Chapter 1 - Nina

It had been six years since I'd last visited my hometown of Las Vegas. Initially, I'd thought that coming back was a bad idea, but it was Millie's hen-week and I didn't want to let my best-friend down. I'd met Millie after moving to Phoenix to attend University, and we'd bonded straight away. It seemed like such a short time ago that we'd met as undergrads, but here we were six years later with degrees under our belts, about to take on the wild nightlife of Las Vegas. I didn't know if I was ready yet.

A knock on the bathroom door snapped me out of my reverie, and I jumped.

"Nina?" Millie's voice was barely audible through the thick door, the steady stream of the shower water further muting her voice as it cascaded down my body onto the ceramic floor.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Are you ok? You've been in there for, like, thirty minutes. I need to pee!"

That made me laugh. "Yeah, Mil, I'll be out in a sec."

I finished rinsing the conditioner out of my hair before switching off the shower and reaching for one of Caesar's ultra-soft towels. I smiled as I wrapped the towel around myself, remembering the happy nights I'd once spent here with him, but my smile was short-lived as a pang of sadness shot through me like an electric shock. I'd hurt him so badly, and being back in Vegas meant that reminders of that greeted me wherever I went. I shrugged off the thought and gritted my teeth together as I inhaled deeply through my nose. This was Millie's week: I wasn't going to let past events taint the fun we had in store.

I'd barely unlocked the bathroom door when Millie burst in and lunged towards the toilet, dropping her pants in one swift motion and plonking herself onto the toilet with a thud. We both burst out laughing at the urgency of her actions, before I left her in peace. I stepped across the soft carpet towards the wall of glass that was our suite's window, and took in the view as a sentimental feeling spread through my heart. Home. Dusk was falling, marking the beginning of prime-time for the Las Vegas strip. The dim neon lights that had greeted us on the way in this afternoon now appeared brighter, the descending darkness providing an accentuating backdrop for the rainbow of light. The first sparks of excitement ignited inside me, brewing in my gut and tangling with other feelings of nervousness and anticipation that had been there for weeks. Millie sauntered out of the bathroom before standing next to me, joining me in admiring the view of the renowned Sin City.

"Oh, I can't wait to get out there!" The words left her mouth in a high-pitched shriek of excitement, the grin mounted on her heart-shaped face reminiscent of one you'd see on a little kid's face on Christmas morning. Her soon-to-be husband Sean had paid for the entire week, and none of us could wait to get out there and exploit our free trip. Madeleine and Carmen had already left the hotel, and were meeting us out on the strip when we were ready. Pandora and Tova were getting ready in their own room, leaving Millie and I on our own in our huge suite.

I checked my phone, and the clock told me that it was going on for 7:30pm, so I decided to slip on a tank top and my favourite pair of sweats, before tackling my hair with the blow-dryer. Once it was dry, I took to styling it with my ghds, twisting sections of my hair into loose, blonde curls. I applied my eyeliner so that I had sleek, feline flicks jutting out from the corners of my eyes. I swept a coat of coral pink lipstick onto my lips, then finished the look by dusting bronzer across my cheekbones up to my temples. I couldn't help but chuckle at my own oxymoronic appearance – my carefully made-up face clashed spectacularly with the laid-back nature of my clothes, so I hoisted my suitcase onto the ginormous bed, undid the zip in one, and flipped open the lid. I rummaged through the case for my favourite dress – a plum-coloured bandage dress that came halfway down my thighs. It was cut straight across the bust, with straps an inch thick mounting both shoulders. I poured myself into the dress before slipping on a pair of nude pumps. I assessed myself in the floor-length mirror mounted on the wall beside me, and decided that I needed jewellery. I found my collection of bracelets at the bottom of my suitcase, and chose two gold bracelets; one was thick and heavy, a solid band of gold a half-inch thick, and another delicate charm bracelet I wore every day. It was a constant reminder of him, but it was the best gift anybody had ever given me. One solitary charm fell loosely off one of the bracelet's loops: a round-edged 'k'. I looked back up at my reflection. I was ready.

I waited patiently for Millie to decide what she was wearing, before presenting her with a white-veiled tiara that the girls and I had bought for a little fun. She placed it delicately on her carefully styled hair, before posing triumphantly for me to snap a photo, then we headed out of the hotel room, took the elevator down to the lobby, then stepped out into the thick Las Vegas air which smelled faintly of promise. Oh, how little I knew.