Page 11 of Third Time Lucky

‘Run?’ Aaron’s jaw drops. ‘Like a couple of pussies?’

‘Exactly like that. You saw that party last night. It appears everyone in Vegas knows this couple, and it would not be two against one.’

‘What about your phone? If you hand it to her to watch the video and we run, you lose it.’

I shrug. ‘I’m due for an upgrade. No big deal.’

He shakes his head as if he’s disappointed that he even knows me. ‘You don’t have to do this, you know? We could just disappear into the crowd and go on with our lives.’

‘Sorry, I can’t. She deserves to know.’

He groans. ‘Man, I don’t even know how you still believe in love.’

‘Everyone believes in love, and if they pretend they don’t, they’re just afraid to admit it.’ I side-eye him, but he’s shaking his head.

‘Maybe she already knows about his shenanigans and gives no fucks?’

I shake my head. ‘Not the girl I knew.’

‘Alright then, maybe she’s only looking for a first marriage in the guy? I mean, considering what I saw when I met her and then walked into that bachelor party – it’s going to be a hell of a first marriage.’

‘No. She’s not like that. This girl has already had her heart ripped from her chest in the worst way possible. I can’t let her marry some cheating douche.’

He sighs heavily, dropping his shoulders with defeat. ‘Right. The dead guy,’ he says with a roll of his eyes, as he sips his drink. ‘Alright then, drink up, cause there’s only one place left to do this.’

I drop my head as I sit at the bar next to him.

‘Let’s blow up this girl’s wedding,’ he says, lifting a fist and splaying out his fingers as if a bomb exploding.

Not the option I was hoping for, but here we are. Fuck. This may well be a birthday I never forget. This could also be my second official arrest in this godforsaken city.

3

LUCY

‘Where aremyflowers?’ Madi snaps, inspecting the bouquet. ‘I slept with one of them. Wait a sec. Is it just me or do these look oddly similar to the flowers in the lobby?’

We’re in an ornate room in Ceasar’s Palace, packed to the brim with bags, clothing, shoes, makeup, hair supplies, food and dozens of people helping get me and my bridal party ready for this blessed event. I haven’t had a moment of silence since I woke up, and it’s all to celebrate me. Well, my wedding.Ourwedding.

I glance at the bouquet. I suppose they do seem last-minute at best, but the gesture was still sweet. Odd, and unexpected, but sweet. For some reason, my breathing was difficult as we stood in silence, waiting for Asher to speak, but he’s probably just stunned to see me, just like I am him. It’s been so long and I’m suddenly getting married. Last he saw me, I was in love with his best friend, the boy who taught me what love was – Kris.

Jeesh. There he is again. In my head, with my heart lassoed to him. Why is he suddenly haunting me like this? I was over him.

Relax, Lucy.

Today is a good day. Some might even say the best day of their life. I wonder if they make that call before or after they say ‘I do,’ I guess I’m about to find out.

‘They are familiar, dear,’ my grandmother, Mitzi, says, now standing beside Madi as they inspect the bouquet. ‘And wet.’

‘You guys, it’s the thought that counts, right? It’s not like he knew I’d be here getting married this weekend so he pre-bought flowers. He’s just trying to be a nice guy. That’s all.’

I’m a 1,000 per cent certain I’m right about this. Yet I can’t help but wonderhowthis happened? How strange is it that we’d run into one another the day before my wedding? In a city neither of us lives in? After twelve years. And why do I feel like he had more to say earlier than the words that left his lips? It’s not just randomly running into him that’s weird either.

Just last week during a pre-wedding meltdown that Madi titled ‘cold feet week,’ I thought of Ash. Not directly or intentionally, but while I packed up my apartment in preparation for moving in with Brandon, I came across my childhood bedroom boxes. When I got to the one labeled: Kris & Lucy 4Ever.

I cried all the tears, told Madi parts of the story as I drank a lot of wine, and wondered why people think it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, because looking back that is certainly not how I felt in that moment. It still hurts twelve years later and if I was to let it, like I did last week, it would consume me and my anxiety would swirl through my soul like thick smoke and convince me that I am meant to be alone.

The past is meeting my present in a strange way and that’s making it really hard to let go of the version of that girl Asher once knew. She no longer exists, and it’s too hard to remember her any more. I have a new life, a new man, and I love nearly every second of it. But after seeing Ash, I’m panicking that perhaps I didn’t pack away that girl and her demons as securely as I thought I had.

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