♠️✨♦️✨♣️✨❤️✨♠️✨♦️✨♣️✨❤️✨

Layla

Almost every year since my sister turned 21, she has made a trip to Las Vegas for her birthday. Last year she and her friends stayed at the JW Marriot Resort. It's a beautiful luxurious but pricy hotel. But, she was upset that I had not come for her birthday.

We had a lot of sick patients, and we were understaffed because some of our members had also fallen ill. I felt horrible. But this year, I'm bound to make sure she has a good time.

From what she tells me, we will stay at the Nobu Hotel at the Caesar Palace. It's a beautiful hotel, very luxurious and it has one of the best views of the whole city.

We got up early this morning, though most of them were pretty hung over. God, I'm so glad I didn't drink last night because they look like hell.

I made my small luggage quickly and made my way down. Everyone was pretty much already here, including some of my sister's friends who were going with us. I knew the guys and the girl. They were all models that worked for dad and Daniel. The guys were Matt, Triston, and the girl named Stephanie. Stephanie reminded me of a young Penelope Cruz, by the way.

But I didn't know the other girl. She had red hair, was very slim, not much taller than me, but had a rude attitude. "Layla, this is Ingrid. Ingrid, this is my little sister, Layla." My sister introduced us with a smile. I smiled, shaking her hand; though I could tell she was faking her smile, I didn't bother making a big deal out of it.

Nonetheless, she was very pretty with full lips, fair skin, and blue eyes. She looked very flirty, but I'm sure she was nice.

"Ok, so it's ten of us. We'll have to go five per car. Is that ok with you guys?" Karly asks, making us shake our heads in agreement.

"I call shotgun in Nicolas' car," Ingrid says as Nico nears me. I had always rode shotgun with him everywhere we went, but this time, she had beat me to it. He glanced at me, pursing his lips and giving me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, lay." He whispers, making me give him a small smile in return.

"It's ok. I'll ride in the back with Brenda." Brenda glances at me and then looks toward Triston. "Actually, I was hoping to ride with Triston. Is that ok with you guys?" She says, biting the side of her bottom lip. Nico gives Triston a warning look, then sighs, closing his eyes.

"Fine... but no funny business. The last I want is seeing my sister make out with some dude during this trip, got it?" Brenda and I chuckle at his fatherly behavior. Nico has always been super protective of Brenda and me.

She squeals before grabbing her bag and tossing it in the trunk of the second SUV, hoping in and sitting next to Triston.

I sat all the way in the back and decided to place my headphones on and listen to my Spotify playlist on full blast while I waited for everyone else to board the cars. I felt someone sitting next to me, but I didn't bother to look who it was. I closed my eyes, leaned towards the window, and relaxed, waiting for the long drive to start.

"Ok, guys, we are off," Nico says as he starts the car, starts his GPS, and begins to drive.

A few minutes in, I feel someone pull on my headphones slightly, making me turn. My stomach felt the churn of butterflies, and my eyes widened as I saw Daniel sitting next to me. "You're going to rupture those ears drums with that loud music, Ladybug." He says, making himself and Nico chuckle.

"You tell her, Danny. That girl's been listening to loud ass music since I met her back in middle school." He says, making me smile. "What can I say? I love music. You know that." I reply, making them chuckle—all except Ingrid, of course, who was looking at me with a nonchalant expression.

"Give it here, girl. Let me see if you still got a good taste for music." He says, making me hand over my phone. He takes the headphones off, easily connecting my phone to his Bluetooth since it was already programmed, and starts my list on autoplay.

My music varied, from hip hop to pop, rock, and even a few classical pieces. It was a long drive, but with good music, things got a little less tense. We even began singing to some of the songs.

After the third hour, we stopped right by Barstow and got out to stretch. We grabbed a quick breakfast and then headed the rest of the way, this time with me in shotgun and Daniel driving. Yes, I rode shotgun. I made sure to leave the restaurant quickly and sat before Ingrid could.

By the way, she gave me a death stare when she saw me sitting in front. Which I did so because I thought Nico was going to continue driving. The whole time we ate breakfast, she glanced at Daniel and tried to talk with him. I'm not thinking much of it, though, since I know he's a womanizer, and he's probably been with her already. Hell, I wouldn't doubt he's been with half of the girls that work for him.

We arrived at the hotel, checked in, and made our way to the room. Dad had booked a penthouse for us that was big enough for twelve guests. It was beautiful, and of course, it had a huge balcony overlooking the city.

There were five rooms, and all were huge, one bigger than the other.

Daniel was the last to enter, placing his bag on top of the kitchen counter, and went straight to sit on the couch, resting his head back. "So, Danny, which room are you staying in? Can I share with you?" Ingrid bluntly asks him, making him turn red. He looks between her and me, making me look away quickly.

I could tell he was smiling at my reaction, but I wasn't going to let anything bother me. This was about my sister and celebrating her birthday—nothing else.

