Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Chapter 153

ASHLEY

"What the hell are you saying, doctor? How did this happen?" My heart is thudding in my chest as I try to make head and tail of what Nicci’s doctor is saying to me right now. Tears cloud my eyes when he explains Nicci’s sudden sickness and strange bleeding on the island. With shaky hands and a shakier voice, I ask him the hardest question.

"And my baby?"

"I’m sorry, Mr. Ashley. It was miscarried."

My vision blurs for a long minute and every other sound drawls to silence around me. I neither hear my phone clatter to the floor or my brothers rushing forward to check on me. After a few violent shakes, I snap out of it.

"Ashley, what’s wrong, man? You’re tearing up." Ashal pulls me into a hug while Ashton grabs my phone and redials the doctor’s line. He listens quietly to him with a somber expression on his face. Asher descends from the stairs and joins us.

"What’s going on?"

"Nicci lost the baby." Ashton reveals to everyone. A fresh stab of pain lances through my heart. I never thought I was already attached to my unborn baby, never thought its death would hit me this hard unlike my experience with Demi’s. I guess the promise of a new life and new status as a father has been the one good thing about my fucked existence lately.

"Calm down, Ash." Asher pats my shoulders. "Get a grip on yourself."

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I snap at him. Suddenly, memories of his planned brutality towards mine and Demi’s child fills my head. "You know nothing about how I feel." I scratch my head roughly while a sickening laugh spills off my lips. "I wanted that baby! I needed...how could you understand? Huh? How could you ever understand, Asher? You demand yours be aborted in two heartbeats because having a child would cramp your ambitious goals. We’re not the same. How could you possibly expect me to just get over such a huge loss?"

"Whoa, Whoa, that’s enough." Ashton and Ashal circle me while Asher stands stunned into silence by my sudden harsh accusation. "Cool it, Ashley. We know you’re hurting right now and we are deeply pained by it but there’s no need to be vindictive."

"Vindictive?" I ask Ashal. "Have you quickly forgotten who tipped father off about Demi’s pregnancy? I lost my child because he craved to please father. Nicci’s miscarriage was clearly an act of God but Demi’s? She could have carried the baby to full term if certain people hadn’t gotten involved." Pain wracks my soul as I recount Demi’s attack. Tears blur my eyes. "Maybe, just maybe I would have found solace in that baby given the eventual loss of Nicci’s. Why can’t anything go right for me?"

I sink to the floor and bury my head between my thighs.

"Why am I cursed?"

My brothers wrap their arms around me and console me for the next few hours.

***

"Are you okay?"

I look up from the swimming pool as Asher enters with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He sits next to me with his feet dangling in the water.

"I’ve been better." I accept the glass he offers but set it aside when he attempts to pour me a drink. "I’m sorry but I don’t want to numb the pain. I need to feel my child’s loss. It’s the last thing we can share."

puts

"How’s Nicci?"

with pain and shock according to her doctor. She’s under supervision." I sigh deeply. "Mother

"Say no more."

about earlier. I didn’t

pool, to the grayness that lies just beyond the towering walls. "Yeah, I’m not ready to start a family. I did have Nessa terminate more than two

We laugh a bit.

you might actually desire parenthood. I was too engrossed with getting rid of Demi that I shelved your own feelings about her pregnancy. I just want you to know that I am not that guy anymore. I won’t go behind your back to tamper with

"Thanks, Ash."

it’s going to be a slow, tortuous process for him. I am glad he is starting to see the

heads as Ashal comes

need to see

his smug expression is any indication, father must have brought him along. My eyes dart upstairs, hoping mother doesn’t come down to see whatever

tentatively, his eyes raking the faces of the men and women.

present when I tackled this matter once and for all. I’ve got too much going on to be sidetracked by flimsy lies fed to my gullible son. You want to know the details of your adoption? These elderly gentleman and lady over here work for the orphanage where your mother and I adopted you boys as babies. They have records of all the meetings we had with your biological parents before signing the

"Ashton, why don’t you

walks forward to sample the files. Few minutes in, father

"Won’t you join him?"

rest of us not

less than satisfied. He never looks at us once or tries to draw us into the conversation. He knows the risk

if they left any records of a next of kin,

to be going through a hard time financially and made the hard decision to give

know how

would she know that?"

a small town. I’m sure lots of people knew about

right." The woman tells father before turning back to Ashton. "Last I heard, they died in a fire that

one featuring our biological parents into his

you. That clarifies

hitches as father straightens his

been clarified,

anonymous texter lied about the details of our adoption. You were

had to trust me or at the very least, believe me after I answered all your questions. However, I guess it was easier to brand me as anything but a good

apologized." Asher cuts in. "I’ll try to track the anonymous texter to uncover their identity..." Father’s

the country just to clear the doubts to my name. There are always consequences to actions and now, Ashton is about

chant

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