Page 71 of All Bets Are Off

“You don’t need to come,” Addy tells him. “Go to the casino with the rest of the guys.”

“No, I want to come.”

Evie scoffs and says, “I wonder why that is.”

“I’ll order an Uber!” I announce, loud enough to silence Evie’s remark.

I pull out my phone again and summon a car for the four of us, and it arrives within a minute. Us girls take the back seat while Theo rides up front next to the driver. I’ve always felt so comfortable around the Sinclairs, like they’re my very own family, but there’s something different in the air as we head for the Las Vegas sign. I’m keeping a secret from Adelaide, I’m anxious Evelyn will spill the truth before I get a chance to tell it myself, and I’m developing feelings terrifyingly fast for Theodore. My head feels like it may just split open from the pressure of overthinking it all.

Our Uber drops us off at the side of the road next to the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Crowds of people are waiting their turn, so the four of us join the end of the line. I throw on my sunglasses, but I’m not even hiding from the sun at this point. Everything feels so weird, and I’m convinced it’s all because of me, but as we gradually move up in line and I observe the small talk between the Sinclair siblings, I realize there is tension between Addy and Evie. They’re being kind of cold with one another, and Theo notices it, too, because he asks exactly what I’m thinking.

“Are you two fighting or something?”

Evie turns to Theo as though she’s relieved someone has finally mentioned it, and she’s quick to explain, “Addy was being a control freak at the pool party yesterday and has yet to apologize.”

“Because you were making stupid decisions!” Addy defends, hands on her hips.

“Damn, Hails, we missed all the drama!” Theo says, then points a stern finger at Evie. “What exactly were these stupid decisions? Don’t tell me they involve that Jameson guy.”

“She had her tongue down his throat and her hands God-knows-where when I caught her,” Addy offers up, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise, trying not to laugh as Theo looks like he’s just tasted something rancid.

“I hate when you both gang up on me,” Evie moans. “Can I please remind you I am now officially twenty-one? If I want to kiss a guy who’s too old for me, then I get to kiss him.”

“Yeah? Where is he now? Nowhere to be seen!” Addy sneers.

“He’s working,” Evie snaps back, losing patience. “He’s going to meet up with us later. I actually really like him, so both of you stop being dicks, okay?”

And because Evie was so cool with the whole overhearing me having sex with her brother thing, I step forward to have her back. “Yeah, guys. C’mon. How about we trust Evie’s judgment on this one?”

Theo fires me an unimpressed glare, and I smile sweetly back at him.

Thankfully, we’re up next to claim the prime photo spot in front of the sign, so all disagreements are briefly put to the side. Us girls step up first as Theo snaps photos of us, and I don’t know who trained him, but he puts in a lot of effort to get the perfect shot. At one point, he’s even on the ground. Addy and Evie pose effortlessly next to me, alternating between smiling portraits, candid hair-flicks, and playful hands in the air while I simply mimic their every move. I switch places with Theo, offering to take some photos of the three siblings together that I’m certain their parents will have blown up onto a canvas in their home.

“Hails, come here,” Theo calls, waving me back over. “I want one with you.”

Addy’s head turns sharply toward Theo. Evie grins and dips out of the way, and then Addy follows suit, leaving only Theo standing by himself. I’d love to get a photo with him. We’ve had the most amazing weekend together and I’d love a memory of our time together, but stepping forward for this photo . . . It tells Addy so much.

“Go ahead,” she says, gently plucking Theo’s phone out of my hand. “I’ll take the photo for you.”

I don’t move an inch. I stare at her, torn, trying to read the expression in her eyes. “Addy . . . About Theo . . .”

“We’re holding up the line!” she says, gesturing behind her. With a shrewd smile, she physically pushes me toward the sign. “Get the shot and then tell me all about Theo.”

Yeah, Addy knows.

Chewing my lip, I join Theo in front of the sign. I huddle in awkwardly by his side as he wraps an arm around my waist, his head tilted toward me and the most gorgeous smile on his face. I smile, too, right at Addy as she takes some shots of us. I feel hyperaware of all of my movements, like the crowd of strangers are judging me for posing weird or taking too long or smiling too much, when in reality I know no one cares about me as much as I think they do.

So I focus on Theo. I press into him, inhale the scent of his cologne.

Without breaking the pose, I hear him whisper, “I’d love to pick you up and kiss you right now. Think of the shot.”

“Think of Addy,” I warn, barely moving my lips, still smiling at the camera. My hand is around Theo’s back now, and even that feels like too much. The sun blazes down on us, the heat scorching.

“She’s smiling, Hails,” Theo murmurs back under his breath. “I’m going to ask her something and I need you to trust me when I promise you she won’t freak out.”

“Ask her something?” I repeat, angling my chin toward him now with concern. “Ask her what?”

There’s a mischievous sparkle in his ocean-blue eyes as he grins back at me, then turns to the camera. “Addy,” he calls out, “can I please have permission to kiss your best friend?”