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?"

she hates the quads with a passion and never stopped talking about your karma. I’m sorry.

instructions. You make one move without informing me, you’ll pay

***

can’t wrap my head around the day I’ve had or the truths I’ve uncovered. Even worse, I have no idea how to bring this up with my brothers. Everyone

his mental health. Ashley is far from fine with his abrupt divorce from Demi and the shocking discovery of her secrets. I bet he blames me for most of the woes in his

of the major reasons that toppled their marriage. I could go on. He has every reason to shut me out the way he’s been doing for the

release. Although I can guess how annoying it must have felt to be pegged a murderer, detained and questioned, I somehow sense that the lingering sadness his face is currently

are you

mutters something about needing some air before walking away to go stand next to Asher’s car. I turn to Asher who simply shrugs his

to stop Ashley before he

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

are you talking about?"

You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder

blame you for some things that have happened around here. You shouldn’t have challenged father just to protect Demi. We’d still be a united family if you hadn’t gone out of your way to protect the same woman responsible for the

"Ashley..."

point before she drives a wedge between us brothers. I’ve gotten nothing left but you guys. You all are my strength. If I

be a unit.

from my standpoint. Ashton’s already locked in with Demi. He’d drop everything and abandon everyone just to go be with

that’s not true." I

were you earlier today? Why were you

up. I can’t tell them about

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 everything that’s happened, go right ahead but promise me that

the love of your life, go right ahead and be with her but get this; she’ll never love you as unconditionally as your

is just lounging upstairs. Father must have made sure to treat her like an enemy. God, is she tied up? Just

Ashley while mother sprints forward and smothers Ashley with a hug. She kisses his cheeks before turning to me with teary eyes. A

lawyers." He informs Ashley. "You and Demi are getting your divorce finalized

Mother clings closely to me as

for sending Otto." I whisper to

pulls me to the side. "Ashton, are you sure? Is

asked you the same thing when you got with father. Is he really worth it, Barbara?" I mimic a feminine voice to

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

"I’m afraid of losing him too and of

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

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

after Ashal who’s noticeably absent. Mother brings up Nicci but he cleverly digresses to distract her. I