Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 173: Chapter 173

DEMI

"What do you mean you’re not going?" Anna reiterates my words in shock.

"Exactly that. Ashal is back to his family. Skylar’s been stopped. Liam is...well royally pissed at me but what else is new?" I shove what was supposed to be my dress back into the closet and shut the door. "Skylar was the one who was forcing me to attend the party. I have no reason to go there much less as Ashton’s date. I’ve had enough embarrassments to last me a lifetime. No need to add to the long list."

Saying nothing, my best friend drops on the closest couch and stares intently at me while I fuss round the dresser, tidying up.

"So, you believe you’ve played your part in assuaging your guilt and your mission to stop Liam is complete?"

"It appears so." I try to grab my phone off the bedside drawer and knock it down accidentally. Anna arches her eyebrows at me.

"You seem a little disoriented, don’t you think?"

"It’s not polite to stare, Anna." I snap back.

"I just don’t understand why you’d ask me, Kat and Maddox to go to the party when you weren’t planning on attending yourself."

"I know you want to be there, to see Asher." She doesn’t even try to deny it. "I’m sure he’s still Asher but I can feel something simmering beneath the surface. Can’t put a name on it yet but for the first time, I’m starting to think he isn’t...completely hopeless. As for Kat and her brother, they’re fans of the quads and would secretly loathe me if I didn’t smuggle them into a high-profile party like that."

Anna chooses to be understanding.

"Ok. I get it. They’ll be expecting you though. What do I say?"

"Keep them expectant till they figure out later that I am a no-show."

She inhales deeply, staring at me with warmth in her eyes. "So, what’s next for Demi Branson?"

What’s next? If only I had the foggiest idea. I give her a thin smile before going into the bathroom to fend off the tears. The last time I felt this empty and clueless about my life was when I lost my parents. I feel like I am dropping head first into a bottomless pit, too emotionally drained to scream for help. I slide to the floor of the bathroom, press my hands to my lips to stifle the moan of pain as misery overwhelms me.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" Anna calls, knocking softly.

"Yeah, I just need a minute." I mutter, then hate how spineless I sound. Before she can insist, her doorbell chimes. I expel a breath of relief when she leaves to get the door, while half-praying that the visitor isn’t here for me. Anna doesn’t come back to me until after ten minutes. In that time, I manage to get the worst of my emotions under check.

"Hey, Demi?"

"Yeah?"

"That was Kat and Maddox. They’re off to the party."

"Why aren’t you leaving with them?"

She says nothing until I unlock the door and find her poor attempt at taking off the beautiful dress Asher sent for her. "What do you think you’re doing?" I zip her right back up and spin her towards me. "You’re going to that party! You hear me?"

this. You’re not fooling anyone with that brave face." She reaches for the diamond studs on her ears, still a gift from Asher, and grunts when I slap her hands off

only make me feel worse for ruining such a beautiful day for

be

because she pulls me into a hug that feels warm and safe. "I just need...I need some alone time. Please, I feel a bit lost and unsure of my next moves. I want

you sure you don’t want me here? I can be a fly

Now, off you go. Have fun. I’ll keep my phone

She kisses my cheeks after

away before locking myself in. The deafening silence hits me like a punch in the face. The emptiness I feel swaddles me. Why do

next two hours in the bathtub, toying with the idea of not coming up to the surface each time I immerse myself in the foamy water. Wouldn’t it be easier on my heart to go be with my parents? But each time I start choking under the water, I surge to the surface, not because of the few people who would be hurt by my suicide, but because

I certainly won’t be a coward and take my own life. If all the pain I went through never drove me to the edge of

hair freshly washed, I pull out a bottle of wine and a bucket of ice cream, unsure

gets the better of me and before I can think better of it, I turn on the TV. The quads’

interviewed as a group and my heart thuds with joy at the sight of Ashal, safe and back with his family. The reporter teases about the big reveal but no brother takes

threat. To smother the awkwardness of not getting his question answered, the reporter pushes with

famous Danvarr quads unaccompanied by the best-looking women at any party, least of all at their own birthday party. Apart from Ashley who just went through a divorce, what’s the update on the relationship status of the rest of the quads? Will we be seeing anymore arranged marriages or what?" Stupidly, he shoves the

smiles but before he can answer the question, Ashton beats

of asking the right questions. As everyone knows, this is more than just a birthday party to

was organized this way was because it was our best shot at getting the people’s attention in spite of everything going on, and not because we’re insensitive to the situation around us." He gives his brothers a quick stare. "We do intend to address the rumors. In fact, we plan to run a proper investigation of the allegations made in order to get to the bottom of things. We’re not perfect and if our decisions and actions have caused

to stir up from them. He bobs his head as an afterthought and congratulates

the TV off and instantly feel less tensed about everything. My phone rings just as I am

you been. I

still have breath in

your mind yet?" I sense a

"Nope."

guess. You’re

make merry because you’re at a party? I’m having the time of my

be home

the doorbell interrupts our

impatient, my heart skips a beat. Who could it be? Everyone I expect to come calling at this hour is at the quads’ party. I sidle to the peephole and gasp

here? Did your invite to the party get lost in the

roll her eyes at me. "Look, I’m not here on Liam’s or

for your versatile services?" When

cautiously with her. For all I know, she could still be here to fulfil Skylar or Liam’s instruction which right now could be to poke holes in the false sense of security

not even going to bother asking how you found me. So, what is this really about, Cree?" Folding my arms across my chest, I ease my butt

on me, right? Why I was doing his bidding slavishly even though I had no bone to pick with the Rollins family? Well, it was never about him. It was between me and Skylar.

"Why?"

rubbing at her eyebrows. "It’s because of

"What?"

to me but I don’t consider him any less." With tensed shoulders, she moves to sit on the couch, holding her head in her hands. "I met this innocent old man a while back while volunteering at an Old age home. He was very high-spirited, funny, bubbly. Although he struggles with Alzheimer’s, there are moments when he often shares detailed stories about his life, his children and even his grandchildren. When he does, his eyes light up. At first, I thought he was just making stuff up but there were days he would cry his eyes out over the death of his precious daughter-in-law or panic over his son’s