KING: Las Vegas Bad Boys(50)
“So you three just hopped on a plane and came? Across the world?” I sit up in the bed, trying to gather my bearings. Never in a million years did I expect to wake up to this.
“Of course we did, weirdo,” Tess says. “Well, I mean, Ace flew us here in a private jet, which honestly was a big help. My credit cards are completely maxed out, so having a free ticket helped with the speed of travel.” She grins, but I just bite my lip, not knowing how I feel.
“You haven’t answered our calls for four days,” Emmy says, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “And then we find out that you–our best friend– ran off with Landon to England.”
“Yeah, a heads-up that you had fallen in love with him would have been freaking considerate,” Tess barks at me.
Do I tell them the reason I’m there? How it has nothing to do with love. How the potential paycheck has everything to do with my daughter.
My daughter.
I need to lead with that. I cover my face with my hands, totally ashamed and totally over my head.
“What the fuck!?” Tess grabs my hand, shrieking. “You got engaged? To Landon?”
“Ohmigod,” Emmy says. “Why in the world did you hide this from us?”
“It’s complicated, and—” Before I can say anything else, Landon is back in the room with a tray of fruit, coffee, and mimosas.
“For the ladies,” he says, setting the tray on the bed.
I smile, a really fake smile because I actually want to scream.
Instead, I stand and pull Landon into the bathroom.
“Sorry, girls, just need to speak with Landon for a sec,” I tell them. They’re both too stunned to speak, so I shut the door behind me.
“Hey, Claire ... now don’t be mad,” he says as I back him into the corner. Literally.
“Landon, what were you thinking?” I hiss. “This is going to end badly.”
“No. It doesn’t have to be bad. You kept saying how terrible you feel about lying to them. And I hate that you are carrying that around. I thought—”
“You thought they were just gonna think it’s cute that we are engaged?”
“Well, we can tell them it’s a fake engagement.”
“No, we can’t.”
“What do you mean? Of course we can. They won’t care.”
“I care, Landon. Me. I don’t want my friends to know I’m okay with deceiving your family for money,” I say.
“They will hate Geoffrey and Fiona, which means they’ll be happy I’m taking the business.”
“No,” I say. “They’ll think I’m a shitty person. Which just confirms how I already feel.”
“You’re seriously making way too big of a deal out of this.”
At that moment I want to scream. I want to strangle Landon for being such a guy.
“No, I’m not,” I whisper. “And it is so like you to minimize this. To not realize the implications. Even if I was okay with them knowing about our scheme, you think it’s smart to let Ace and Emmy and Tess all in on our plan? While they’re here at your parents’ house? Someone will accidentally let the cat out of the bag.”
Landon fills his cheeks with air, realizing what I’m saying is true.
He exhales. “Fuck. Sorry. I shouldn’t have called them without asking you.”
“Now I have to lie. More.”
“Not about everything,” he says.
And for a stupid second I think maybe he means I don’t have to pretend about the engagement. That he really wants to be with me.
And for a stupider moment I want him to say that.
But then he opens his mouth again. “If they’re your real friends, they’ll forgive you for lying about Sophia.”
I nod, hoping he’s right.
“Claire,” he says. “About last night–”
“Don’t,” I stop him. “We both said a lot, and I can’t deal with that while Emmy and Tess are right there in the bedroom.”
“Later, then, we’ll talk?” His eyes plead with me, and I know this knot in my stomach needs to unfurl.
“Okay,” I tell him. “After the family meeting we can talk it out. I’m sure we’ll know more by then anyway.”
“Nothing my dad says is going to change how I feel about wanting to be your man.”
“Landon.” I close my eyes, pressing my hands to his chest. “I can’t right now.”
He doesn’t argue. He just takes my hands and kisses my knuckles, smiling despite the fact that I’m walking away.
That alone melts me in ways it shouldn’t. With him, right now, I need to stay resolved.
Once Landon leaves and it’s just Tess, Emmy, and me, I hand them each a mimosa.