Page 40

I squeeze his hand again. “What you deserve,” I say quietly, “Is happiness. Real happiness.

Not the kind you have to earn or beg for.”

His mouth trembles and he ducks his head, overcome.

“You deserve happiness too, Gabrielle,” he says hoarsely.

“I want that for you. I want it more than anything.” Silence wraps around us, heavy but not uncomfortable.

He toys with the straw in his drink, the ice clinking softly against glass.

Finally, his voice breaks the stillness, small and uncertain.

“Can you ever forgive us?” he asks. His eyes glisten. “Todd’s a mess...for what it’s worth.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the truth bloom inside me. “In time, I think I can,” I say honestly. “It hurt. God, it hurt. But there’s a part of me that knew better. Knew deep down...we weren’t right.”

Cass shakes his head fiercely, voice rough when he says, “None of this is on you. None of it, Gabrielle.”

For the first time, I believe him. And for the first time, I realize, this isn’t an ending. It’s a beginning. For both of us.

“How about you let me accept half the blame anyway,” I tease.

“Only if you let me try to make things right,” he adds. “Make some calls for you. Open a few doors.”

Warmth stirs in my chest but I shake my head. “While I appreciate that…” I tell him, voice soft, “…a window opened.”

He tilts his head, not quite understanding, but he doesn’t press. Instead, he leans in and says, with quiet conviction, “Love you, Gabrielle.”

A laugh bubbles up in me, easy, light, because there was a time when I loved him too.

Not like I love Roman. Not with my whole heart. This is something different now. Something softer. A friendship stitched back together from the wreckage.

“Love you too, Cass,” I say with a grin, and pick up my menu. “You want to eat?”

Suddenly, I’m starving. Since I called him a few days ago, I’ve barely eaten, nerves tying my stomach in knots.

But now, now that we’ve had this talk...

I feel lighter. Clearer. Like a thousand-pound weight slid off my soul.

The server returns and we both place our orders.

When Cass orders a cheeseburger and fries, the same as me, I raise a brow at him.

He snorts out a laugh, shrugging sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

But I just smile, because deep down, I hope this is the beginning of something new for him too. A fresh start. A real one. We sit back, the easy silence stretching between us, and after a beat he says, “Tell me about the hockey player.”

A grin I can't even begin to fight spreads across my face, and Cass chuckles, shaking his head.

“You know,” he says, “the second I saw you walk in today...I lost all hope of a reconciliation.

And that’s a goodthing, Gabrielle.”

“I actually go by Gabby now.”

He grins. “Okay, Gabby. Tell me about your Romeo.”

My heart does a little flip and I dive into a monologue, telling him about Roman, about our friends, about the new life I've built piece by piece, and Cass listens. Really listens. I leave out the secret I’m still holding close to my heart — the one about the designs I’ve been working on.

Roman should be the first to know. Still, a little voice inside whispers: Will he understand?

Will he think I’m giving up on myself? Will he think I’m going to resent him for it later?

I shove the fears aside. One step at a time.

Our food comes and we eat and talk and laugh, and for the first time in what feels like forever, there's no bitterness between us. Only...healing. I polish off the last bite of my burger and set my fork down, going serious again. “What’s next for you, Cass?” I ask, searching his face.

He laughs, tossing a fry into his mouth. “After hearing all that? I’m thinking I should find my own hockey player.” I laugh too, light and easy.

“Nah,” I say. “You have Todd. And for what it’s worth, I think you two belong together.”

Cass toys with a French fry, spinning it between his fingers, the weight of the world in his slouched shoulders.

“I forgot how much I love French fries,” he says with a boyish grin.

Then, more somber, “I don’t know what’s next, Gabby.

I just know...I have to stop living for my father.

He might disown me. But I can’t hide anymore. ”

Emotion thickens my throat. “I do know,” I say quietly. “And I’m here. If you ever need someone to talk to.”

Lunch winds down, and I grab my bag. As I sling it over my shoulder, Cass asks, “You’re heading somewhere?”

“To the airport,” I tell him, excitement bubbling up inside me again. “To see Roman.”

He grins. “Can I give you a lift? Might as well take advantage of the limo while I still have access.”

I laugh. “I was going to grab an Uber, but sure. I’d like that. Thank you.”

Twenty minutes later, we pull up at the airport. Cass hops out too, coming around to open my door. “Go get him, Gabby,” he says, arms wide.

