Page 286 of Vegas Heat

My announcement is met with silence.

“What?” Mackenzie asks at the same time Chloe breathes, “But why?”

“Let’s get this girl drunk!” Justin says rather than asking.

I realize Mackenzie thinks Cooper and I broke up a while ago, so I’m careful with my answer. “It just wasn’t the right fit for me.”

I excuse myself to the restroom since the baby has decided to make my bladder her pillow today, and when I return to the table, I catch the tail end of what Mackenzie is saying.

“It’s about damn time. She never deserved it.”

I don’t sit. I don’t slide into the booth. Instead, I fold my arms over my chest. “What the fuck is your problem?” I spit at her.

“Excuse me?” she asks very innocently.

“You’ve never liked me, and that’s fine. But to talk shit that I don’t deserve it?” I shake my head. “That’s just nasty.”

“You don’t. You only got the internship in the first place because of your father,” she says. She picks up her drink, her hands nice and steady, and meanwhile I’m shaking like a leaf as this confrontation way too long in the making finally takes place.

“I’m damn good at my job. It doesn’t matter how I got there. What matters is that I proved myself while I was there.”

She rolls her eyes.

I look at Justin. “I’m sorry, but I’m out. I’m not dealing with this shit.” I spin and walk away, and he chases after me with Brian hot on his trail.

Once I’m out front, I’m still shaking. “I fucking hate her.”

“I know, baby girl,” Justin says, his arms looping around me. Brian hugs me from the other side, and now I’m the meat in a Justin-Brian sandwich.

“She sucks,” Brian agrees.

“But you told her off, and I’ve never been so proud of you.” He kisses my forehead, and it feels good to be with my friends. He lets me go, and he glances at Brian. “Ready?”

Brian nods.

“Just before you got there, we decided we’re telling my parents tonight. I want you to be there with me,” Justin says, squeezing my hand.

“Me?” I ask, my hand moving to my chest.

“I’m not sure I can do it without you,” he says.

“Then let’s get the hell out of here before you lose your nerve,” I suggest, and he laughs as we part ways to get into our own cars and head over to his place.

Three cars pull into Justin’s driveway at the same time, and we all walk in together.

“Mom?” he yells. “Dad?”

His mom appears in the doorway with her brows drawn together, a kitchen towel in her hands, and his dad walks down the stairs a minute later with the same expression on his face.

Justin looks at Brian, and then he looks at me, and then he takes a deep breath. “Can you both sit down? I have something I need to say to you.”

They sit, and I note that they don’t sit close to one another. His mom takes the love seat, and his dad takes the couch. They don’t bother looking at one another.

“What’s going on, honey?” his mom asks. I’ve met Laura Larson a handful of times—more when Justin and I first became friends and I was trying to escape living in the bedroom next to Cooper.

I thought things were bad then. They had nothing on thingsnow.

Justin draws in a deep breath. “I love you both, but I’ve been hiding something for a long time now. In fact, it’s probably been a secret for ten years.”

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