Page 10 of The Hero + Vegas = No Regrets

Zip, zip, zip.Jules opens her makeup bag and sits in front of the full-length mirror opposite the bed. “I promise I’ll tidy up after myself,” she says. “Who knows who you might bring back tonight.”

I choke out a laugh. Exactly no one. Men clearly can’t be trusted.

“I think I’m still getting over Jamie,” I say. I know it’s not true, but I need a reason to not be looking for my soul mate as far as Jules is concerned. I’m not sure how it happened so quickly, but Jules has been turned into a lover of love. I don’t know if that makes her Aphrodite or Cupid. But she’s obsessed with the idea that I have to find the love of my life, just like she’s found the love of hers.

“Jamie? Really? I would have thought the fact that you two were long distance would make it easier to get over him.”

I sit on the edge of the bed and consider her statement. Jamie worked on superyachts and was based in Florida. We only saw each other every few months or so—he was always at sea and I have my life in New York. I thought we made it work because we loved each other. But maybe it was just familiar to me—a man who was never around.

“Do you think Jamie was cheating on me?” I ask her.

Jules snaps her head around. “What makes you think that?”

“He was away a lot of the time. He had every opportunity.”

“But so did you, and you never did.”

Just like my mom. I accepted the scraps.

“I’m not doing long distance again,” I say. I don’t want another man in my life who only wants to be there part of the time.

“I think that’s a smart decision,” Jules says. “It’s not sustainable in the long run. And anyway, you should want to be with each other for the everyday-life stuff.” She grins like she’s downed that entire bottle of champagne, and I can tell she’s thinking about Leo. All I can think about is my dad and how he can’t have liked being with us for the everyday-life stuff. Not enough to not be with someone else and have an entire family with them.

I try and swallow down the feeling of loneliness that washes over me.

“Well, Fisher lives in New York City, so you wouldn’t have that problem with him,” she says, grinning into the mirror.

I sigh. “I’m not sure Fisher’s my type.”

She frowns as she applies her brow pencil. “You two got along well at brunch, didn’t you? And on the plane.”

Brunch seems like such a long time ago. I don’t remember much of Fisher. I remember I was sitting next to him, but on the other side was Worth.

Worth is who I remember from brunch. Worth, with the cool blue eyes and intense stare. Worth, who was confident and oh-so-masculine with his stubbled jaw and deep voice that I felt between my thighs whenever he spoke.

Worth, who said I could call him anything I liked, and has me wondering if he really is a hero.

I could do with a hero right about now, but the only person I can rely on to save me is myself.

That’s when it hits me: Worth wasn’t on the plane. Is he not coming this weekend? Not that I should care. I don’t need any romantic entanglements. Ever. Again. I just felt so drawn to him… If not for the bombshell my mom dropped in Cincinnati, my mind would probably have stayed as full of him as it had been after brunch.

“Iget alongwith most people, but I have a slightly higher bar for the people I want to share body fluids with.”

“Ha ha,” Jules says. She’s flitting between using the hair curler and applying her mascara. Her process is so haphazard, I can’t watch too closely or I’ll get stressed out.

“Are you okay?” I ask her.

“Of course. I’m excited about being here. And marrying Leo. Can you believe I’m getting married?”

I smile at her. She’s so happy. I don’t want to ruin that for her. “I can. You deserve all the happiness in the world.” I wonder if I’ll ever be able to tell her about my dad. Because the nextthought in her head will be,Do you think Leo could do that to me?It’s a question she’ll ask herself before she eventually asks me.

And what can I say?

There’s only one answer: I never thought my dad could do that to our family.

The last thing I want to do is undermine Jules’ trust in Leo. Not ever. So maybe this is a secret I have to take to the grave.

“You’ll get to know him a little better on this trip,” she says.

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