is and it’d take us too long to walk. People are everywhere, and Brittany and Rebecca both stick to my sides. I put a hand on both of their backs and wonder what we must look like to other people, for me to have a girl on each side of me.
