Except for Ed, of course, who had already explained his blackjack strategy in great detail. And was reiterating it all over again.
Sitting beside Noah was definitely bittersweet. It was the last day we’d sit together like this. Only… Something had changed between us this morning. And, against my sister’s advice—and common wisdom—I was that much closer to putting my chips on the table.
I was going to let myself hope for more.
So, when the bus pulled up to that glitzy gold-and-glass hotel, I wasn’t feeling devastated. Just…a little nervous. Because it was an ending, but it could also be a beginning.
Before the engine cut, Tay stood, clipboard in hand, beaming with what I now recognized as determination more than enthusiasm.
“All right, my desert darlings! We’re a smidge early, so everyone please wait in the lobby while I sort out the room assignments. Before getting off the bus, make sure you’ve collected all your belongings. Also, since this is our final stop, we won’t be seeing our fearless driver again after today.” She flashed a grin toward Joe, who was busy flipping switches on the dashboard.
A small wave of awws rippled through the bus.
“I know, I know. Tragic. But let’s all give a big round of applause to Joe, for getting us from Denver to Vegas with only one transmission incident and zero fender benders.”
Applause broke out—genuine and warm.
“If you’d like to offer Joey a little something extra for getting us here in one piece, feel free to do so before you disembark today. Or, if you’re like me and never carry cash, I’m happy to pass gratuities along later on. You can track me down in the lounge tonight or tomorrow at breakfast.”
She tapped her clipboard.
“With that out of the way, grab your bags and your second wind. We’ve got rooms to check into, so please don’t get lost in the casino just yet. I’m talking to you, Ed.”
Ed’s brows shot up, and we laughed while slowly collecting our things.
Honestly, I might have been slower than most.
I guess when you’re hiking, loving, and road-tripping, everything kinda hurts—but in a good way.
The kind that means you’re living a little more, holding back a little less.
And somewhere underneath it all, my heart felt strangely full.
Noah handed me my bag, his fingers brushing mine, and we filed off the bus one last time.
The Vegas heat slapped us, but only for a second, because the second we stepped through the automatic doors, we were wrapped in an almost arctic blast of air-conditioning, flavored with the scent of cigarette smoke, espresso, and maybe…coconut sunscreen?
Slot machines winked just beyond the main lounge, and music played softly from invisible speakers, familiar while also being unrecognizable.
Tay turned toward the group, very much in her manager mode. “If everyone could wait in the seating area by the fountains, I’ll get our room keys sorted. It might be a minute. They weren’t expecting us quite this early.”
The group broke off in little clusters, some ogling the ceiling, the others flopping into oversized chairs. I followed Noah over to a quiet bench along the edge of a water feature—a curved wall of glass with streams of water cascading down in slow, hypnotic waves.
“This feels like another planet.” I tried to sound breezy, unaffected.
“Mm. Like it shouldn’t exist in the middle of the desert, right?” And then, “What should we do first?”
“Hmmm…” This was hard to answer.
Noah’s thigh was warm next to mine, and I was just about to lean even closer, to fill my senses with his cologne instead of everything around us. “Maybe we could just?—"
“Noah?”
We both looked up.
His mother stood a few steps away, her expression pleasant, almost too neutral.
“Would you mind coming with me for a moment?”
