Page 110 of Vegas with my Ex’s Best Friends

Riley: Please don’t make me laugh right now.

There she is.

Not okay. Not even close.

But still here.

I lean back in my chair and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“She answered?” Andrew says quietly.

“Yeah.”

Ethan picks up his coffee. “We wait.”

I look at the table. The cold food. The untouched plates. The three glasses of orange juice.

Waiting still sucks.

But at least now we know she hasn’t closed the door.

Chapter thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight—Riley

Isit on the edge of the guest bed and swallow hard against the nausea that’s been rolling through me since I woke up.

My stomach doesn’t care that I’ve barely eaten in twenty-four hours. It just keeps reminding me that nothing feels steady anymore.

I press the back of my hand to my mouth and breathe through my nose until the wave passes.

I grab my phone. The group chat is still open.

Liam’s last message sits there, trying to be light.

I already told them I needed space today. I already said I wasn’t disappearing.

But after twenty-four hours of near silence, the words feel thinner than they did last night.

I open Jules’ chat instead.

Riley: Connor knows everything. I stayed. I’m a mess this morning and the nausea is winning.

Her reply comes fast.

Jules: Wait. He KNOWS knows? Like full download?

Riley: Full download. Pregnancy included. He asked if I even knew which one was the father.

Jules: Wow! That’s a ballsy question even for Connor. You okay?

Riley: Nauseous. Tired. Scared I just blew up every relationship I have.

Jules: First, hydrate before you puke on your brother’s fancy floors. Second, you stayed. That’s the part that matters. You didn’t run.

Riley: I know. But what if staying just makes everything worse?

Jules: Then you deal with it. You’ve got a spine now. Try not to panic-pack it away.