Page 119 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

Good thing I don’t have to.

Together, the four of us head back to the party, ready to start the rest of our lives as well.

Chapter forty-one

Chapter 41: Cassidy

Afew hours before everyone has to check out and head to the airport to go home, I leave my room and head down to the pool where people are enjoying brunch.

It’s cool this morning. There’s a gentle breeze coming in from the sea that rolls over my skin and coaxes my hair back from my face as I look around at all the taken tables.

I finally spot Ryan seated at one in the back with a cup of coffee in front of him. My stomach flip flops, and I can’t tell if that’s from smelling breakfast meat or my nervousness. Probably both.

I breathe in steadily, quelling the sensation and readying myself for a conversation that has needed to happen for days now.

“Morning,” I say once I reach the table.

Ryan looks up and gives me a small smile, looking notably tired. He and Sarah were still dancing and drinking by the time I left with the guys to get some rest, so I can only imagine when he finally got in bed.

“Morning,” he replies before nodding to the empty chair across from him.

I sit down, and a waiter immediately comes by to take my order. I settle with plain toast and hot tea, hoping to handle any nausea before I’m stuck on a plane for a while.

“I’m glad we’re doing this,” I tell him. “I’ve really been wanting to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry I made myself so unavailable,” Ryan says, shaking his head at himself. “I knew you wanted to talk, and I shut you out because I was mad and confused.”

“I understand why you felt that way,” I reply. “We went about things the wrong way. I wanted to tell you a very different way.”

“I know. Things never work out as planned,” Ryan tells me, the side of his mouth turning up. “All we can do is move on.”

“I still feel bad,” I admit as I glance down at the table, picking at the corner of the napkin that the utensils are wrapped in.

“Because you think you deserve to be punished,” Ryan replies, making my eyes dart up to his. “You’ve always been that way, Cass. You’ve been failed so many times by other people that you expect bad outcomes, even for yourself.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek, his words hitting me hard. I guess I should’ve expected him out of everyone to figure that out about me.

“I’m not going to punish you for doing what makes you happy. I should’ve never made you feel like you couldn’t talk to me,” Ryan says.

Now, he’s the one who sounds guilty.

“You’ve done so much for me. The last thing I ever wanted to do was disappoint you,” I tell him, my voice shaking for a second. I swallow to steady myself. “I tried not to fall for them.”

“And that’s like me trying not to fall for Sarah. It just doesn’t work that way. You can’t control your heart,” Ryan tells me. “I want you to be happy, Cassidy. The guys seem right for you.”

“They are,” I reply before taking a breath. “And you should know the truth about Derek. We didn’t break up on good terms. Our relationship was terrible, and he broke up with me because he decided that I wasn’t good enough for him.”

“I sent him home last night.”

My eyes grow wide. “What?”

“Well, I kicked him out of the reception and told him to pack his bags and not show his face again,” Ryan admits as he sits up straighter. “He was really drunk last night and made some comments about you that really pissed me off. I think the guys have been trying to make it clear to me that things aren’t as civil as they seem between you and him. I finally got that message last night.”

Relief fills my chest as I nod. “I didn’t want to cause any drama in the wedding party by saying anything.”

Ryan sighs and reaches out to grab my hand. “Be honest with me, Cass. Start drama if it means telling me the truth. I’d rather that than not know. I never would’ve stayed friends with him, much less make him my best man if I knew what he put you through.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right. No more lying. No more secrets,” I promise him.