Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 75: Chapter 75

ASHLEY

The moment mom utters her wish, the lights and camera wheel towards Demi and I. Demi staggers backwards until she slams right into my chest. I hug her from behind to hide the awkwardness from the sharp eyes of the journalists.

"Just smile. We’ll discuss it later. Everyone’s watching." I whisper through clenched teeth. She complies and relaxes into my embrace while pictures of us are taken from different angles.

I can feel her vibrating with tension. She hates cameras and being put on the spot like this is one of the worst things you can do to her. I am just going to assume mother isn’t aware of how badly Demi hates the spotlight.

I find mom’s eyes in the crowd. She’s smiling gaily at me. Next thing I know, she winks at me. Was this the help she was talking about? Is this the plan to get Demi and I to be closer to each other? A BABY? How did she think Demi would react to this?

"Mr. and Mrs. Rollins, how do you feel about your mother’s wish? Should she be expecting a grandchild anytime soon or is there already a bun in the oven?"

The enthusiastic journalist shoves the mic too close to Demi’s face. I cup the microphone and push it downward with a stern look at him.

"My mother’s birthday party is not over yet. Please, let’s not draw the spotlight away from her."

While most of them back away to refocus on mother, some nasty ones remain to capture every worry line on Demi’s face. I spin her to face me and she buries her face in my chest.

"Let’s go upstairs." I whisper before taking her hand. At the most subtle of signals, our personal security edge closer and block the paparazzi from following my wife and I till we safely make it across to the mansion.

I intentionally dismiss guests trying to congratulate us too early with a smile and apologies for my abruptness. I manage to whisk Demi all the way to her bedroom where she sinks on her bed looking pale.

"Here, some water." She takes the glass with trembling hands and sips a little.

"Thank you."

"Calm down. Take a deep breath." I stroke some strands of hair off her face.

"Why would mother do something like that?" she asks me with curious eyes. "And in front of all those people? How could she make such a wish knowing the circumstances of our marriage and without talking to us first?" I take the glass from her hands and carefully place it on the side drawer next to the bed.

"I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm. It’s mom, remember? Our marriage might be contractual but mothers will always be mothers and try to convey their silent wishes for their children somehow. Though I don’t support her making it so public, I can understand where she’s coming from. Please don’t misconstrue it."

"It’s just that she was mad at me not long ago and now she goes and makes such a public wish that will definitely trend in the news for the next few days. It feels like she’s trying to punish me."

"No, Demi, she’s not."

"People are already speculating that I might be pregnant. It’s too much pressure on me, on us. A baby? That’s too much." I take her head and cradle it on my shoulder as she paces her breath. "I’m sorry Ash. I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful dad one day but this..."

"I know but you also have to remember that those people out there don’t know anything about our contract. We are a real couple to them. We still can be if you wish it." I take her face in my hands. "We can be more if you want it." Her eyes move uncertainly. "I’ll talk to mom. A baby is a giant leap from where we are right now. However, I want you to convey your reservations about her wish with tact. It’s still her birthday. We wouldn’t want to ruin her mood or anything."

"I understand."

I kiss the top of her hair. "You can rest if you want. Do you need me to get you anything? Should I call Anna?"

"Yes. Just Anna."

I nod before leaving her. While I make my way back to the festivities, I register with a hint of pain that she still didn’t confirm if she wants more out of her marriage to me. It’s taking forever and I know that if it’s taking her this long to give her consent, she probably hates the idea. I bump into Anna running up the stairs with her gown in her hands. I direct her to Demi’s room knowing fully well where she means to go.

I’m not surprised to find Asher coming behind Anna. They have been cozy all evening. He gestures me back up the stairs.

"What the hell was that? Did you know mom was going to do that?" He asks, vibrating with temper. I don’t get his full-blown hatred for Demi.

