Page 6 of Third Time Lucky

I pace the hallway like I’m waiting on the bathroom. Man, I hope there’s a bathroom over here; otherwise, this looks so sus. What do I do? I guess I should find out if it’s him for sure. But if it is how could I prove it? Only one thing pops into my head, and I don’t like it one bit. Videos don’t lie – but do I want this video on my phone?

For Lucy, Ash. You have to do this for Lucy.

Carefully, while glancing around with worry, I hit record on my phone and slip it through the crack. I look only long enough to make sure he’s on-screen then look away, pretending everything is normal, but honestly, I might be in over my head here. This could land me in jail. If I’m not careful, I’ll soon be on a first-name basis with the Vegas PD.

‘Sexy Lexy, you are hot as fuck,’ Brandon growls the words, making me look at my phone with sheer disgust. He slides a hand into her hair at the back of her head. ‘Can I hire you to give my Lucy girl some tips?’

I gasp. No. Fucking. Way. The words alone are offensive and disgusting, but the worst part is the creepy chuckle afterward that says he’s not kidding. I pull my phone from the door and hit stop, swiping out of the camera and heading straight for the elevator. Lucycannotmarry this asshole.

2

ASHER

What a fucking tool. How did Lucy even meet this Brandon? What does she really know about him? Clearly not this – I hope.

I lie in bed, alone in the dark hotel room, staring at the ceiling. My head is churning with a jumble of bullshit – all the times I’ve been cheated on (by almost every single girlfriend, for the record), broken hearts and what Kris would want me to do.

‘You just had to go and die, didn’t you?’ I snap the words out angrily into the empty room. ‘You realize if you hadn’t wrecked or if we didn’t drink, or ifIhad missed the corner instead, it could be you waiting for Lucy at the end of that aisle tomorrow. What if that was supposed to happen and I fucked up the timeline with a terrible idea?’

I groan.Stopthinkingaboutit,Ash. This never leads anywhere good.

I squeeze my eyes closed –please fall asleep now. Like, right now.

The room is quiet, besides the random drunk giggle as someone walks past. Yet my mind is loud – and filled with flashing lights, horror and Lucy’s face as I told her what happened after EMTs declared Kris deceased on arrival. Her house was the first place I went after the police were done questioning me. Needless to say, she was devastated. And I was crushed almost beyond words. It took me ten minutes of her panicking before I could actually explain what had happened. I still feel bad about that.

‘She still thinks about you—’ I say, unable to rid the situation from my head. ‘Considering it feels like you’re always sitting on my shoulder, I’m sure you heard that. She misses you the day before she marries someone else. That’s fucking heartbreaking, man. Now she’s ended up with some cheating asswagon andIget to be the one to break her heart. Again.’

Only silence fills the room. Obviously, considering I’m the only one here. And for that I am thankful. I’ve never told Aaron details about this part of my life. He only knows what our parents told him, and we’ve never spoke of it. In fact, I’ve never told anyone willingly. The pain is too deep, rooted right through my heart and soul, and at times, even now, it tears me up.

* * *

We were eighteen. After a few more sips from my dad’s bourbon bottle than was smart, we decided to go race around the city in our souped-up cars – BMWs. We worked our asses off through high school to buy them. His was cherry red. Mine was white. At every red light, we’d pretend we were race car drivers and burn out, attempting to beat the other to the next light. On a slightly damp evening, we took our shenanigans just outside the city to the curvy roads of the west hills. As we raced the roads taking curves like we were in that movieTheFastandtheFurious,we were having a blast and everything was going great. Until it wasn’t.

Unexpectedly, I witnessed Kris miss a corner and go head-first into the most enormous tree I’ve ever seen at probably eighty miles an hour. He didn’t stand a chance. I nearly skidded off the road as I screeched to a stop about a hundred yards past him. I still don’t know how I had the brainpower to get the car into park, I was so frantic, but somehow, I did. While parked in the middle of the road late at night, my car engine still running without me in it, I ran to where he was, but there was nothing I could do. Kris was gone and all I got was a core memory that changed me forever.

‘Why did I live just to be the one who has to break her heart repeatedly?’

The words ‘save her’ echo in my mind with haunting clarity, sending chills down my spine. I sigh, running my hands through my hair as the weight of the situation settles in.

‘She’s gonna hate me if I do that, you know…’

What am I doing? Having a conversation with a fucking ghost? How much did I drink tonight? Not enough for this shit.

How do you tell someone this? I’m sorry your husband-to-be is upstairs boning what I suspect to be a prostitute. I mean, no judgment; everything’s legal in Vegas, and people gotta make a living; the fault is not hers. She’s just doing her job (or, from what I saw,ajob) and charging the guy double – that part makes me laugh.

But that fucking Brandon deserves to have his ass kicked a million times over, and considering I don’t want to go to jail again, words seem more efficient. Maybe I should just go to her room and tell her. Get all the terrible news out there so she can start processing. What room, though? The front desk isn’t going to happily announce to a stranger where a wealthy heiress is sleeping.

Goddamn it. I need Aaron’s warped mind to figure this out. He might be a bit over the top and misdirected, but I know he’s always got my back, and despite the shock of his actions and words at times, I trust he’ll have a perspective on this that may trigger a solution… I hope.

* * *

I barely slept, knowing what I know. Not to mention seeing what I saw. I actually Googled how to get an image out of your head, and apparently – I’m fucked. Short of a lobotomy or brainwashing, I’ll be seeing that image in my mind’s eye for the rest of my life. Lucky me.

Finally, I gave up sleeping, decided to shower and go for a walk. I ended up at a restaurant that wasn’t packed to the hilt with people but still within our hotel. I texted Aaron so he’d know where to find me, but I got no response. I’m on my second plate when he finally rolls in wearing sunglasses inside – the best way to hide a hangover.

‘Morning, sunshine. Where were you all night?’

‘Bridesmaids, birthday boy,’ he says, flashing me two fingers as he slides into the booth, laying his head against the back of the chair. ‘It. Was. Awesome.’

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