All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Eighteen

         I pretty much had to mop up Clay's drool off the airport floor. Why did Grayson and I bring him? Good question. Unfortunately, neither of us knew the answer.

        "Clay, that's my best friend," I warned. 

        "You mean the most gorgeous woman in the history of humanity," he murmured, unable to take his eyes off of Kylie. Again, I felt a twinge of jealousy. Maybe I was the girl married to the billionaire with diamond earrings and flawlessly curled hair, but Kylie still managed to look prettier. For some reason, my fears kept bubbling up to the surface. If Grayson hadn't been drunk that night, would he have still chosen me? Would he have still seen the shy brunette at the bar and chosen her over the flashy blonde, who had a smile guys wilted for and curves in all the right places? Maybe he wouldn't have, and I'd have been okay. That was normal when the three of us went out. But now that he had actually chosen me, I couldn't help but let it get under my skin. Kylie was unaware of my worries, and I would never tell her. Besides, I was overjoyed to see her. She was my best friend, and I wasn't about to let any jealousy get in the way of that.

        "Oh my gosh, you look so cute and happy and I cannot believe you are the first one of us to get a wedding!" she squealed, throwing all my bones in a blender as she hugged me.

        "Yeah, crazy!" I agreed. Literally. 

        Nina was super excited too, throwing her arms around me and crying, "Oh, she's finally fallen in love after years and years of being the wise, responsible one!"

        Yes, I really was the wise one. Obviously. The wise one is always the one that gets drunk and gets married and moves to a different country in a matter of days. I missed the days where I could actually be known as the responsible one, the mom of the group.

        Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat and said, "Not sure if you remember, Kylie, but this is my husband Grayson, guys, and this is his brother Clay."

         "I remember Grayson!" Kylie said in delight, giving him an enormous hug. He seemed a little surprised, but gladly took it. I wondered how many hugs Grayson got. It couldn't be that many; I'd only seen Laura, Clay, and his father give him one apiece since I'd arrived, and then he'd given me that one unforgettable hug the other day. Kylie was a hugger, so it made perfect sense that she'd practically tackled my new husband.

        "Good to see you again, Kylie. I think–it's still a little hard to remember the last time," he said apologetically. A little? More like impossible.

        She gave him a wicked grin. "Well I remember it crystal clear. You guys were adorable. I almost fainted when you told her that...what was the exact quote, Nina? I sent it to you."

        Nina pulled out her phone and read, "'My darling Jackie, I promise that I will always be your number one fan, your biggest cheerleader, and your deepest friend. I will always hold you close to my heart, but more importantly, I will always treasure you as my other half.'"

        "I said that?" Grayson blurted out, disappointing Kylie instantly.

        "At the time it was really sweet," she mumbled sadly.

        At this point, Clay was openly staring at her, so I nudged him hard in the ribcage. He jerked upright, startled into perfect posture. "Ladies, may I take your suitcases?"

        "Oh, um, yes, thank you," Kylie said, surprised but suddenly shy. A sickening feeling rose in my stomach; Kylie is never shy.

        Nina politely declined his offer, which I understood. She always carried her own luggage, ever since she'd been to Belgium and had had all her things stolen at the airport by a supposedly trusted friend. We walked out of the airport together, with Grayson holding my hand again.