Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 195: Chapter 195

DEMI

The world spins around me for a bit while I continue to stare at the Mac screen. Did I just see what I think I just saw? Goosebumps spread across my forearms at the sight of Ashton hovering at the door. A startled gasp quivers through my lips. When did he come in? How long has he been standing there?

"Jesus Demi, you’re so pale." He takes long strides towards me and cups my cheeks. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong." With his thumb, he pads my jawline. "You don’t look well. What happened?"

But his voice drowns out as I stare into his blue eyes. Was Liam right? Is Ashton truly behind this? Would he lie to my face so coldly? Would he passionately make love to me one moment and stab me in the back the very next? I shudder in fright at the mere thought.

"Demi, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?" In a quick move, he flicks off the AC but when he turns to grab me again, I already walked away from him, towards the couch. I need the distance. I need to not smell him, feel him. That’s the only way I can think straight.

"NO!" I shriek when he starts to amble towards me, worry smeared all over his face. "Just a...I need...I...n-need a m-minute, please." I hug myself and take deep breaths.

"You’re scaring me. What’s going on? I just stepped out for less than twenty minutes and now, you’re.... what’s got you in this mood?" He looks wearily around. "Did someone come in here? Did they say something to you? Did you get a disturbing call?"

"J-Just stop, please!" I dab my misty eyes and will myself to get it together. Why does it already hurt like a stab wound when I am yet to confirm it with him? What if I’ve got it all wrong?

I have to ask him. Communication, right? I have to know no matter how glaring the truth is right now. "I h...have to ask you...s-something." I draw in a sharp breath to steady myself. "Ashton, you have to promise me you will be truthful." The statement clearly hurts his ego.

"Out with it, Demi. Make me understand what this is about."

Sniffling, I lock eyes with him. Tears blur my vision. "Are you the new editor of Billion-Err?"

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t the words that rolled out of my lips. "What did you say?"

"Just...answer the question. Did you buy Billion-Err..." My voice breaks as the pain overwhelms me. Instantly, his arm wraps around me. "Please tell me..."

"Demi, how could you ever think I’d do something like that to you?"

Something snaps inside of me. How could he lie to my face? How long has he been fooling me? I literally just saw the message. If I hadn’t, I’ll gobble up everything he is saying right now but I can’t. No matter how crazy I am for him, I can’t let this slide. Angrily, I shove him away from me. This was his chance to come clean but he chose to lie? Pain courses through my veins.

"How could you? I literally just saw the message..."

"What?"

"There!" I stab a finger towards his desk. "Someone was asking for your authorization before the next blog piece about me is published." Tears wrack my body as I continue to cry. Speechless, he retreats to his desk and fusses with his keyboard, possibly trying to confirm my words. Weakly, I drop on the couch, bawling my eyes out. I don’t think I can recover from this betrayal. My heart can’t take the pain.

"I forgave you for my parents..." I begin, staring at him over the haze of pain. "Even when I still battle a sense of guilt, even when everyone called me spineless for it. I chose to forgive. I chose to move on, Ashton. Please tell me I am not mistaken about the kind of man I thought you were." I shake my head. "This will kill me if I am."

Slowly, he straightens and comes to crouch down in front of me. His eyes are red-rimmed. "Demi? He cradles my head on his shoulder and holds me tightly while I cry even harder. After a minute, he pulls back and cups my cheeks. "Demi, there’s nothing on the computer." He reaffirms when my teary eyes widen in disbelief. "There’s no such message. I double checked."

I surge to my feet, shaking my head in rebuttal. "Yes, there is. I saw it."

He stands with me. "I am not behind Billion-Err. I need you to trust me. I would never hurt you..." But I shove past him to go check the computer myself. His messages are mostly office memos, meeting minutes, some unofficial car deals in the works, a few personal emails from business associates and so on. There’s nothing remotely resembling the message I just saw less than thirty minutes ago.

low and calm. His eyes are pleading. "I am not fooling you, okay? I have nothing to do with the last article on Billion-Err, or the

him off guard. "It was right here. I was s... standing right h-here when the message came in.

I didn’t delete

lying to

"Demi, please calm down."

he tries to encroach my personal space. He’s lying. The message was right there. Gosh, how blind have I been? I tug at my hair with both hands. "I’ve been such a fool. All this

don’t say that." His voice is

one who’s jinxed. I am not the one who’s a bad omen for the Rollins family. It has always been the other way around. I have known no peace ever since I inserted myself into their lives. Things have been steadily nosediving and somehow, I managed to convince myself that it was all my

please, look

eyes moist. "I’m sure there’s a perfect explanation for what you saw and how you feel but hear me out. I promise I didn’t delete anything. I’ll have someone take a look at it if you want but for now, I’d really appreciate it if you

hand. "I’m not c...crazy. I know

not. Just...take

A NUTCASE!" Accidentally, I knock down the name plaque on his desk and watch it shatter to pieces. My voice is a mere whimper. "I’m

"It’s okay."

take in. I um... I need to go. I... need a break." A wilted expression coats his face

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier but I did contact a blogger two weeks back but only..." He latches onto my wrist even tighter as I try to back away in shock, "It was only to release an official

lips are moving but he lost me at the part where he actually contacted a blogger. Somehow, I can distinguish that from Liam’s words. I can’t believe it was a mere

to be here." But he refuses to budge, continues to explain himself. Angrily, I yank my wrist free of his grip, yelling at the top of my voice to be left alone. I make it as far as the door, ignoring the hum of

THERE, CAMILLE. IT’S YOUR CONDITION TALKING.

door knob. Slowly, I turn towards him, body shaking. "What did you

***

edges backwards with his

call me by my mother’s name?" Of course, he did. I know I heard him and from his present reaction, he acknowledges

chair and sighs heavily. "I’m sorry, Demi. That came out of

mean by that?" And because he’s debating on clarifying or

Look me in the eyes and tell me you never knew about your

a brave face. He

affected what she saw or heard. It often happened sporadically. My family gave a statement about it but typically, people branded us as liars and claimed that piece of information was fabricated." His

register. Snippets of my life with a mostly absent mother, my father making excuses for her when she behaved weirdly towards me. He called it the stress from work. Other times, he said mom was sick. Those episodes flash in my memory, clearer

blink away the tears threatening to fall. "My

was a lot of beautiful things, Demi. Hold onto that." Ashton

him, I know for a fact he immediately

night at

a

THROWN OFF THE SECOND FLOOR!" I finally blurt out the uncomfortable truth he hasn’t brought up since he confessed to me. He’s never mentioned Samuel Woodley being present that night and I

was haunted like an animal, wasn’t it? To silence her permanently. Look me

is temporarily taken aback by my words. "Where did you get

matter. Answer the

rakes his fingers through