settles. “Damn, it’s been years since I’ve had one of these. Not since the night Emily and I—”
“Oh, hell no, Dad,” I’m quick to interrupt him, scowling at the thought. “That’s some fucked-up shit. Please don’t bring up stories about Mom.”
“C’mon, Lex, Elijah said your mom’s a MILF.” Rocky chuckles.
“I did not!”
Elijah’s face turns completely red. I didn’t know whether to feel sorry for him or punch his goddamn face.
“Well, I don’t blame you. She still knows how to…” My dad trails off as my eyes widen in disgust. “Sorry, son, no more talk about Mom.
“We can talk about Charlie, then.” Rocky elbows Dad with a smirk. “Will that be more suitable?”
All eyes fall on me, aside from Elijah’s friends and cousins who are on the balcony talking to the waitresses. It’s the last thing I want to talk about. I grab the bottle of Patron in front of me and pour a double shot. It burns but eases the hurt lingering inside of me. I bang the glass on the countertop, pouring another. Rocky looks at my father who just sits there, amused.
“What exactly do you want to talk about, Rocky? The way I fucked her on her desk or the way she fucked me on mine? Tell me, I’m sure you’ll have a good old laugh.” My tone is bitter. No matter what, I can’t escape her, but I have to try because I can’t go on like this, trapped in a nightmare. I’ve done this too many times to count, and the result is never good.
“Dude, look, I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t think so.”
This party has hit a low point. I grab the bottle and pour the remaining shots. Placing my arm around Elijah’s shoulder, I make a toast. “To Elijah. Thank fuck, I can officially hand over my sister to you. Cheers!”
We raise our glasses, then swallow the drink.
The night kicks off with the guys playing poker and the topless waitresses serving us buffalo wings and other deep-fried wonders. After losing a thousand bucks to the nerdy sci-fi dude, I grab a beer this time and walk onto the balcony.
The view is impressive. The swimming pool is illuminated in bright blue as the LED lights surround it, and not so far in the distance, the rest of Vegas twinkles in the night.
As I lean against the glass railing, the dry Vegas heat does nothing to cure my wandering thoughts. The heat, compared to London’s chilly air, is extremely uncomfortable.
“So, it’s a touchy subject, then.” Dad is leaning his elbows on the railing beside me, scotch in hand as he stares into the night just like me.
“Look, Dad, there’s nothing left to say. It’s over between us.”
“Never figured you for a quitter.”
His words sting. I’m not a quitter, but I’m also not going to stand by and be second best. Where the hell is this coming from? From him, of all people?
“Can’t always have what you want.”
“So, you want her, then?”
“Dad, just drop the charade. You never liked her… you were never shy to admit that. It’s over between us. Nothing more left to be said. We tried again, and it didn’t work. It’s just not meant to happen.”
He takes a swig of his scotch, the stench lingering in the air between us.
“Did I ever tell you the story about how your mother and I met?”
“No,” I mumble.
“I was quite a womanizer back in the day. I spent most of my late teens screwing everything in sight. When I went to college, I used the whole doctor thing to my advantage. Worked like a charm with the ladies.” He smiles as if remembering the time so fondly. “So, one day I met this girl, Cassandra. She tamed me. I studied hard, and she was everything the other girls weren’t, so I proposed, and she said yes. On the night of our engagement party, I finally met her family. I was freaking out over meeting her parents, so it never occurred to me that it was her sister I should be worried about.”
Taking a step back, I tilt my head to the side. “Holy shit, are you talking about Aunt Cassie?”
“Yes. Her sister, your mother, was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life. The moment I saw her, I was in awe. Drove me crazy. She was shy but so unbelievably kind-hearted. I fell in love. We started seeing each other behind Cassie’s back, but one day we were caught, and all hell broke loose. Emily