Page 45 of Billionaire In Vegas

I frowned. “Why couldn’t I have had your sense of practicality when drunk?”

She laughed. “Yeah, I did sigh in relief and thank God I hadn’t done what you did.”

“Thanks, Emmaline. Thanks for that,” I said sarcastically and then softened my tone. “Honestly, I’m so happy for you. I always thought you and Colin were good together. And I’m sure Theodora will love having her parents back together.”

She nodded. “We plan to tell her soon. As in tomorrow morning when she wakes up.”

I frowned. “I hope I didn’t wake her by knocking, and she’s sitting somewhere eavesdropping.”

Emmaline waved off my concerns. “That girl could sleep through a natural disaster. You’re fine. Let’s get back to you. What are you going to do about Jude?”

“Walk away. No, run away. With the last of my dignity.”

"Okayyyyy,” she said drawing the word out and giving me a long look. “Let’s try again. What’s going on? Why are you here? You were so excited about tonight and about you and Jude.”

I quickly told Emmaline what I had heard and she listened, interrupting only to ask a question to clarify some of the things I said.

And when I was done, I expected her to tear into them. I expected her to say that I was right to have left, that those people were horrible and that I shouldn’t even waste my breath on them.

Instead, she said, “Those people aren’t Oliver. They aren’t Jude. I think you overreacted, Lacey.”

“What the hell? Seriously, Emmaline. Someone calls me white trash and you think I should have just stuck around and thanked them.” I was beyond hurt. How could Emmaline not take my side? Didn’t she remember how we’d been treated as kids? “It’s like you’ve forgotten about our childhood. It’s like you don’t remember how we were treated by those spoiled ass rich kids. Damn, Emmaline, have you forgotten that we’ve come from nothing?” I stood up, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Emmaline chuckled dryly. “Nope, I remember. I remember every humiliating moment of high school. I remember how the rich kids taunted us, made fun of us, made us feel as if we didn’t belong there.”

“Yet you think I overreacted?” I said, the tears now flowing freely as I thought of all the horrible things the kids had said and done.

“I think you’re misplacing your anger. Jude didn’t say those things. Jude has never treated you as anything other than an equal. And Oliver, it seems he liked you the moment he met you. You have a chip on your shoulder, Lacey.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about—”

Emmaline’s eyebrows arched and I knew she was mad. “I don’t know what I’m talking about? I’m a woman who was born into poverty and got knocked up in college. I’m the one who insisted on being a single mother and doing it all on my own because I refused to accept the love and help of the one man who unconditionally and wholeheartedly wanted to give me both.” Her voice shook. “I had a huge chip on my shoulder, Lacey. And what do I have to show for it? I denied my daughter the gift of living with both her parents under one roof because I wanted to prove to others that Emmaline Daniels might have been poor and from the wrong side of the tracks, but she could do it all on her own. And what do I have to show for it?”

She waited for me to answer, but I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know she had ever felt that way.

“I’ll tell you what I have to show for it… I missed out on ten years of being with the man I loved and raising my child with the father she loved, all because of some misplaced pride and you shouldn’t do the same. We’re not those poor kids anymore. We’re not just trash from the wrong side of the track. We’re adults with choices and we need to start making better ones.”

I sat down defeated. I knew she was right.

“You know,” I said in a small voice. “Their words hurt so much because I couldn’t help thinking, what if they’re right? Am I really good enough for Jude? And God, I did agree to this arrangement for the money. So what does that say about me? It says I’m desperate.”

“Honey, there are women who marry incarcerated serial killers just to become famous. Compared to them, I think you’re doing okay. If there’s a scale of desperate women, I’m sure you’re not on it.”

I giggled. My giggle turned into laughter and we were laughing so hard we didn’t know Theodora was there until she stood in front of us looking sleepy and agitated.

“Can you two hold it down? Some of us are trying to sleep, you know. I do have responsibilities, specifically a school project tomorrow.”

“Oops, sorry,” I said sheepishly.

“Sorry,” Emmaline echoed. With a sigh of frustration, Theodora walked back to her room.

Emmaline smothered a giggle. “What did I tell you? She’s ten going on eighteen.”

I chuckled and placed my hand over hers. “Thanks for hearing me out. Helping me see reason.”

“That’s what friends are for. I just don’t want you to throw away a good thing. And what you have with Jude is a very good thing.”

“He said he loved me tonight…”