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“Vegas, Baby!” he yells when he sees us, causing Summer to groan beside me. “Dylan’s here somewhere too. I met him at the airport, and we shared a cab, but then he disappeared while I was checking in.”
Summer’s about to call him when he comes running toward us, leaping onto Nate’s back.
“I swear to God if you say ‘Vegas, Baby’ we’re done,” Summer mumbles, and I burst out laughing.
“How doesKaraoke, Baby, sound instead?”
Summer groans even louder than before and curses in her own special way. “F my life.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her into a hug and shake her back and forth. “It’s Cory’s wedding. You can’t say no.”
I get through most of karaoke—which is part of what we’re calling the low-key joint bachelorette/bachelor party—until a tone-deaf couple jumps up to sing “Summer Nights,” fromGrease, and I cringe. Not because they’re bad—although they are—but because I was trying so hard not to think about Dani, and I should have seen this coming. Of course, someone would sing something fromGrease. I’m stupid for thinking there wouldn’t be constant reminders of her. Because when you can’t get someone off your mind,everythingreminds you of them.
With karaoke done, we head to a bar for a quiet drink and some dinner before calling an early night. The wedding is booked for eleven a.m. tomorrow, so no one wants to be tired or hungover.
The guys all head out for breakfast the next morning while the girls get ready. We all look dapper in our semiformal attire and attract the eyes of many women as we walk by. Dylan, Joel, and Nate don’t even notice, but Thomas is on it like a hawk.
“I’ll be ready for you later,” he says in a douchey tone, causing us all to laugh. Then, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, he adds, “It’s you and me, bud.”
I nod and smile, but the thought has my stomach in knots though it shouldn’t. Six months ago, I would have been the one making the douchey comments. In fact, I probably would have already hooked up last night.So, why the fuck can’t I, now?
When we arrive at the chapel, we’re greeted by Elvis’s assistant and asked to wait for our thirty-minute allotment. Dylan calls Lucy, and as luck would have it—or no luck as it should be—I’m standing behind him when Dani’s face pops up on the screen.
“Dani’s here too. She snuck out of a meeting to keep me company, and now we’re both hiding out in my office.”
“Hi, Dani,” Dylan says. “Thanks for hanging out with Luce.”
“I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to see a Vegas wedding. Especially one with Elvis.”
I shiver as her voice runs through me, and her genuine smile hits me in the chest. This is going to be harder than I thought.
We’re called in next, and Nate walks to the front of the room with the rest of us standing around. When the music starts and Cory enters, everyone freezes, my chest tightening with the emotion of the moment. Looking back at Nate, I see tears in his eyes, and I suddenly want that. I’ve never wanted that. But of course, now that I’ve found someone and lost her, I do.
In true Cory and Nate fashion, they say their “I dos” within the first five minutes, never the couple to waste time, and cheers ring out around the room. I try to stay as far from Dylan as I can while he continues to hold his phone up for Lucy and Dani to see, but when Lucy insists on seeing how we all look in our wedding attire, I have no choice. The second my eyes lock with Dani’s, my heart clenches. I’m so sick of feeling this way, but nothing has changed since we decided to part ways, so I can’t do anything about it.
But I can try to forget.
Champagne is passed around when we get back into the foyer, and with the thought of Dani still running through my head, I find myself taking a glass, knocking it back in one go.
I have a few more celebratory drinks throughout the day, trying to be careful, but when Dylan slams a tray of shots down on the table in front of me and Thomas nods his head toward a group of girls on the dance floor, I internally scream “Fuck it,” and propel my night in a new direction, despite knowing it’s a bad idea.
“My round,” I yell over the music before heading to the bar. I feel good. So fucking good, and I never want this night to end. Balancing the tray of drinks on one hand, I push people out of the way with the other and hand them all out to the group. Cory and Nate disappeared an hour ago, but the rest of us are still going strong.
“You probably should cool it soon, right?” Summer asks, but I shake her off.
“I’m fine, Summer. It’s one night. Just let me have some fun.”
Thomas joins us, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and smiling. “Little sis, I’m going to borrow this man to come and dance with my new friends.” He points in the direction of a bachelorette party, and a smile lights up my face at the same time the dread hits me.Motherfucker.
“Lead the way,” I say, trying to ignore my feelings, gulping down both my drink and Summer’s, looking back at her when I do. “This fruity sweetness is delicious; it doesn’t even taste like alcohol. I’ll have another.”
Summer rolls her eyes, but Dylan hears me and raises his hand in the air, yelling, “I’ve got it!” to which I cheer.
And when I turn to find Thomas, I take in my surroundings—the flashing neon lights, the bass pumping music, and the hot women. So many hot women, some of whom have their eyes on me, ready for the taking.
It’s time to forget. But can I?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
