Page 69 of Inflame

It feels good to wake up and actually feel rested. I reach for my phone and see that Ethan has tried to call and text me every fifteen minutes for the past two hours. I glance at the time and see it is almost ten in the morning. So much for going out for breakfast; might as well call it brunch now.

I hobble into the shower, feeling sore from falling down last night. I remember everything, despite having too much to drink. It was a night full of memories, from the Meltin’ Men fun, to the impromptu trip to the dance club, to the Hoffman brothers coming to rescue us. Nic was not happy with me. At least he resisted from yelling his feelings at me on the way back to the hotel.

Then the Ethan drama ensued. He didn’t even let me know he landed in Vegas and obviously got on an earlier flight than originally planned. I feel so disconnected when it comes to him. I really need the next couple of days to be about building us back up to the happiness level we were soaring at when we first started dating. Things were easy then.

I finish washing myself and towel dry off. I can hear loud talking coming from the shared area of the suite and can almost predict it involves Ethan. This entire trip has been so peaceful, with us all getting along. And then he arrives. Shakes up the entire dynamic.

I throw on a robe and pad out into the living room to see what the plan is, prior to picking out an outfit to wear.

Ethan spots me first, and the look on his face tells me that he one hundred percent disapproves of my decision to enter without actual clothes. He saunters over to me, stopping his conversation in the middle, and pushes me back into my room.

“Put something on, please. You’re embarrassing me.”

“I, um,” I start, hesitating as I analyze why he’s so irritated right now. We should be hugging and kissing and catching up on lost time while we were separated. Instead, here we stand, miserable yet again. “I just need to know the plan so I can dress accordingly.”

“This isn’t time for a fashion show, Claire. We have been waiting on you to get out of bed so we can go eat. I’m hungry. I suggested going without you but that was not received well.”

I swallow. Why is he so cold? What have I done to deserve this treatment? I nod. “I’ll hurry and just toss on something casual.”

“I’ll see you out here then.”

I move over to the clothes I hung up in the closet and select a simple aqua-blue cotton dress. I pair it with seashell flip-flops and a coordinating necklace. I half crown braid my hair and let the rest loose. I don’t even bother to blow-dry it because as soon as we are outside, the dampness will be gone. I have gotten used to dressing in a hurry from all the times I have used the gym’s restroom to make myself presentable. It helps to stay organized—which is not naturally my strong point. I definitely have been working at keeping my belongings in order since graduating from college. Having extra time on my hands makes it easier to self-reflect and work on my flaws.

When I get out of the room, Angie is sitting on Graham’s lap on the couch, Nic is pacing in the kitchen, and Ethan is looking angry near the main door. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist, drawing him closer to me.

“I’m glad you got here safely,” I whisper. “When do you have to meet with some business associates?”

“In a few hours.”

I nod. I turn my attention to Angie and Graham. “Did I ruin breakfast?” I ask softly.

“Of course not,” Angie answers. “I slept in nearly as long as you did. I was so exhausted after seeing the—”

“Filthy-ass dancers?” Graham chimes in, tickling her sides.

Angie’s face lights up with humor. “Pretty sure their asses were smooth and clean, but I might have been too far away to see accurately.”

“Riggggghht,” Graham snickers.

I look over at Nic, who seems to be avoiding eye contact with me. I frown as I wonder why he’s upset with me. It’s the theme for the day, and I haven’t even been up for an hour.

Okay, no more of these glum faces. I clap my hands together and force my lips to smile. “How about we hit up the brunch buffet right here at the Bellagio?”

Ethan raises his nose. “A buffet? Really, Claire?”

I sigh. “It’s tradition to hit up at least one Vegas buffet according to all the message board posts I read prior to planning the trip,” I defend.

“Sounds wonderful,” Angie says, getting up from Graham and pulling on his arms to get him to rise with her. She moves over to me and gives me the biggest hug. It says everything she is feeling, without a word spoken. I know she wants to say something but is in tune enough to the current mood of the room to know it is not her place.

“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear. “I needed that.”

“Do we need reservations?” Graham asks politely. “If so, I can call down now.”

“I don’t think so,” I respond. “If it’s a bust, we can go elsewhere. Was just trying to keep things easy.”

We all leave the room, Nic taking up the rear. I can feel his eyes on the back of me, while I link arms with Ethan and walk beside him to the elevators. He is stiff at my side. I sigh and whisper to him. “I know you are irritated with me over something or another, but please, let’s just put it behind us and enjoy the day.”

“Fine.”

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