Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 107: Chapter 107

ASHTON

I can’t believe how many times I have lost to the new record holder today. My gloved fingers tighten around my steering wheel as I finish second place yet again. Racing is supposed to calm my nerves, not kindle the flames of my anger. I think I feel worse than I felt before getting behind this wheel. While the new guy jumps out of his car basking in the euphoria of finishing in first place, I remain inside mine to take deep breaths and calm myself.

Ashley isn’t moving out anymore and while that is a relief, I am still royally pissed at his habit of pinning the blame of his faulty marriage on me every time he gets bored or frustrated with Demi. I have to talk to him about that. We have to iron out our issues.

If he is still doing this while I am engaged to Mila, nothing’s going to stop him from throwing those accusations even after I get married and with Mila’s level of crazy, Demi will only suffer more. I can’t allow his erratic behavior to cause any more damage than it already has.

Liam starts walking up to check on me. I get down from my car and begin to walk away.

"Hey." He calls, jogging to fall in step with me. "Your driving skills are amazing, champ. We were almost neck and neck."

I turn to him. "I finished second. It’s just a car race and I am an adult. Give it a rest, new guy."

"The name’s Liam."

"Don’t care."

"I heard you used to be the reigning champ around here." Now, I halt at his words. "I understand if you’re feeling a bit slighted over the losses today. I’ve been there. It doesn’t mean you’re not as good as you thought. You might just be distracted today. I know distraction is the biggest reason why I come in second. I Just wanted to put it out there." When I turn to him, he is walking back to his car.

"Liam!"

"Yes?"

"You’re a hell of a driver." I admit to him. "Distracted or not, topping you wouldn’t be a walk in the park even for me."

"Thanks. Still, I’ll love to race you once you have a clear head."

"You bet."

I leave him and while I walk away, a ghost of a smile seeps into my face. Maybe the new guy isn’t a proud prick like I was during my time as the new guy. Mila offers me a bottle of water and helps me with my gloves.

"You’ll get it next time."

Again with the sugarcoated words. I am not down with this today. I guzzle the water.

"Losses aren’t unnatural. Besides, I do this for fun not for sport. There’s no need to get too upset with losing."

"Says the guy who was royally pissed when I beat him thrice in a row." She laughs at the look on my face. "Who’s the new guy?"

"Why? You want to race him too so you can gloat?"

"Wow, so much for not being pissed."

I grab her when she turns away with an angry face. "I’m sorry. My head is aching. I have a lot on my mind. I don’t mean to be an ass." I kiss her neck. "Forgive me. I am not fun to be around right now. That’s why I told you not to come. I didn’t want you to see me like this." She whirls to cup my face with her hands.

"We are going to be married soon. Whether I like it or not, I’m going to see all the different versions of you. There’s no need to hide the ugly parts from me." She kisses my lips. "Besides, I’ve barely seen you since our engagement party. You’re always busy. I knew I would grow grey hairs if I continued to wait for you to come to me so I decided to track you down and spend the day together."

"The day?"

"Yeah, too small?"

Too much, too soon. I remember the two weeks she spent at the mansion and how it was equal parts fun and draining. Beyond that, I have a lot of things to do and appointments to keep which she can’t be present for.

"I can’t promise the day. Maybe we can raincheck. I have a lot of things to get done and honestly, you can’t be present for my meetings. Why don’t we reschedule. I promise I’ll treat you to a fun date, wherever you want and whatever you want to do. Please?" She scowls at me. "Come on, you know I wouldn’t bail on you if it wasn’t unavoidable."

"Fine but I won’t take no for an answer next time though."

and take her lower lip between my teeth as a

good. I have to

"A what?"

expect to follow an engagement party? Wedding prep of course. We have to start making the arrangements super early if we want to have a spectacular wedding as early as three months from now. We have to book our venues, place our orders before our favorite vendors would be fully

babblings. What the fuck is she even saying? Father said we didn’t have to have the wedding immediately. That’s the

on a seat. "What’s with the hurry? We just got engaged days ago and now you’re talking wedding planners and vendors. Don’t you think

you saying? How

I don’t want to hurry this. You know the circumstances under which we started dating, right? We were forced to jump on that train by our parents. It sucked the fun out of our friendship and made every date seem like a chore. I always felt like we missed out on building our friendship and gradually transitioning to our dating era because of everyone’s influence

did you want

of me but this time, I didn’t abhor the idea. I want to be with you Mila. I was going to propose eventually even though my father hurried the process. However, I don’t want our actual wedding to be hurried. I want us to take our time to revel in this phase of our relationship. Let

if I believe you, Ashton. I’m worried

in love with each other. I don’t want to walk you down the aisle because our families want me to. I want to do it because I can’t imagine anyone else walking towards me. Please Mila, this is how you’ll get the best of me in this relationship. If we get married three or six months from now, you’ll be getting

you’ll work with me to

"I promise me."

her again, this time slowly, savoring her lips.

all times. You know how much I overthink when

hi." I don’t mean it but it means

away watching me everything that just happened between Mila and I; Liam. He forces a smile when our eyes meet and waves

ten minutes earlier and find a comfortable booth in the café. Though it’s a little packed for my liking, I rely on my dark sunglasses to help me blend in.

something?" He jokes, pointing

have chosen somewhere a bit

trust you yet,

answers would you be giving

ask but before you begin, you should know I intend to ask questions of my

"That seems fair."

table. Keith dives into burger with a big bite. I am not hungry. I just want to learn as much as I can

sister could be my foster sister, Zoe?" He keeps his eyes trained on me even as he eats. He wants

from a trusted friend who knows about my lost sister and the tip led me to your family." I lean on the table.

his head. "I

find that hard

"I never know where Zoe is at any given time but that doesn’t mean I can’t reach out to her if I wanted to see her." He notes how my facial muscles relax at the explanation. "You just asked two questions in a row. Here’s my second

Keith continues to watch me. I have a hunch that

"Cat got you tongue?"

as kids. She was only a baby. That’s the much I can tell

his

turn. Do you really plan on helping me reunite with Zoe or is this just a waste of my

"Those are two questions..."

games. Finding Zoe is very important to me. If you aren’t going to help me, you

mistake or falling for lies. In the end, it all depends on what Zoe thinks. She hasn’t gotten back to me. If she wants to see you, I’ll arrange a meeting. If she doesn’t, there’s

told Zoe about

"I did."

think he knows about Zoe’s past, then he also knows that telling her that one of her brothers came asking questions will only serve as alerting her to hide even better. She

Zoe’s response. I need her documents from the orphanage where she stayed before moving in with your

"No, they don’t."

also burn

smirks at me. "They don’t have them but I do. The papers are

I just want to know what her real name was before

also called her a name because she wouldn’t speak when she was brought in. Trust me,

"Who brought her in?"

for today, Mr. Rollins." My hand shoots out and clamps down on his wrist before he can move. His eyes dilate in shock at the sight of

a burger and waste my time? How many more of these five

Going by what I have heard, I should have kicked you out of my father’s land the first day we met but I chose to give you the benefit of doubt. I was wrong. You don’t deserve to know the gem that is my sister. She’s better off without you and your family." He lurches to his feet, glaring at me. "We’re done with this conversation, Mr. Rollin. Stay away from my home and

I jut a chin in the direction of the door where his parents have just entered. When their eyes scan the booths,