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?"

feel obliged to tell you that Skylar isn’t interested in being reunited with her brothers. One thing was very clear from her inconsistent moments of candor; she hates the quads with a passion and

and await my instructions. You make one move without informing me, you’ll pay for

***

have no idea how to bring this up with my brothers. Everyone appears to be so stressed out. Asher’s keeping a brave face as usual but I know

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

that toppled their marriage. I could go on. He has

I can guess how annoying it must have felt to be pegged a murderer, detained and questioned, I somehow sense that the

are you really

ignores my hand on his shoulder, mutters something about needing some air before walking away to go stand next to Asher’s car. I turn to

to stop Ashley before he goes

I know you’ve got a lot to say. I’d understand if you blame me for

are you talking about?" He

else? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder since

You shouldn’t have challenged father just to protect Demi. We’d still be a united family if you hadn’t gone out of

"Ashley..."

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

that." Asher steps forward. "We will always be a unit.

Ashton’s already locked in with Demi. He’d drop everything and

that’s not true." I counter

you earlier today? Why were you late to

up. I can’t tell

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

be with her but get this; she’ll never love you as unconditionally as your brothers. Blood

furrowed in annoyance. There’s no way Demi is just lounging upstairs. Father must have made

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

the lawyers." He informs Ashley. "You and Demi are getting your divorce finalized today so she can be severed

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

for sending Otto." I whisper to

keep tracking upstairs, then pulls me to the side. "Ashton, are you sure? Is

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 a feminine voice to

now, and the chances of it being a disaster is higher. What if she

whose love for each other will finally heal the rift between both worlds?" Ashley interrupts mother. "There are a LOT of what ifs, mother, and I understand 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 can we do? This one’s as stubborn as a mule. He

the divorce papers to me. "Here, go give them to her. I already signed. She’s all yours again, bro. No hard feelings. She

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

he cleverly digresses to distract her. I ignore