Page 317 of Vegas Heat

“Your volume is really loud. I heard every word you both said, and I just wanted to tell you that I love you, and I’m proud of you.”

“Right back at you, Captain,” I say with a grin.

He chuckles. “She may never say the things you want her to or be the type of mother you deserve, but that conversation seemed like a step in the right direction.”

I nod. “I think it was,” I murmur, and he kisses me again before putting the movie back on and I go back to staring at my ring.

That is, of course, until the phone rings again.

And this time it’s Mia calling.

Just like a few minutes ago, Cooper reads the screen and pauses the movie.

“News must be out, huh?” he says, nodding at my screen. “Are you going to answer that one?”

“You know, I think I will.” I shoot him a sugary sweet smile, and he gives me a warning look like I should probably play nice.

But maybe I don’t want to play nice right now.

“Hi Mia,” I answer.

“You got engaged?” Mia shrieks.

“I did, despite what your boyfriend did to try to tear us apart.”

She clears her throat. “Ahem. Myex-boyfriend.”

“You broke up with him?”

“Yeah. I’ve been such an asshole, Gabs. I’m so sorry. I stopped by your dad’s house a few days ago but nobody answered, and I’ve been wanting to reach out and call but I couldn’t work up the nerve. It had to have looked like I chose him over you, and it was never like that.”

“It was exactly like that, Mia, and it hurts that you agreed with him. I got the full-time position, and I got it on my own merits. You can believe what you want to believe, but that’s the truth.”

“I know what a hard worker you are,” she says softly. “I know you got it because you deserved it. As it turns out, I think Dylan might’ve been using me to try to get to Troy.”

I sink back into the cushion at her words.

I never thought about how being the daughter of a celebrity could affect the people around me, and I’m sure the same can be said for being engaged to a different celebrity as well. Cooper reaches over and squeezes my hand as if he has the same thought at the same time I do.

“Oh, Mia. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I was stupid and I was blind, but I hope we can find a way to get our friendship back,” she says. I can hear the emotion in her voice, and I have to admit…I miss her.

“It might take some time, but I think we can,” I say, my own voice emotional, too.

We’re both quiet a beat, and then she says, “So you’re engaged?”

I giggle. “Yeah. And knocked up.”

I think I shock her into silence for a beat, and then she squeals. “Holy shit! Congrats, girl!”

“Thank you,” I say.

We chat another few minutes, and I do feel like eventually we can get our trust in each other back, though it might take some work on both ends—work that’ll be hard with a job where I travel and eventually with a baby at home, but work I’m willing to put in if she is.

I feel like I have it all. A big circle of friends, a brand-new job, my fatherandmy mother in my life along with a better group of future in-laws than I ever could’ve imagined, a baby on the way, and most importantly, the man sitting beside me currently lacing his fingers through mine.

When I sat down at that blackjack table on my twenty-first birthday, I never could’ve imagined the curveballs life was about to throw at me.

---