Page 2 of All Bets Are Off

And the reaction I receive is exactly what I feared. Complete and utter horror conveyed by the exchange of bewildered expressions and grimaces. The limo rounds a corner at speed, and we all quickly stabilize our champagne glasses in our hands.

“What?” Evie gasps. “I thought they were going to Cancun. Why the hell are they crashing our weekend? Addy, c’mon.”

“We thought combining our parties would be fun,” I say with a forced smile. Maybe I can convince myself to believe it’s a great idea, too. That this is what we want as a couple.

“Men are not included in the schedule of events, Addy. What am I supposed to do now?” Hailey stresses, and I can practically see her itinerary going up in flames inside her head.

“We’ll still stick to your plan,” I promise her, reaching out to squeeze her hand in reassurance. “The men can work around us. It’ll be fun, you guys! And we’ll still spend some time together as just us girls.”

“Adelaide Sinclair, I have told you a thousand times, stop being such a people-pleaser,” Melissa grumbles. She grabs the bottle of champagne and refills her glass already, and I have a terrible feeling that my entourage are going to drink their way through the pain of having our weekend gatecrashed by my fiancé.

“Which hotel are they staying in?” Evie enquires, her tone hesitant. She already fears what the answer will be, and her mouth is arranged into a disapproving frown.

“The Cosmopolitan . . .” I say meekly, triggering a second round of groans. Now I’m the one reaching for another refill of champagne, because although it’s a short journey to the Las Vegas strip, I have a feeling this limo ride is going to feel like the longest journey of my life.

“God, are you guys that obsessed with one another that you even have to stay in the same hotel?” Evie rolls her eyes and looks at Hailey with pity. “Hailey, you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night to find that your roommate has snuck off across the hotel to get freaky with her beau.”

Hailey narrows her eyes at me, and I shake my head quickly to ease her worries. “I will not be sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet Liam, okay? Guys, please,” I plead, pursing my lips as I glance between the three of them. “This is how Liam and I want to celebrate. Please can we just roll with it?”

“If this is what you want, Addy, then . . . I’m cool with it,” Melissa says. She gives Hailey and Evie a pointed look, encouraging them to follow suit with their own acceptance of the situation.

Hailey’s scanning her itinerary again, stressing logistics, but she manages to glance up and offer me a small nod. “I’ll try and rework things as best I can.”

Evie suddenly erupts with a horrified shriek. “Wait, does this mean Theo will be here?” When I smile apologetically at her, she throws herself back against the leather seat in a disgruntled tantrum, arms folded angrily across her chest. “Ugh. No. How are we supposed to go wild on your bachelorette weekend with not only your fiancé around, but our brother too? I want to kiss some hot men, Addy. Preferably Europeans. French . . . Or perhaps Italian.”

I sink back into the seat alongside her, getting comfortable, and reach once more for the champagne. “I’ll tell Theo to close his eyes,” I tease, and when I get a laugh out of Hailey and Melissa, I pray that the hardest part of the weekend is now over.

But the truth is, there is so, so much more I’m hiding from them.

2

Hailey

Internally, I am having a breakdown.

And for multiple reasons.

One: I have spent weeks—weeks—scouring the depths of the internet to plan the perfect bachelorette party for the woman I have been best friends with since we were kids, because she has chosen me as her maid of honor, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do my role justice. I have read countless articles and blogs on different activities on offer in Las Vegas; I’ve carefully scrutinized reviews of restaurants and bars; I’ve typed up a very cute, very aesthetic itinerary and printed a copy for each of us girls. Hell, I spent an entire afternoon alone just booking this fifteen-minute limo ride to our hotel—and I’m only now finding out that my efforts were in vain, because Adelaide’s fiancé is bringing his own bachelor party to Vegas, and that means all of my plans now need to be altered. And I don’t handle change of plans well.

So, I am already freaking out as things are, catastrophizing inside my head, second-guessing every possible outcome for the weekend, when my phone vibrates in my purse and gives me a second reason to spiral into a complete and utter meltdown.

As we climb out of the limo at the drop-off entrance to the Cosmopolitan and our chauffeur gathers our luggage, I totally zone out. My attention is laser-focused on my phone in my hand as I read the email. Again, and again, and again, until my eyes glaze over in disbelief and my heart skips every second beat.

This very email is the email I have dreamed of receiving for years. Most of my life, in fact. So of course—of course—I finally receive it at the worst possible time, and I want to scream. But not a terror-stricken scream (although I’m borderline close), but a high-pitched screech of joy as I dance on my tiptoes and twirl in circles.

Is this really happening? After so many years of hoping and praying and hitting roadblock after roadblock, is this finally it?

One more time, I scan the email.

Dear Hailey,

I know you’re out of town this weekend, but I have some incredible news that just can’t wait until next week. I need action on your part, so please give me a call when you read this!

The team at Hutchison Press got back to me first thing this morning, and they loved the manuscript. LOVED IT. But—and I am so sorry to do this to you!—they have requested an alternative ending from you before they’re prepared to consider an offer. They have been transparent and told me they have a very similar project from another debut author on the table with them at the moment, too, so unfortunately we have a bit of competition on our hands now. They will make a final decision on Monday and have asked if we can get a rewritten ending over to them ASAP.

As I said, I know you’re out of town, but this is huge, Hailey, and I really hope you can pull it off. You’re a superstar, so I have every faith in you.

Call me!