Page 45 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

That explains some things.

“Why didn’t you say anything to anyone?”

Cassidy lowers her head and lifts her hand to her forehead like she’s trying to shield herself. “No one needs to know that. It’s gross. You should probably—”

I slip past her and shut the door behind me. “Get back in bed. I’ll keep your secret.”

Cassidy huffs. “You can’t just barge in here, Jax.”

“Well, I’m already here,” I say as I walk over to the phone on her nightstand. “Bed.”

Cassidy narrows her eyes, but she doesn’t protest anymore. She pulls back the sheets on her large bed and crawls under them, flopping back against the fluffy pillows. “What are you doing?”

“Find a movie to watch. The wedding party can survive without you for the rest of the day,” I tell her before dialing room service. “Could I get a ginger ale and some crackers sent to 504? Thank you.”

Cassidy gives me a perplexed look.

I sit down on the bed next to her. “They’ll help your stomach. Maybe you ate a bad oyster or something.”

Cassidy grimaces and grips her stomach. “Ew. Don’t say that.”

I can’t help but crack a small smile. “My mom used to do this for me when I felt sick. Nothing like a can of ginger ale and a sleeve of saltine crackers to soothe a stomachache.”

Her face immediately softens. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you talk about your mom in a long time.”

I busy myself with tucking her in and adjusting her pillows behind her head, my eyes steering clear of hers. “I don’t talk about much that has anything to do with her.”

Cassidy places her hand on my wrist, making me pause. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

She slides her hand down to mine to squeeze. “Bury your pain. You know I understand a complicated family life.”

Ryan was basically her father after their actual one left when the divorce was finalized. Their mom checked out emotionally and mentally, and they were pretty much left to fend for themselves.

I think having messed up families helped us bond more.

“It’s not easy to talk about,” I reply, drawing my hands away from her to rest on my thighs. “It’s in the past anyway. It doesn’t matter.”

Cassidy sighs. “Acting like you don’t care about anything is making me feel sicker.”

I smirk. “You’re being dramatic.”

“Me? Never.”

Our soft laughter mingles before fading away, leaving behind a weight on my chest.

“I’m not trying to be an asshole by not talking to you much,” I tell her. “It’s just easier, you know? Especially in front of Ryan and everyone else.”

Cassidy’s expression turns serious as she nods. “I get it. You can say a little bit to me, though. I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder.”

“I’m behaving.”

A wry smile tugs at her lips. “Behaving?”

“Vegas can’t happen again. Not when we’re stuck at the same resort as Ryan and everyone else for a whole week,” I reply as I lean back against her pillows, our shoulders brushing. “That’s just asking for trouble.”

She nods again. “Yeah, we should probably avoid that.”