All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Ninety-Three

        At last minute, Kylie tried to convince us that the bachelorette party was a waste of time and money and that we didn't really need to do it. Of course, Nina and I firmly stood our ground. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to spend the weekend before Kylie's wedding. As for the money, I'd saved the previous two checks Grayson had sent me, and this seemed like the perfect way to spend them. So Nina and I booked flights for three to Turks and Caicos, reserving a room at a place that Kylie had always wanted to go. Since Kylie had foolishly assumed that we wouldn't actually plan the trip thanks to her protests, she was both shocked and excited when we told her everything.

        "Guys, I cannot express how much I appreciate this," she said as we walked through the airport in Cockburn Town. "Like, this trip is my dream."

        "We kind of had to," Nina said matter-of-factly. "Well, first we had to verify that Clay wasn't taking you here for your honeymoon."

        "Yeah, where are you guys going?" I asked curiously.

        "We talked about it and we decided that we'd do a romantic week in Paris," Kylie said, her tone sounding like she'd already floated into the clouds. "As much as I've wanted to come here, Paris made much more sense for a honeymoon."

        "Which is why your best friends brought you to the bucket list place," Nina said, satisfied that we were totally crushing Clay in the race to be the best friend to Kylie. I elbowed her and she quickly said, "But Paris is going to be amazing. I was just reading this book where the mafia kidnapped this girl and they bring her to their holding cell in their Paris hideout, and she's so sad and depressed and she only has one dream, to go up the Eiffel tower. The main guy–who's totally hot–relents and takes her out for a day so she can see her dream before they kill her."

        "Did they end up together or did they kill her?" I asked.

        "Neither, he ran away with her," she gushed. I loved how Nina talked about books, like she falls in love with every single one.

        "It sounds sweet, but I'm fairly certain Clay isn't in the mafia," Kylie laughed.

        I raised an eyebrow. "Or do you? He does come from a family made of money."

        "He's too flamboyantly awkward to be part of the mafia," she reminded me, which was a fair point. Clay was more fit for preschool than the mafia.

        We took a taxi to the marina, where our boat was waiting to head to one of the bigger islands. We kept our luggage with us, which was a rather unfortunate struggle for Nina.

        "You didn't have to bring so many," I teased.

        She huffed as hair went in her face. "Don't be ridiculous; I can't leave my babies at home."

        "They're books, Neens," Kylie laughed. "I think they can handle a week at home without you."

        "But I can't handle it here without them. We get to sit on the beach for two days–I have to have something to read," she protested, awkwardly holding the large, heavy bag. 

        That was true. Part of me was excited to relax again, but this time with my two best friends. I was starting to get a little bit burnt out at the hospital, not even taking extra shifts on the weekends anymore. I took lots of naps. I went out and bought fancy coffees that normally I'd never buy thanks to the outrageous price. I read here and there. I binged watched shows. It was unlike me. I was secretly hoping this vacation would jump-start me and I would go back to myself, or at least to someone similar.