"Ah, sorry, Ingrid, but I like sleeping alone. I hope you don't mind, but I'll probably sleep in the living room to give you guys space." He says, making her lower her shoulders.

"We, but Danny. You can't do that. You'll hurt your back. Why not share a room with me? I promise I won't bite. If you don't want me to." She says as she slides next to him, running her hand over his chest.

I don't know why it bothered me. It shouldn't bother me. Yet somehow, I wanted to yank her damn arm off. I decided to get some fresh air and made my way to the balcony. If I stayed any longer, I'd probably hurl.

Everyone was loud. They had turned on the music, and Matt had gone off with Triston and returned with loads of alcohol and beer. I just knew things were going to get hectic in here. These people knew how to party, and they took the saying 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' literally.

Everything went for them, whether it was sleeping around, bar hopping, or gambling. As long as they were here, they would ensure they made the best of it.

"Layla, come on. Dance with us." Brenda and Steph came, pulling me back inside towards the rest of them who were dancing. I giggled as I saw them having a good time. It was barely the afternoon, and they were already starting the party.

Matt opened a beer bottle, handing it to me, but I nodded, pushing it away. "Awe, come on, Layla. It's my party. Drink with us." My sister pouts her lips while dancing with Shawn.

I roll my eyes and nod. "Maybe later. It's too early for me." I say, making her whine. "Later, I promise," I add, making her squeal, turning toward Shawn as she wraps her arms around him, kisses him hard, and continues dancing.

Ingrid grinds on Nico while Brenda and Triston dance. Steph and I dance with Matt, but I feel awkward, like a third wheel, so I go to the fridge and grab a soda can out, popping it open, and sit on a stool at the kitchen counter.

"You think you'd be used to all this after hanging out with them for so long, but they only get wilder after every party," Daniel says, making me jump. He stands next to me, which I had not even felt when he came near me.

"What about you, Ladybug? Your work leaves you enough time to go out and party now and then?" He asks, taking a seat next to me, chugging his beer down. "Well, yes. But it's a little different than here. I mean, it's a small town, and most bars out there only play Spanish music, so.." I say, shrugging my shoulders, making him chuckle.

"Not as fancy as this big penthouse. But the atmosphere still feels nice." I say, smiling at him. He pauses, locking eyes with me with a big smile on his face. I feel his eyes boring at me. His gray orbs turn dark as they slowly look down at my lips. I can't help but do the same. And suddenly, I remember our last kiss, the same night of the club incident where he pretended to be my boyfriend to get me away from that douche bag.

The day went by in a wink of an eye, and before we knew it, we were getting ready for the night. We went from hanging out at the casino, which my sister and the guys actually gambled, including Daniel. He was good at cards, so I wasn't surprised when Steph told me he had won a lot of money.

We then headed for dinner and strolled around, taking crazy pictures and acting like kids. Daniel and I began talking more, and we actually hung out together as we did before. We laughed, joked around, and played. He even dared to pick me up once, almost tossing me inside a huge water fountain.

By midnight, I finally caved in and took a drink while we made our way into a bar. It was super packed inside, but the vibe just felt right. "Danny, take a shot with me," Ingrid says as she hands a shot to him. I look at him but look away as I see him turn toward me. "Uh, sure. Let's do it." He says, making her smile.

They both count to three and down the shot. "Excuse me, miss." A waiter approaches me, making me turn my head. He hands me a martini glass with red liquid and pomegranates inside. "Oh, I didn't order this," I say, making him smile.

"I know; it's from that gentleman over there." He says, pointing to a guy on a far-end table sitting with other guys. "Oh, thank you, but-" he walks away, leaving me with a pomegranate martini in front of me.

"Ooh, Layla. He's cute." Brenda and my sister say, "who? Who's cute?" Steph adds, slurring her words as she's already had a few drinks. "That guy over there. With the white button-up, he sent Layla a drink." Brenda says, making Steph squint her eyes.

She sees the guy and whistles. He's cute. I'll give her that. He looks tall, well built, with slick dark brown hair and handsome features. But I was not interested in hooking up with anyone.

"Yeah, thanks. But, I'm not interested." I say, making Steph boo. "Oh, come on, Layla. He's cute, and he bought you a drink. He wants you, girl." She adds, placing her hand on my shoulder. I roll my eyes and look away.

Ingrid is talking away and trying to grab Daniel's attention, but my heart skips a beat as he's gazing at me with his jaw clenched. He looks mad as hell and looks away after a few seconds with his hands fisted. What the hell is up with him?

Maybe Ingrid said something he didn't like, but whatever. I decide to drink the martini—no need to let it go to waste. I raise my glass and thank the guy but look away toward my friends downing the whole drink. I'm not used to drinking, and I just know these drinks will get to me. I just hope I don't make a fool of myself.

♠️✨♦️✨♣️✨❤️✨♠️✨♦️✨♣️✨❤️✨