Wardrobe Malfunction(74)

Vaughn takes hold of my hand, linking our fingers. I look at him, and he smiles at me.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” he tells his dad.

His dad puts the car in drive, and I wave to Vaughn’s family as we go, as they’re all waving us off.

The farther away we get, the more I start to feel this weird tugging in my chest.

It takes me a moment, but then I realize that tugging in my chest is because I don’t want to leave here. Or them.

It’s not only Vaughn that I’ve loved being here with, but his family, too.

Not only have I fallen in love with him, but I’ve fallen in love with them, too.

And I want this with Vaughn. I don’t mean a family…well, maybe in time, but I want this, what we have right now, and more.

I want to share his life and share mine with him. I want us to live in each other’s worlds and make our own world together.

I don’t want to hide anymore.

I want everyone to know that we’re together.

Not because he’s Vaughn West, movie star. But because I’m crazy in love with him.

I’m in love with the Vaughn West who takes care of me and calls me Pins and makes me laugh and drives me crazy and fucks me like no man has ever done before.

I want to tell him that I’m in love with him.

But none of that can happen until he knows the truth.

He has a right to know. I should have told him weeks ago when I realized things were getting serious between us instead of hiding like a coward.

When we get back to Vegas, I’m going to put my big-girl panties on and sit him down, so I can tell him everything. And then I’m going to pray to God that he understands why I have kept it from him for so long.





Vaughn


“Jack’s been trying to get ahold of you,” Aiden says, taking the bags from me and putting them in the trunk of the blacked-out Mercedes he’s picked us up at the airport in.

“Hey, Aiden.” Charly smiles at him as she climbs in the back of the car.

“Hi,” he says flatly.

“My cell’s dead,” I tell him. “What does he need me for?”

“Not sure.” He shrugs, shutting the trunk.

He’s acting a little weird. He won’t even make eye contact. Seemed a bit off with Charly just then.

“Everything okay?” I ask him.

“Uh-huh. Let’s get you back to the hotel.” He holds open the back passenger door, waiting for me to get in.

I climb inside, sitting beside Charly and taking her hand. Aiden shuts the door with a soft clunk. A minute later, we’re pulling out of the airport.

I rest back in my seat. The peace I always feel after I’ve been home starts to ebb away, like it always does when I come back to work. Back to the reality of my life.

But having Charly here beside me makes it feel easier somehow. She makes everything feel easy. Better.

We drive through Vegas and reach the hotel in good time. As we drive up, I notice the press is loitering outside.

“For fuck’s sake,” I sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Charly asks, leaning forward to look at what I’m looking at.

“Press is out front of the hotel.” I wonder if they’ve found out I’m staying here. Or it could be for a number of reasons. This is Vegas after all.

“We’ll go in through the underground garage,” Aiden says.

He drives around and pulls in the parking lot, taking a spot close to the elevators.

I climb out. Charly gets out behind me.

“I’ll bring your bags up,” Aiden says.

“Okay. See you up there.”

We walk toward the elevator, and I catch hold of Charly’s hand.

“Weekend’s not over yet,” I tell her. “Not until we get upstairs.”

She smiles warmly at me. I press the call button and wait.

The elevator’s empty. We get in, and I press the button for the penthouse. Then, I get my private access card and swipe it. The doors close, and the elevator starts to ascend.

I turn, taking her in my arms, and I press a soft kiss to her lips. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Funny. Look, I know we’ve talked about this before, and I know all your reasons for wanting to keep our relationship private, but I don’t want to anymore. I want the world to know that you’re mine. I’ve just had the best weekend of my life with you. I’ve had the best few months of my life with you. I want to take you out on dates. I want to kiss you in public. Yes, I initially asked for us to be a secret, but things have changed now. I didn’t know we would become more…this. I know I’m asking a lot. I’m asking you to give up your privacy to be with me. But…” I take a deep breath. “I love you, Charly. I’m in love with you.”

She’s staring at me with a mixture of emotions on her face. I can definitely pick out happiness in there, but there’s fear, too, and that worries the shit out of me.

“God, Vaughn. I…” She squeezes her eyes shut.

“Okay, I’m gonna be honest here, Pins. Not the response I was hoping for.”

She opens her eyes. “I’m sorry.” And she really looks it. “There’s just something you need to know. Something I need to tell you before we go any further. It’s important.”