Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 82: Chapter 82

ASHTON

"Ashton." Demi repeats nervously. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable I make her, since I came clean about our meeting at the Blue Cove, until now. Could Ashley have instilled more fear and hatred in her towards me? She casts sidelong glances, scanning the area, especially the apartment building at the end of the street.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stalk you like this but I needed to meet with you alone. I have a few things to clarify."

"I don’t need clarification, Ashton. That Chapter of my life is over." She begins to walk hastily away from me but my fingers grab her wrist in a vice like grip. She shifts uncomfortably. Again, her eyes keep skirting around like she expects Ashley or someone else to pop out and give us a hard time. "Let me go."

"Are you okay? You’re sweating bullets." She slaps my hand from touching her face and dabs away her own sweat. At the sound of a door cracking open behind me, I follow Demi’s shocked eyes back to the apartment building behind us but before I can make out the faces of the women stepping out, she yanks my arm towards her car.

"Fine! Let’s talk."

"I drove here."

"Then lead the way and I’ll follow behind."

I ignore her weird behavior, get behind my wheel and guide her towards a familiar place. Minutes after we park in front of the building, Demi and I fail to step out of our cars. My phone buzzes with her incoming call. With a ghost of a smile, I take the call while removing the straps of my seatbelt.

"Is this your idea of a joke? You didn’t have to bring me here. I clearly remember everything that transpired that night." Her voice is thick with emotion which tells me she’s still hurting. My heart splinters at the sound of a sniffle.

"I don’t mean to regurgitate sad memories, Demi but this is the one place I can be sure we won’t be interrupted. Like I said, I have some explaining to do. It may not change anything but it will help me sleep better at night knowing you have the full version of events. Can we go in? The owner lent me the space for an hour. There’s nobody inside."

Like I suspected, she pauses, breathing heavily.

"It’s alright, Demi. You know I would never do anything to hurt you. I just want to talk."

I hang up, get down from my car and go around to hers. She deigns to look at me when I tap on her glass before taking the back door into the Blue Cove, straight to the VVIP room where I met her for the first time almost five months ago.

The furniture has been changed but everything else is pretty much the same. Demi comes in behind me just as I frown at the bottle of Whiskey Donna left for me.

Demi’s face flushes with anger when she spots the drink.

"You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you trying to reenact that night?"

"It’s not what you think." I hurriedly explain as she whirls to leave. "I never asked for this. Donna must have left it out as a gesture of goodwill. We are not drinking."

Quick as a whiplash, I snag the tray and set it at the far corner of the room. Demi takes a seat, deliberately avoiding the spot she sat on that night. She’s very uncomfortable, I can tell. To help, I also take a different spot.

"Comfy?"

"Not really." She responds with a small shrug. "Well, you have my attention. Talk."

I shift my weight, trying for casual. "I had a pretty rough day that day. I fought with my family. I was reeling with shock and despair over the scars of an incident that happened years ago. Couldn’t forgive myself for it." Just the thought of it makes my voice shake. Demi’s eyes are fixated on me.

"What incident?"

I have never seen her more curious.

I shake my head. "We haven’t got the time to dabble into every small detail."

I have no desire to share my dark past with her but this is better than bluntly refusing to share the truth with her. From the look in her eyes, she isn’t satisfied with my answer but thankfully, she also doesn’t make a fuss about it.

"I was brimming with rebellion and wanted to get back everyone, the world, for the shitty way I was feeling. I came down here without my brothers and ordered a drink I had sworn never to touch again."

"Whiskey? Why?" Demi interrupts me again. "Why did you choose to stay off whiskey out of all other alcoholic drinks?"

Why is she nitpicking my story? The curiosity in her eyes will make her excel in a journalism career.

"I just did. No epic story behind it." I lie with my eyes down. "Anyway, I was determined to get so wasted my brothers would be called to come haul my ass out of here. Donna, the owner of this club is an old client of ours. I was counting on her alerting Asher. I don’t think there was anything I wasn’t prepared to do that night just to spite my family."

