Page 62 of What Happens In Vegas
Bonni jumped up and began pacing, needing to work off her suddenjittery feeling, which seemed to be a mixture of fear and adrenaline.
Her friends silently watched her pace back and forth, before Celia raised her hand like she was in a classroom. ‘Wait, it kinda sounds like he asked you not to leave. Is that right?’
Bonni jerked her head in a sharp nod and paced faster. Then Ava leapt up and grabbed her arm. ‘Talk to us, Bonni. We’ve been friends for toolong for you to keep anything from us now. We can help, we can listen, just don’t bottle it up.’
Admitting defeat, Bonni patted Ava’s hand and stopped pacing. ‘Quinn wants me to miss my flight today and stay an extra night with him.’
‘He does? What does that mean? It could be a good sign, right, like he wants to plan a future?’ Celia looked at the others and held her palms out.
‘We don’t know.’Ava shrugged her shoulders. She tilted herhead toward Bonni. ‘Bons, you have some decisions to make.’ She wrapped her arms around Bonni. ‘And you do know, that whatever you decide, we are here for you.’
Fredi came over and joined the hug. ‘We’re your squad, babe. We got your back no matter what you choose.’
Celia opened her arms and threw them around everybody, not that she could reach themall. ‘Yes! Exactly. There’s nothing more powerful than a strong tribe.’
‘I know that.’ Bonni smiled, feeling a little bit better after the reassurances from her friends. ‘So what do you think I should do?’
‘I think you should totally ditch the flight home and get a room. Stay the extra night and don’t sweat it,’ Celia said, taking down her hair and threading her fingers through it.
Ava washot on her heels. ‘Yes, you totally should. I know you scheduled an extra day for yourself, to recover from the jetlag before your next shift starts.’
‘Oh, do-eeet!’ Celia clutched the belt of the robe and bounced on her toes.
Bonni turned to Fredi. She was the barometer. The one who always made sense, and would tell you the logical thing to do, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. ‘So?’
Fredi looked thoughtful. ‘Listen, I’ve seen a lot of couples, and a lot of marriages, and I can tell if a couple will last.’ She took Bonni’s hands and pulled her around so she faced her, giving her a big smile. ‘I can see it in you and Quinn. There’s something there, so I think you need to take a leap of faith. Okay, you screwed up, ran out, said some apparently crappy things. Now go fight forhim. Remember, you only live once.’
Ava gave Bonni a meaningful look, as Fredi’s words eerily echoed Ava’s from the other night. Was Quinn worth fighting for?
Everyonewas silent. Bonni stared at Fredi. ‘Wow, of everyone, you are the last one I’d expect to encourage me.’
Fredi nodded. ‘But I am.’
Ava and Celia both chimed in. ‘Me too.’
Bonni swelled up with emotion. It was the affirmationshe needed to hear. ‘Okay. Okay. I’m going to do it. I’ll change my flight, get another room just in case, and then go wait for him. I just hope he can forgive me for what I said.’
‘He loves you.’ Fredi winked at her. ‘Just say you’re sorry and mean it. He’ll forgive you.’
‘I can’t tell you what it means to me that I have you guys to lean on, that I can tell you everything and you won’t judge.’Bonni looked at each of her friends in turn. Ava had tears in her eyes while Fredi lifted a shoulder, at her limit for dramatic emotional confessions, and Celia chewed her bottom lip.
‘Of course no judgment! If you can’t tell all your secrets to your best friends, who can you tell them to?’ Ava said.
Fredi replied, ‘Well, I don’t know about that. I never told you guys about the time that I metthis guy and—’
Celia suddenly screeched, ‘Landon and I had sex!’
Bonni punched the air in triumph, her first happy emotion of the day. ‘I KNEW IT!’
