You know why,my conscience says. I do, but I don’t like to think about it.
So I don’t.
“How you going to avoid ten Hulk-sized football players who are louder than an army of barking dogs?”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Get them drunk and stick a stripper in front of them and they’ll never know we’re gone,” I tease him.
I watch his expression soften. “You’d blow off your wedding party to hang out with me? Duringyourparty?”
I shrug. “It’s my party. I’ll escape if I want to.”
Cam’s gaze softens.
“And hypothetically, if we were to…” His voice shifts, like something is stuck in his throat. “If we escaped the Bragadocious Brigade, what would we do?”
I grin. “Go see the dancing fountains and get some gelato.”
Cam grins. “Youhategelato.”
I can’t argue with him, but it doesn’t matter. I’d happily stomach egg-ified ice cream for him if he is willing to get on a plane for me.
Because that’s what we do, Cam and I.
We balance each other.
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll have your Cinderella Story moment and find your prince charming. Isn’t that what happens in all the movies?”
“Yeah, during winter in New York. Not fall in Vegas. Vegas is where dudes get drunk and find random babies. Or where people get too drunk to remember who they married. Please don’t let me do that.”
He shivers and I can’t help but laugh.
His gaze shifts, and gone is the wistful look of entertainment. Instead, in its place, is that expression he always wears. The one that’s hard to read.
“How long?” he asks.
“The weekend. Leave Friday, come back Monday morning.”
“That's in three days, Austen,” he says, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Yeah…” I run a hand through my hair nervously. “So I kind of need an answer now, so we can make sure we have a proper head count. For the clubs. So Mack says.”
He lets out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. I watch as he sucks down the remainder of his coffee.
“Unbelievable,” he says in annoyance. “You expect me to just drop, I don’t know,everythingand jump on a plane with you to get fucked up all weekend at strip clubs in Vegas? Strip clubs with naked women that have nothing I want to see.”
I nod, feeling strangely offended.
“Yes. I do!” I say, crossing my arms. “That’s what best friends do! They show up and say ‘hey, let’s hang out and live a little’.” I can hear the venom in my voice.
Cam groans as his phone chimes, pulling his attention.
“Shit, I have to go or I’m going to be late for—”
His voice trails off and he shakes his head. “Never mind, I just have to go.”
“Okay,” I say, feeling strangely on the spot. “I need to know your answer by tomorrow at the latest. I mean, I kind of already bought your ticket, so…”
Cam lets out a frustrated groan as he stomps off, heading for the art studio.