"Of course not. I am just as surprised as everyone else. She never said anything to me in that regard."

help you out with Demi.

and wife to have a baby if they so wish it, whether or not there’s a subsisting contract. Mom might have overstepped by not speaking to Demi and I first but she didn’t say anything wrong. We’re married after all. It’s up to Demi and I to decide what we do about mom’s wish. Don’t make

turn to continue down the stairs and find Ashton at the bottom. My anger boils over. I haven’t spoken more than two words to him since he broke his word to me and kissed my wife like I didn’t exist. I don’t care

stairs towards his impassioned face, I can’t help but wonder if Demi would have had a similar reaction had Ashton been

"Let go."

"You first."

burning look. "You betrayed me, Ash after making tall claims about your discipline and respect for boundaries. YOU PROMISED ME

hey" Ashal comes up and gently steers us upstairs. "Not here. We still

will discuss our future together. You had better stay the hell away from her." Every emotion I have been holding back with respect to Ashton starts seeping to the surface. Ashal pulls

"I hate him."

in your hand, you won’t pull the trigger even if you saw him and Demi together. Wrong analogy. My bad." Ashal stops to look me in the eye. "You’re still hurting, I get it but sooner or later, you and Ashton will have to bury the hatchet. Remember the quad code; you can’t let a beef between brothers linger for longer than a week. You have roughly two days and a few hours to hash it out with him or Asher and I will step in and force

recesses of my mind

during Demi’s party. After

brothers are all in our usual spot. The sight of Ashton grates on my nerves and I turn to

calls out. "I have something important to share with you

into a seat farthest from him with a frown on my

"Make it quick."

facing Ashton.

why I went to father’s office and what’s been troubling me the past couple of days." He runs a hand through his hair and leaves his fingers interlocked behind his

a searing look from the rest of my brothers except Ashton who

should have left it at the cemetery. I should have stopped picking up strange numbers calling my phone but I am still hurting from the recent discoveries we made in relation to our paternity and father’s affair. I don’t even know if I only wanted to find our parents just to spite father but I

falls over the room as

stranger had to say truly messed with my head. I even wanted to

this person had to say. Trust me, I wish I didn’t take that call. I just called you all here to tell you essentially that I wouldn’t be looking into our parents anymore. We have father and mother and I have accepted that they’re more than enough. There are no

remains quiet

actually found out? If you had made the decision not to pursue that matter anymore, you could have just said that

Ashton. You weren’t yourself. No offense to Ashal but you looked like you were in one of those rage moments just before Ashal blacks out. It was spine-chilling and if you had lifted a finger to father, I’m not

Ashal hammers. "I’m sure we

"We’ve had too many crises going on all at once. I can’t burden you all with this

LEARNT WE WERE ADOPTED AND HAVE

to the quad codes and quash this beef with Ashton. It will definitely take longer than a week to have

"What could be worse is if our parents never

the rubbish he just spewed. Asher quickly leaps to

now. We can’t

a faceless stranger on the phone?" I continue to watch in silence as Ashal goes off on Ashton. "We were adopted, right Asher? Tell him." Ashton tries to say something and

Ashal, we were. I’ve seen the papers myself. Ashton is just saying that the stranger was trying to mess with his head.

something off about Asher’s damage control. I know for a fact that there’s more to this. Ashton wouldn’t have bought into the lie and even ransacked father’s office if he hadn’t been given proof.

me. Tears glisten in his eyes but they don’t fall. I sniffle and look away.

are so gullible. I’m off to

birthday wish. Demi eats very little at breakfast.

are you okay?"

a bit exhausted from last night. You know your

mean to put you on the spot like that but I didn’t lie. Nothing will give me greater pleasure than to see you and Ashley start your

family at the table. Ashton continues

his mouth and gets on his feet. I know he isn’t thrilled about mom’s latest stunt. He signals to Asher and Demi joins them too. She barely remembers to kiss me goodbye but I don’t blame

her hair. I follow

I mutter before

***