Page 77 of The Hero + Vegas = No Regrets

“So tell us,” Bennett says.

“Later,” Byron says.

Bennett sighs and turns his attention to me. “You want to share what’s got your face looking like that?”

“Genetics?” I offer. “I don’t have a beauty regime I can let you in on if that’s what you’re hoping.”

He ignores me. “How’s it going with Sophia?”

My heart clunks in my chest, like it’s an engine trying to start but failing miserably.

“I thought that was a Vegas thing. You still seeing her?” Byron asks.

I shake my head and gaze into my drink.Seeing her.Is that what was happening with us? It felt like more than that. I felt like we were together. No, we weren’t living together, but that was just logistics. We weremarried. With every passing hour, that felt more and more important.

Bennett calls the waiter over. “We’ll take a bottle of the Macallan 1990.”

The three of us settle into silence.

“Did you end things?” Bennett asks eventually.

I shake my head. “Let’s not talk about it.” I don’t know what I’d say. I don’t have any answers.

Leo arrives, along with Jack and Fisher. I relax a little. There are too many people here for Bennett to press the issue with Sophia. I can just be.

Byron gets the most effusive welcome. He hasn’t been around much, and it’s good to have him here.

“What’s the latest with everyone?” Leo asks, taking a low stool between Bennett and me. The bartender brings over the Macallan and Leo looks to me and then Bennett. “We’re either celebrating or commiserating. Which is it?”

I glance between Byron and Bennett. Are they going to say anything?

“You want to take that question, Worth?” Byron asks.

Leo waits. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but it feels like he knows something. It would make sense. Sophia is bound to speak to Jules.

“Is it a binary choice? Can’t we just be having a drink?” I ask. Okay, so I’m more touchy than usual, but can’t they talk amongst themselves and let me brood in peace?

“Things okay with Sophia?” Leo asks. Bennett can’t hide the way his eyebrows disappear into his hairline.

I sigh, exasperated. I feel like I’m a plate of seeds being pecked at by a houseful of hens.

“We’re not together anymore,” I say.

“Wait,what?” Fisher interrupts whatever it was he was talking about with Jack. “What happened?”

Now five pairs of eyes are on me and everyone knows about my breakup with Sophia. This was exactly what I didn’t want.

“She’s going through some personal stuff and needs the time and space to do that on her own.”

It’s an obtuse answer, but I’m not going to give them personal, private details about Sophia’s family. Anyway, the why doesn’t really matter. Only the what: she doesn’t want to be married to me anymore.

“Man, I’m sorry,” Fisher says. “I had a good feeling about you two.”

“Doesn’t sound like it’s over though,” Bennett says. “It sounds like things might… resolve.”

I huff out a laugh. “I don’t think so. Not for me anyway.” I raise my glass, a signal that I want to be done with this conversation. There’s no point in keeping the wounds fresh. I want to forget about them for a while. Hope they heal while I’m not looking.

I’ve never felt the way I feel about Sophia. I opened up to her completely and allowed myself to want something—someone—just for me. Not because it was a necessity, not because it was a requirement for survival, but because I loved her.Loveher.

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