Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 181: Chapter 181

DEMI

"What?" Anna stares at me, perplexed. "You’re moving out? To where?"

"It’s just for a couple of days, Anna. I’ll be back." She grabs my wrist and tosses the shirts I was trying to place in my suitcase.

"Can you stop for a minute and talk to me? This is crazy."

"I know and I am sorry it’s so impromptu."

Anna makes me sit on the bed and sits next to me. "Demi, what exactly is going on here? Yesterday, you were a ghost of yourself and I feared you might attempt to harm yourself out of depression. And right after Ashton’s visit, you crawled into bed at two-thirty in the morning, and now you’re trying to go back on everything you had previously said. You said you were done getting involved in his family’s issues, didn’t you? So why have you been on a call with Katherine and Cree all morning, trying to figure out a way to find grandpa Rollins and his son?"

"Because I want to help, Anna, and I know I can."

"You also knew this yesterday but your resolve didn’t change. Why now?" Her eyes narrow. "Are you really back with Ashton? You know I have always rooted for you two but I love you more, Demi. I just want to be sure that you know exactly what you’re getting mixed up in, and you’re ready for whatever comes. That’s it."

Smiling warmly, I take her hands. "Thank you so much, Anna, for always looking out for me. I know what I am doing. Trust me." My eyes fall to our hands. "I can’t ignore the fact that Ashton needs my help. I can’t just take a vacation or stay cooped up in here knowing how much he needs my support right now. It’s impossible when you love someone as much as I love him." I meet her kind eyes that are already blurring with tears. "I know I look stupid packing my bags to go move into one of his houses right after we..."

"Mhmmm." Anna nods with understanding. "Right after you had sex with him. Say it!"

Chuckling, I slide off the bed and resume tossing my things in my suitcase. Anna leaps up as well.

"Don’t act shy now. You were a proper slut last night, remember? You told me."

"Oh gosh, I shouldn’t have told you anything." I reply with a red blush staining my cheeks and a pinch of regret.

Her arms come around my shoulders. "I know you’re trying to make it work without alerting the media but do you really have to go? He can always visit you here when I am at work."

I turn to her. "I’m not just going to play ’girlfriend’ at his house, Anna. It’s close to the one where Skylar is being accommodated. This is more about her than it is about Ashton and I. Skylar’s bitter and vengeful. Kind of reminds me of myself two years ago. I think I can relate to her pain. I want to help her brothers connect with her and hopefully restore their bond as siblings."

"That sounds really nice and noble when you put it like that, but I’m sticking with the obvious truth:

shove her on the bed. "Don’t put ideas in

see her as more than a fling. Their pictures splattered all over the blogs this morning with steaming speculations as to their relationship had her hopes up. She had

wishes he loved her to the point of showing her off to the

I ask when she dabs

minute more or I am moving

I

call. Her eyes light up momentarily as she

another word in, he says something that makes her smile falter. Next thing I know, she’s passing

"Asher?"

of a bind. We wouldn’t be able to go see Skylar until later.

to you

all over the

Have you seen the blogs? The comments on your pictures with my friend aren’t all nice, and she’s the target. You knew exactly what you were doing when you paraded her in front of the cameras last night so fix this! Stop stomping all over her heart and giving her false

a few

man can tell from a mile away when a man is toying with a woman’s emotions. This is exactly why I was against your relationship from the start. She was never your type because you don’t date seriously

smile at her to fend off any suspicion. "Listen Asher, she’s no less than a sister to me and if you think that you can use and dump her, you’ve got another thing coming. Speak to

wants to talk

he’s good at his games. Anna’s mood brightens in seconds. Her eyes widen with sparks shooting out of them. When the call ends, she has a hard

better?" I ask with

cheerily in a way that makes my heart

packing later. Little miss Skylar

it." Anna replies

***

I enter Asher’s duplex where he’s keeping his sister, I expect to find her snarling. What I didn’t expect is the first words that flow out of her mouth the second she sees me approaching the top

in this ugly house. Tell that to the dickheads that call themselves my brothers or was it your idea to keep me confined in this stupid house with seven warm-blooded, grown-ass men?" She shoots me an icy glare that

who call themselves your brothers are your brothers and it was their idea to make sure you’re comfortable and lack nothing in here. MY idea was to have you tied to a chair with your mouth gagged and your eyes covered. I guess you have those dickheads to thank for