I throw myself into his hug without hesitation, squeezing him tightly. “You go get him too,” I murmur, pulling back with a wink. “Tell Todd I’ll call. Not right away...but I’ll call.”

He presses a kiss to my cheek, and I turn toward the terminal, waving once as I walk away.

When I glance back, Cass is still standing there, watching me with a bittersweet smile.

I disappear inside. I check in, find my gate and send a quick text to my parents to let them know I’m about to board.

They’d wanted to pick me up at the airport, but it was easier to meet at the hotel.

They’re driving in to see me, and Roman.

That thought alone makes my heart gallop in my chest.

I would’ve loved an earlier flight, would’ve loved to surprise Roman at the ceremony, but there were no seats left.

At least I’ll make it in time for the reception.

After boarding, I settle into my seat with a book, but the words blur as excitement thrums through me. Hours later, the plane lands in Vegas.

With no luggage to claim, just the bag slung over my shoulder, I call an Uber. The driver pulls up and I clamber into the back seat. Somewhere along the way, I change into my new outfit, noticing the way the driver sneaks glances at me in the rear-view mirror.

Yeah, yeah, buddy. Like Mrs. Roper in Vegas is the weirdest thing you’ve seen.

Finally, he pulls up outside the Hart Hotel.

I stare up at the glittering facade, my heart hammering.

I never thought I’d walk into this place again.

But I’m not the girl who ran away anymore.

The ghosts of my past don’t haunt me now.

Not when my future, my real future, is waiting just inside.

I inquire about the Ariti wedding and hurry toward the reception room, heart thudding in my chest. Most people have cleared out, probably off to the rooftop for fireworks.

I’m almost there. Almost inside to surprise Roman.

I hear his voice when I reach the huge entryway, but the second I spot him, I freeze.

He’s laughing under a huge floral wedding arbour, an Elvis impersonator placing a “Just Married” banner over Avery’s head. I blink once, then twice, sure this is just some kind of joke, until a couple comes toward me, the woman in the exact same banner.

“Are you okay?” she asks. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“Is that…real?”

The guy she’s with wobbles slightly as he lifts the woman’s arm to show me a huge plastic ring. “It’s the real deal, babe,” he says, answering for her, and when he hiccups, they both laugh and walk past me.

I gulp and try to move, but my feet are locked to the floor, as my mind races. Is this a joke? Avery lifts her hand, to showcase her ring, before putting her arms around Roman. He starts dancing her around the room, and then, just like a cold slap, it hits me.

Roman and Avery just got…married.

In Vegas.

Oh. My. God.

I stumble backward, my dress catching on the floor as I crash against the hallway wall.

Panic surges in my chest, as confusion spirals into something deeper.

The air feels thick, like I’m suffocating.

I can barely see. My heart is a drumbeat in my ears, and my limbs feel like they’re made of cement.

This can’t be real. This can’t be happening.

But it is.

Roman, the man I thought I knew, just married someone else.

Roman dances Avery past the doorway, and his eyes meet mine for the briefest of seconds, but they’re heavy and glassy. Did he recognize me? His smile falters for a second and I push myself upright.

I suddenly can’t breathe. I spin around, panic clawing at my throat, and I run.

I tear down the hallway, my feet are stumbling, barely keeping me upright.

My breath is ragged, a sob building in my chest. I turn left, just like I did six months ago, but this time, when I see the emergency exit door, I throw it open.

The blaring alarms don’t even register. I need to get out. I need to escape this nightmare.

I run, heels clacking against the pavement, my mind a jumbled mess as images of Roman’s smile, of the future I thought we might have had, flash in my mind. I don’t stop until I find a small café. Bursting through the door, all eyes snap to me, but I don’t care.

I scramble to a corner and sit down, my hands shaking as I pull out my phone.

I text my mother, asking her to pick me up at the café.

Tears spill down my cheeks, but I don’t even try to wipe them away.

In Vegas, no one cares. No one notices. It’s just another night, just another soul escaping a broken heart.

I try to breathe, but my chest tightens as the realization hits me like a truck.

What happened? What changed between Roman and me?

Between the time he left our apartment and tonight?

After he told me about his brother, I thought he would be the one to drag Roman back to the dark side.

But after meeting him, I knew I had nothing to worry about.

But this...this? Why?

And then, as understanding crashes into me, once again stealing my breath. Roman always considered himself a rebound with benefits.

And I was nothing but a…convenience.

Maybe that talk really was about pushing me back into my old life so he could get on with his…