Double The Ache

“No chicks. But I think we’ve found the one,” Dean says, falling onto the bed and lying across. It.

“What!?” our sisters squeal at the same time.

I close the closet door and get dressed, but I hear Dean mumbling to them. He’s telling them about Amelia and our flight home.

Amelia.

I rub my eyes and take a deep breath. We didn’t talk about it when we got back. I knew what Dean was thinking the whole time without having to say a word. He’s always thinking and planning. She’s the one. We’ve been waiting for years thinking we might know when the time came. Turns out we were right.

I put on a pair of jeans and a polo before I exit the closet. Dean is lying on the custom bed we had made when we bought the place. We share it, but it’s big enough that I could roll over three times and still not touch him.

Cassie and Emma are sitting at the end of it hanging on every word he says.

“Didn’t I buy that shirt for Dean?” Emma asks as she shakes her head.

“It looks better on me,” I say as the material stretches tight across my chest.

“So you’ve found her,” Cassie says, smiling from ear to ear. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“We haven’t even met her,” Dean says, and I shove my hands in my pockets. “It’s complicated, but she’s it.”

“Wes?” Emma asks, waiting for my confirmation.

I nod and she does a little excited clap of joy as she bounces on the end of the bed.

“We should celebrate. You guys have anything to eat?” Cassie says as she gets up and walks towards the kitchen.

We have a nutritionist who stocks our fridge twice a week, so she knows good and well we’ve got food in there. Cassie is like us when it comes to food and she’s not going more than an hour without a snack.

We all go into the kitchen and I grab a drink of water while Dean and Emma make food. After about an hour or so Cassie tells us she and Emma are going to a club, something they often do when they come to Vegas to see us.

“I’m out,” I say, and all three of them roll their eyes.

“We know,” Emma says, and she and Dean laugh.

Dean’s phone chimes and he reaches into his pocket to grab it. I take a sip of my water, but I feel the energy in the room change. I glance back at him and watch as his face turns white.

“What is it?” I ask, and I’m beside him instantly.

He doesn’t speak, he just turns his phone towards me. There on the screen is a picture of Nelson and Amelia together in a Vegas club, the two of them laughing and holding drinks. There’s another chime and it’s a text from Nelson.

Nelson: Y’all are missing out

Dean grips the phone so tight I think the screen might shatter. Usually I’m the one with the anger management issues, but not today. I take the phone out of his hand and text him back.

Dean: Where you at?

Nelson: The Strip…come and find us!

I growl as I hand the phone back to Dean, but before he can take it Cassie snatches it out of his hand.

“Looks like Nelson has something you want,” she says, showing it to Emma. “They’re at Viper.”

“How do you know?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes.

“Are we going or not?” Cassie says, looking between me and Dean.

We don’t even have to speak to know the answer to that question. We’re already in motion by the time she’s finished asking it.

Chapter Four

Dean

When we get to Viper we walk right up to the front of the line and the bouncer opens the velvet rope. I nod to him and slip him some cash, and Wes, Cassie, Emma and I make our way through the crowd. I’m leading the group and head all the way to the back for the VIP lounge. If Nelson is in here, that’s where he’ll be.

When we get to the next bouncer, he steps out of the way and shakes our hands, welcoming us and offering bottle service. Wes and I turn it down because we don’t drink. Not even in the off season. Cassie and Emma immediately start ordering drinks when a waitress comes over to us. I’m scanning the room and I feel Wes beside me doing the same.

“There!” he shouts over the music and points to the back where the DJ booth is.

Nelson is up on top of it with headphones on pointing out into the crowd. Running backs are always show-offs. I look around again but don’t see Amelia anywhere.

“Fuck,” I mutter as we make our way over.

When we get to the booth, Nelson spots us and for a second he’s laughing, then, when he sees our reaction, drops his smile and comes out of the DJ booth.