Page 94 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

And she still looks so tired.

Did she rest at all yesterday?

Concern pierces me, and I find myself walking over there before I can stop myself.

“Morning,” I greet everyone.

“Hey, Marcus,” Kara says with a warm smile. “What are you doing up so early?”

I glance at Cassidy for a second, but she focuses on slowly finishing off her piece of toast. At least she’s eating.

“Just doing a little sketching,” I reply as I hold up my sketchbook.

Kara lifts her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? Show us what you sketched! I checked out your Instagram. You’re such a talented artist.”

Cassidy bites into her toast a little harder than before.

I press my sketchbook flat against my chest as some of the other girls chime in. If they see my sketch of Cassidy, it’s game over. How could I even begin to explain that without the truth being obvious?

“It was just something quick. A sketch of the beach,” I lie with a nonchalant shrug.

Cassidy’s eyebrow crooks. If anyone at this table can tell when I’m being dishonest, it’s her.

“Well, I bet it’s nice,” Becca replies, subtly nudging Kara.

“Do you draw people?” Kara asks, tilting her head at me. She twirls a locket of her red hair around her finger. “Like could you draw me?”

Some of the girls giggle and whisper to each other.

Cassidy drops the crust of her toast on her plate and stands. “Bathroom.”

My eyes follow her as she gets up from the table and walks toward the door that leads into the resort building. “It’s not really my forte. Sorry, I should head in and change. I’ve got sand all over me.”

I barely catch Kara’s disappointed look before I turn and head into the building.

Cassidy stands outside of the women’s restroom, running her fingers through her hair and fidgeting with the straps of her sundress like she’s agitated.

I glance around, making sure no one like Ryan is around before approaching her.

“I take it they haven’t heard anything about our…situation.”

Cassidy lifts her eyes to mine. “I guess not. Or they’re really good at hiding that they know.”

I have a feeling some of those girls aren’t great at covering up how they really feel. For now, I think we’re in the clear, but if anyone says anything, my money is on Derek.

I’m surprised he hasn’t gone around the whole resort trying to slander us in front of the whole wedding party.

“Have you talked to Sarah?” I ask her, resting my sketchbook on my hip.

Cassidy frowns and shakes her head. “I haven’t tried to reach out. I’m too scared to hear back from her. I don’t know if she’s angry or not.”

“She hasn’t reached out to you?”

“No. The silence is killing me,” she sighs, her back thumping against the wall. “None of this was supposed to happen, Marcus.”

Everything in me wants to pull her into my arms, but I’d rather not have someone walk in and see us like that. We don’t need the extra drama.

“I know,” I say. “But we’re going to figure it out and get through this.”