Page 96 of Slots & Sticks
Dot exhales shakily. “I panicked, Cam. I’ve been drowning in guilt, grief, fear. Losing someone you love is awful—but losing someone you never really understood?” She swallows. “That’s worse. Not only is there no closure, there’s no hope for it. So you’re not only grieving the person, but the relationship that will never be.”
The room goes quiet. Geo steps back a few paces, lowering the mic stand like he’s giving her the stage.
Dot presses on. “My mom and I… we missed each other our whole lives. I thought that meant something was broken in me. That I didn’t deserve love. So when you told me you loved me,I pushed you away. Because I was scared that someday you’d realize I wasn’t enough.”
My chest tightens. I can’t get a breath, can’t look away. The words hit like shrapnel—she’s naming all the things I feared were true.
Dot’s voice trembles. “But tonight, at her tribute concert, I heard the song she wrote for my wedding. And I realized she wasn’t running from me—she was running from her own fear. Just like I’ve been doing.” She wipes her cheek. “When I pictured that day, standing there in white, there was only one person I could imagine across from me.”
She leans forward. “Camden, it’s you. It’s always been you. I love you. And I’m sorry I didn’t believe I was lovable before. But I want to try now. With you. Forever.”
The crowd erupts—cheers, whistles, applause echoing through the club.
Geo takes the mic again, blinking fast like he’s covering emotion with sarcasm. “Okay, okay, everybody calm down before someone proposes. Jesus, it’s likeThe Bachelorif they had health insurance.”
The audience laughs through their sniffles.
I stand, a bit stunned. “You really mean that?”
Dot nods, tears catching the light. “I do.”
I lift my wrist. The cheap bracelet she bought in Reno glints under the spotlight. “I never took it off.”
Dot lets out a watery laugh and pulls its twin from her purse.
Geo groans theatrically. “This has officially become the sappiest set in Vegas history. Drinks are on them, people!”
The house goes wild—half for the booze, half for us.
I step forward, wrap my arms around Dot, and kiss her like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this exact second. She melts against me like she never left. My hands find the zipper right between her shoulder blades—and I swear it’s a religiousexperience just to touch her again. The crowd’s gone. The lights blur. All I know is her mouth and her breath and the way she clings like she means it this time.
The crowd cheers, Geo mutters, “Guess I’m opening for love now,” and the lights flare white-hot. “I may or may not have had a hand in making this happen tonight.”
And for the first time in weeks, the noise in my head quiets. For once, I don’t have to imagine the future. She’s right here, in lace and hope and wild courage. And I’m not letting go.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dot
The doorbell rings exactly at six.
Because of course it does. Camden has never once been late for anything in his life—except realizing that I was hopelessly in love with him.
He’s standing on the porch in a dark suit that fits him too well for me to form a coherent thought. The open collar shows the edge of his throat, and his tie hangs loose, like even his clothes have given up resisting him.
“Wow.”
“Likewise.”
His gaze sweeps from my hair to the hem of my dress before softening into a smile that steals the air from my lungs. “Ready?”
I nod, even though I’ve been ready since I woke up this morning and somehow feel completely unprepared. He opens the car door for me, and the faint scent of his cologne fills the quiet. I try to focus on the music instead, some mellow jazz station, but my pulse is louder.
We don’t talk much on the drive. His thumb brushes the back of my hand where it rests on the console, a small, steady pressure that grounds me. After everything that’s happened, just sitting here beside him feels monumental. I want to tell him I’m sorry again, that I’ll never take him for granted again—but the words knot up in my throat.
The car slows, and when I glance out the window, I freeze.
The valet stand glitters beneath the soft gold lights of Gemelli’s. My brain takes a full three seconds to process whatI’m seeing. This istheGemelli’s—Vegas royalty of restaurants. People get married faster than they get reservations here.
