All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Ninety-Three

        Our little motorboat roared out across the sea, heading for the hazy green island off in the distance. The boat went straight to the resort, a luxury that I'd even paid extra for. This place was practically built for Kylie, with fancy showers that sprayed scented streams of soap and water at you, and metallic gold edged sheets on the beds. There was twenty-four hour room service. Our room had a private pool directly off the balcony, not to mention a marvelous view of the ocean.

        "Oh, this place is gorgeous!" Kylie exclaimed, setting aside her suitcase and wandering out onto the balcony.

        "It's a wonderful place to get murdered," Nina said softly, already pulling out her phone to take notes. I sighed; having a writer as a friend was both difficult and concerning.

        "Jackie, can we go swimming?" Kylie begged, ready to bounce out of her shoes.

        I laughed. "You're the bride! This trip is whatever you want it to be."

        The trip ended up exactly how Kylie wanted it to be, or at least, the first day did. We went swimming in the ocean, ate a lovely dinner, took a tour by boat, then sat in our little pool to watch the sunset. Kylie and Nina had ordered fancy cocktails (both of which I was tempted to get since they just looked really pretty and interesting), while I'd gotten a smoothie.

        "I know you've probably been asked this a thousand times, but are you going to make Jackie and me aunties?" Nina asked, a pleading, sad, baby seal look in her eyes.

        Kylie hesitated, which made both of us pounce. Finally she cried, "Okay, okay, yes, I'll see what I can do!"

        Nina's head was about to pop off. "See what I can do? You're the mom!"

        "Yes, but Clay and I have to talk about it like reasonable adults," Kylie reminded her.

        I raised an eyebrow. "So you guys want kids?"

        "Maybe," she mumbled.

        More pouncing. "Okay, yes," she sighed. "We just don't know if it'll actually happen between our work schedules."

        Nina snorted. "It's going to happen, Kylie, the way you two go at it–"

        "Okayyyy, someone else say something interesting," I interrupted.

        "You're interesting. You and Grayson, in particular," Kylie said, which I found unfair.

        "Nope." That was not the change in topic I'd had in mind.

        "You do realize he's the best man and you're the maid of honor?" she pressed.

        "I do," I said calmly, slurping my smoothie. "And both of us love you and Clay so much that we can put aside any differences we have for a day or two."

        "Isn't that so sweet? They'll try to be normal for you two," Nina told Kylie, rolling her eyes.

        "Please, at least talk to him," the bride-to-be begged. "I think you both messed up some things you shouldn't have. You clearly have feelings for each other! Yes, your past is a mess, but you have to look to the future. And he's a great guy. Now, if his past was that he was a mass murderer, no, that should not be overlooked. But he's really perfect for you, Jackie. You guys really need to talk."

        "Please," Nina added in a quiet whisper.

        I shook my head. "If he needs to talk, he can come talk to me. On my end, I don't really have that much to say to him. He agreed that it was the end and that we shouldn't be together. I don't really have a response to that."

        "YOU SHOULD RESPOND!" Kylie and Nina both yelled, so loudly that I jumped and splashed water out of the pool.

        "I really shouldn't. We're not friends anymore, I shouldn't open old wounds," I said, setting my empty glass on the deck.

        Nina slowly sank down below the water, bubbles popping up where her mouth was.

        "Anyways, this is your bachelorette party, future Mrs. Answell," I said with a smile. "Don't let me be the rain cloud in the party."

        Kylie cleared her throat, quietly saying, "Actually, he's taking my last name."

        Nina (who had resurfaced, thankfully) and I gasped. "He is?"

        "Yeah. He doesn't want anything to do with his mom. Of course, he loves his dad and brother to death, but he kind of wants a fresh start. So I offered, and he accepted and..." she trailed off, smiling to herself.

        As much as Clay had been through, with his entire life upended by his mother, I understood his choice. I also secretly thought that he was adorably in love with the idea of taking Kylie's last name, but I doubted she would appreciate that. So I only nodded and said, "I love that, Kylie."

        "It's so sweet," Nina sniffled. She was on the adorably in love side.

        "It's mostly for his sake. I mean, I was with him for just a couple of months before his mother attacked us. I can't imagine how he's gone eighteen years with her," Kylie murmured, a crease forming between her brow. 

        I reached over and squeezed her hand, quietly saying, "I'm sure he's excited to take your name, Kylie. And don't worry about his mom; you guys are away from her now."

        "I know. I just...sometimes you want to just forget about her, y'know?" she sighed. "Like she never existed."

        I knew the feeling.

        Kylie changed the direction of the conversation to something much less gloomy, which I thought was wise of her since this party was slowly turning into a sad-fest. The three of us stayed up until midnight, unable to really see the ocean beside us but still hearing the crashing waves.

        "I'm going to bed," Nina announced, awkwardly crawling out of the pool.

        I laughed. "This is the latest you've stayed up in what, months?"

        "No, I've stayed up much later to read," she corrected me. "But I'm sleepy."

        "Night, Neens," I called, Kylie chiming in.

        "Night. Someone wake me up if we have official breakfast plans," Nina said as she disappeared into the villa.

        "We should probably head in for the night soon too," I said, contradicting my words by not getting up.

        "Yeah," Kylie sighed. "Long day of scuba diving tomorrow."

        "We sound so miserable," I laughed.

        She laughed too, saying, "Even if I sound it, I can't be miserable. Well, unless I contract the plague or something in the next few days."

        "I am honestly so happy for you," I said, unable to express how much it meant to see my best friend so aglow with joy. "Clay is perfect for you."

        "I know," she said, half-grinning to herself. Then her smile softened and she said, "He's perfect for you too, you know."

        We weren't talking about Clay anymore. I looked down. "It's just not going to happen," I said, not sure who I was speaking to.

        "Promise me you'll talk to him," she pleaded. "That's all I'm asking. It can even be something stupid, like saying hi or commenting on the weather."

        "Talking to Grayson isn't stupid," I said before I could stop the words from flying out of my mouth. Stupid mouth.

        Kylie smiled. "There it is. Look, just promise, okay?"

        I groaned, looking out to the darkness of the sea. "Kylie..."

        "Please? As a wedding present?" she asked, her eyes big and adorable.

        "Fine," I sighed. "I will say something to him next week."

        "Thank you," she said firmly, clearly pleased with herself.

        Meanwhile, I felt sick to my stomach.