Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
There’s a brief pause, when I’m momentarily worried that I’ve gotten too mushy, and then Mr. Sanchez raises his glass. “To love.” We all clink glasses again, but I notice that the other men don’t say anything. Of course, none of them have been married, so far as I know, let alone happily partnered with the same woman for decades.
Mrs. Sanchez brings out the pineapple cake, still warm from the oven. I thank her, and we all have a piece, and then everyone but her helps clean up the kitchen.
If we were kids, it’d be just about bedtime by now, with maybe a little tv watching beforehand. But grownup me is still pretty tired. It’s been a long day, and an exhausting one on multiple fronts.
“I’d better go,” I tell the group. “Thank you for having me.”
“Mija,” Mr. Sanchez says firmly, “you are family. You do not need an invitation to be welcome here.”
He’s made me cry after all. I hug him, and his wife, who kisses my cheek, and then I hug Thorn and Gage, who are careful and respectful with the parents watching, but still manage to give me a good squeeze.
Kai escorts me outside to his car. He’s got my luggage, after all, and Gage drove me here, so it makes sense. All my golden, sunshine-y feelings from the dinner start ebbing away, leaving a tangle of emotions in their wake.
The drive is quiet; my thoughts are anything but. I had sex with Kai. Amazing sex. And, completely apart from our wager, I want to do it again.
But Gage, unless I completely misunderstood him, has feelings for me as well. And while Thorn has been more laid back, I got some definite vibes from him at the reception, too.
Which blows my mind.
Since we all grew up together, we were still treating each other like siblings past the age when we might have been flirting, or kissing, if we’d met when we were older. Sure, by the time I was twelve, I was starting to have some confused, complicated feelings about my friends-who-were-boys, but I left before there was ever a chance to explore those feelings and see if they led anywhere.
And now all three of them are maybe possibly interested in me that way? I don’t know what to do about that. The only thing I’m certain of is that I don’t want to risk my friendship with them—any of them, and all of them.
“What’s on your mind?” Kai says into the silence.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.”
“You’re not being rude. You’re just thinking really loudly.”
I laugh. “I am, aren’t I? Today has been … a lot. My life has been turned upside down in more ways than one since I woke up this morning.”
“True that. Hey, you don’t have any pets, do you?”
“What? No.”
“I was just thinking about the logistics of trying to move an animal here.”
“Oh, right. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that.” I make a face. “Scott doesn’t like animals.”
“What the fuck.”
I laugh again. “I know. That should have been a red flag right there.”
“I know I’m biased—but, Lex, I’m glad you’re away from him.”
I don’t respond, because I still need to process it all; but I can’t help thinking about how I felt just now having dinner with Kai and Thorn’s parents, who’ve always welcomed me like family, contrasted with the cold, formal dinners Scott and I sometimes shared with his parents, where I always felt like an outsider.
“Do you want to come to my place?” Kai asks.
I hesitate. “I’d love to see it, but I’m pretty beat. I think I need to just crash for the night. Clare Hoffman said she had a room available for me.”
“Okay.”
His easy acquiescence makes me a tiny bit suspicious, but then I remember the way he kissed me this afternoon, the way he took care of me, and my heart melts all over again.
When we arrive at Belle Epoque resort, Kai lets me have my carry-on bag, but takes the other two. I give my name to the woman working at the front desk, and she instantly registers recognition. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Arden.”
“Call me Alex.” Lexy belongs to the past, and Alexandra lived in Scott’s world. I don’t mind if the men still call me Lexy, but Alex feels like the right name for this new chapter of my life.
“Nice to meet you. Follow me, and I’ll show you to your room.”
We follow her through a series of hallways, winding toward the back of the building. The unused guest room is indeed very near the kitchen, but it has its own bathroom and a mini fridge, so I don’t mind at all. It’s not as though I’ll be spending a lot of time in it during the day, and I can’t imagine the kitchen is that busy throughout the night, if it’s open at all. From what I could see, the resort is small by Vegas standards, a niche operation rather than the usual mega-building.