That’s not true at all. The truth that I keep from Demi in my head is that I wasn’t pissed at my entire family. I was mostly pissed at Asher. Coupled with the emotions I was feeling from the incident that led to the loss of lives years ago, I had just discovered what a douchebag Asher could be.

I had just learnt the truth about him and Olivia, how he was responsible for the incident that brought Olivia into our lives and how he intentionally plotted to dump her on Ashal, our sick brother. It was so cruel of him to use Ashal’s condition against him and watch him get blamed for everything. I was hurting for Ashal too.

So, I went to the Blue Cove dressed like Asher and ordered whiskey knowing my entire family will not suspect me since I had sworn to stay off whiskey. I planned to impersonate Asher and do such crazy things that will make the news so the position he covets in Rollins HQ as well as his reputation will be tainted. For once, the meeting at the living room downstairs would be called because of him.

thought he deserved it for his selfish act against Ashal. He had betrayed his own brother to protect his precious reputation before father and the world.

was. I was prepared to do some damaging things just to deal with Asher. If Demi hadn’t showed up at the house to make her claims,

after the annulment while Asher

I was prepared to own up to my mistake and give Demi a quick annulment so she could go back to her life. Things got messy as Ashley and mother

that I tried to tarnish his image. He has never said anything to me along those lines but sometimes I see it in his eyes; Demi is your mess, Ashton. You

married Ashley, things have been topsy-turvy, and here

environment. You didn’t belong here. Your story about your shitty boyfriend’s betrayal only lent credence to that fact. I could relate to your pain and misery not because I had been cheated on before but because I was dealing with a different permutation of anger and betrayal too. One thing led

and looks down

I figured, why not make it official? It was silly. We

at you. Called you Ash Rollins the

clarifying. We

remember

the long drive so I called an Uber for

running. Kept my

Ashal was the last person I spoke to that day before hitting the club. If Demi had

the plain, lengthy clothes. Your aunt was talking too loudly and pissing me off and my family...I wasn’t ready to admit I had done something so crazy the

hands. "It’s all in the past. Thank you for your apology. I’m with Ashley now. Maybe I was always

That hurts my feelings.

I’m glad it worked

hangs thickly in the air between and around us. She shuffles to her feet, a bit

her as she

memories with the people we have been blessed with." My finger brushes off a single tear that slides down her

meaningful look. "Mila is great. At least she knows more about cars than their names, knows how to race in

I pull her in for a hug

was always cute

down the stairs towards the exit,

"Yes Duncan?"

the checks with your secretaries and personal assistants and found something." I signal

targeted the males alone. They have recently been wooed by her and believe themselves to be in a relationship with a hot new girl. After a few night drinks, she disappeared on them. I believe she managed

how she

"Yes, sir."

"And Cree Baxter?"

is pretty much a straight line; work and then home. The only recent development is

"Ashal?"

developing a

trying to

arrangements for a change of

few persons about it. Asher is taking care of purchasing the new temp lines. When it gets active, we’ll

commotion outside

me

as the voices grow louder in time to see Mila

"MILA!"

mine but only grow hotter. Demi

you bring her to have your affair? How shameless

UP. YOU DON’T KNOW

have been there for you. You know how

comfort Demi, Mila only gets further

are you acting crazy

only considered me a friend but you didn’t listen. Now, I will assert my right over you. Your father clearly approves of me. I won’t let her take you away from me." Her eyes

what you think. We just came here to talk.

tugs at her hair. "How could you still stand there and lie to me, Ashton? What did I ever do to deserve the worst of you?" Her eyes

am weak or feel guilty about anything. I haven’t done anything like you suspect

outside but you’re so rotten on the inside. How could

Demi delivers a resounding slap on

her, reaching to hold Mila who shoves me

confusion has emanated from our friendship has been resolved by our family and I love my husband, Ashley. I trust him as much as he trusts me. Trust Mila, that’s the lifeblood of every romantic

with ire as Demi gets into her car

this

me? I