Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 162: Chapter 163

ASHTON

I had meant to go along with Asher to get Ashley from the station. However, I took a detour along the way to pay Adriana a quick visit. Not only was she in a haste, Adriana was pulling a suitcase and hefting it into a cab. Instinctively, I screeched to a halt right next to the waiting cab, eliciting a shriek of fear from her.

As I get down from the car and lock eyes with her, her rosy cheeks go pale like she has just seen a ghost. With every one step I take towards her, she staggers backwards.

"Hey sis, where are you dashing off to in such a hurry?"

She swallows hard and begins to stutter a reply. I yank the suitcase out of the trunk of the cab and slam it shut, signaling the driver to leave. With a loud oath of disgust and impatience, he hits the gas and speeds away leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. When my eyes return to my fake sister’s, there isn’t a hint of color left on her cheeks.

"How long did you and Keith plan on keeping up the charade, huh, Kayla?" I asked her, my chest heaving with every deep breath I dragged in. "HOW MUCH WERE YOU PAID TO LIE TO MY FACE???"

She drops to her knees with her hands clasped in front of her, shaking visibly.

"I’m s-sorry. Very s-sorry. P-please sir, f-forgive...me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I needed some money and Keith promised he was going to pay more than I needed. He convinced me that I would be helping my friend fix her broken bond with her brothers and that you wouldn’t feel too angry when you discovered the truth because you’d already cherish me as your own sister and understand why I did what I did. I’m deeply sorry."

"Keith tipped you off. Is that why you’re running?" I pull her up to her feet but she continues to keep her head down. "If you are truly sorry for wasting my time all this while, you’d start talking already. Who’s my real sister and where is she? Is she aware of Keith’s tricks or my attempts to get to know her? SPEAK!"

Kayla shudders in fright. "Her name’s Skylar. She was my roommate for a year. While she remained closed off to every other person she met in school, she opened up to me a few times. That’s why we grew very close. She even told me some things Keith didn’t know about her difficult past and he begged me to share them with him. I did most of the time. I was genuinely worried for Skylar and thought her brother could help her."

She sniffles. "Skylar found out somehow and moved out after picking a fight with me. She hasn’t taken my calls or spoken to me ever since."

"And how am I to believe this isn’t another one of Keith’s tricks?" I advance menacingly towards her. "You cleverly avoided every opportunity to talk about your past because you knew the second you entertained the topic, I’d know you were a fake, right? How am I supposed to believe THIS isn’t another performance?"

"I know about Skylar’s past!" She yells. "That’s why Keith wanted me to stand in for her." Her eyes stay on mine awhile as she recounts some explicit details Skylar shared with her. "Keith was doubtful of your true intentions for Skylar so he never bothered to tell her about you. He was trying to protect her given her history with your father."

I take a few steps back. Kayla couldn’t be making this up. Her account is uncomfortably accurate and similar to Cree’s.

"Who else knows about this apart from you, Keith and Skylar?"

"I haven’t told another soul since Keith."

I feather a hand through my curls. "Well, you’re not going anyway, not until I get to the bottom of this. After that, I’d decide what to do about the stunt you and Keith pulled. For your sake, you better not lie to me EVER again going forward. Trust me, that would be a grave mistake."

I get back into my car, hoping to catch Asher and Ashley at the station.

"Mr. Ashton?"

"What?"

her brothers. One thing was very clear from her inconsistent moments of candor; she hates the quads with a passion and never stopped talking about your karma. I’m sorry. I never

home and await my instructions. You make

***

have no idea how to bring this up with my brothers. Everyone appears to be so stressed out.

it. I fear for his mental health. Ashley is far from fine with his abrupt divorce from Demi and the

I fell in love with his wife and I wager that is one of the major reasons that

have felt to be pegged a murderer, detained and questioned, I somehow

are

at us. Ashley ignores my hand on his shoulder, mutters something about needing some air before walking away to go stand

I try to stop Ashley before he

man. Lay it on me. I know you’ve got a lot to say. I’d understand if

you talking about?"

You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder since

challenged father just to protect Demi. We’d still be a united family

"Ashley..."

we had only listened, a lot of this would have been averted. Ashton, you have to open your eyes at some point before she drives a wedge between us brothers. I’ve gotten nothing left but you guys. You all are my strength. If I don’t have

steps forward. "We will always be a

already locked in

that’s not true."

were you earlier today? Why were

I can’t tell them about

what I could have done to make our marriage work or how to make amends for our family’s wrongs towards her. I’M DONE. Our marriage should NEVER have happened. You should have remained married to her or kicked her out yourself. It was unfair of mother to offer her to me. If she’s who you want after

Asher steps between us. "If you’re so worried about the love of your life, go right ahead and be with her but get this; she’ll never love you as unconditionally as your brothers. Blood always wins, Ashton. Women come and go but blood remains." He

just lounging upstairs. Father must have made sure to treat her like an

to Ashley while mother sprints forward and smothers Ashley with a hug. She kisses his cheeks before turning to me with teary eyes. A very tight hug follows and she holds me a little longer than usual while father acts indifferent

getting your

before walking into the house. Mother clings closely to me as we also go

sending Otto." I whisper

She stays silent when my eyes keep tracking upstairs, then pulls me to the side. "Ashton, are you sure? Is she really worth it

know she’s talking about Demi. Her forehead is creased with worry. I kiss it, then her cheek. "I bet someone asked you the same thing when you got with father. Is he really worth it, Barbara?" I mimic

wonderfully or terribly wrong for both of you given what you both know now, and the chances of it being a disaster is higher. What if she secretly blames you and desires to take her revenge later? What if she wants to use you to break up our family forever?

your concerns." He stares at me. "I’m afraid of losing him too and of him losing himself if her feelings for him turn out to be dishonest but what

signed. She’s all yours again, bro. No hard feelings.

her room." Mother sighs, patting my shoulder. "I hope you’re right about this, about her. Think hard about what comes next for you two and our

who’s noticeably absent. Mother brings up Nicci but he cleverly digresses to distract her. I ignore the burning look father shoots my way and get into the elevator. My