Behaving Badly in Vegas (Vegas Love #3)

53. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Charli

I had my first rehearsal with the cast of Dark Desires at Oasis. It felt good to be back in my element, soaring above the stage, feeling weightless and free. I put every ounce of energy I had into the routines. I lost myself in the music, contorting myself into unnatural positions and straining my muscles while making it look effortless. When I was twisted up in the silks, knowing one false move would send me crashing to the stage below, it was difficult to think about the things I was missing.

A hard body cocooning me in warmth while I slept.

Morning kisses and nighttime whispers.

Innocent giggles and toothless smiles.

If I thought too hard about it, I doubted my decision to walk away, even though I knew it was for the best. My time with Hunter was a fantasy. A pleasant interlude from the entire reason I came to Vegas. It was a welcome distraction.

But none of it was real .

The man I foolishly gave my heart to wasn’t capable of loving me back. All the signs were there, but in true Charli fashion, I painted every red flag green. Just because I wanted something to be, didn’t mean it was.

I couldn’t even blame Hunter. He never made me promises.

It was my own fault for getting attached.

A sharp knock on the door broke me from my torturous thoughts. From my place on the couch, I turned to Tom who was making a sandwich in the kitchen. “Are you expecting company?”

He wiped his hands on a towel. “No. Are you?” I shook my head. “If that’s Hunter, I’m going to be pissed. I don’t want him here.”

“It’s not Hunter,” I assured him. The man hadn’t texted or called since I left. There was no way he’d come to Tom’s apartment.

Tom opened the door to find Penny and Gia on the other side. They forced their way in. “Why didn’t anyone tell us?” Penny asked. “I thought you were my friend, Tom.”

My brother pushed up his glasses. “It wasn’t my story to tell.”

“I found out today that Carina has been staying with Rose during the day. I swear I’m going to kill my brother-in-law.”

The girls were on fire, and I appreciated their unexpected support. I gave them a finger wave. “Hey, ladies.”

They rushed to me, both giving me tight hugs. “What happened?” Penny asked. Gia was less subtle. “Do we need to rip his balls off?”

“I’m okay,” I assured them.

Tom grabbed his sandwich from the kitchen. “I’m gonna go hang out in the other room,” he said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. He didn’t do well with drama, and this was a bit much for him.

Gia sat down on the couch next to me. “Did he fire you? I swear, I thought that man had changed but he’s the same old egotistical asshole.”

As thankful as I was for their concern, I couldn’t find it in myself to bad-mouth him. “It’s not his fault. He didn’t fire me or kick me out; I left on my own.”

Penny sat on my other side. “Why? I thought things were going great.”

“They were. ”

“Explain. You two seemed really into each other. What the hell happened?” Gia asked.

“Jennifer Johnson happened. Once she showed up, everything went downhill.”

“You think he’s into her?”

I wobbled my head back and forth. “I mean, she’s pretty, so I wouldn’t blame him if he was, but I don’t think so. The woman was at the apartment every day and she drove me nuts. She didn’t have the first clue how to take care of Carina, she treated me like her personal servant, and I think she was… is stealing from Hunter. He’s so set on doing the right thing for his daughter that he’s blind to all of it. I gave him an ultimatum: her or me.”

“And he chose her,” Penny concluded.

“In my eyes… yes. In his eyes, he chose his daughter. I’m not saying Jennifer can’t be a part of Carina’s life, but there has to be some boundaries. I don’t trust her. I think her ulterior motive has more to do with bagging a millionaire than being a mother. I couldn’t be a part of it any longer.”

Gia tapped her fingers against her crimson lips. “Well, this complicates things. I came over here ready to castrate him. Do you think he still loves you?”

“I’m not sure he ever did,” I said honestly. “I don’t think he’s built for love.”

“The old Hunter, I’d agree… but he was different with you. Everyone saw it,” Gia said.

“Everyone saw what they wanted to see, including me. I was the nanny, nothing more.”

Penny put her hand on my shoulder. “I don’t believe that. If it makes you feel any better, he’s been completely miserable at work, growling at everyone.”

“Him being miserable doesn’t make me happy. I love Hunter and Carina. I miss them desperately, but I won’t accept less than I deserve. He could have asked me to stay, but he didn’t. He let me walk away. He didn’t fight for me, and I want a man who thinks I’m worth fighting for. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. ”

Gia slumped. “Well, shit! You have a point. Trent followed me all the way back to Chicago. He drove through a snowstorm for me. That’s how I knew he was the one.”

“Brett didn’t fight for me at first,” Penny said. “I cried for days and took Tom to my sister’s wedding instead. Then the big idiot showed up and made a huge spectacle of declaring his undying love for me. I enjoyed every minute of watching him squirm. It was pathetic, really, but he knew he’d messed up.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. I want that. I want the grand gesture.”

“It could still happen. Maybe he needed you to leave to show him what he’d be missing.”

“If he was missing me, he would have called or texted. It’s been radio silence. It was a job and the job is over.”

Penny wrapped her arms around me. “He might be too dumb to realize what a gem you are, but we’re not. We’re still going to drop in unannounced, go to lunch, and talk shit about the guys. You can never have too many girlfriends.”

“I second that,” Gia said, joining the hug.

“Thank you.”

I may have lost Hunter, but I gained two great women in my life. That should have made me happy, yet I was afraid it would make losing him harder. A clean break would be easier. Less messy. Less reminders.

So, even though I could have used more friends, I had no intention of being theirs.