Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 53

DEMI

I’m not having this. It’s one thing to have Ashton in my room. He can figure out a way to save our necks but having my husband’s friend who is like a complete stranger step into my room at my birthday party is really suspicious. Because I know I can’t possibly push him out, I yank my door open and head for the elevator knowing he’ll follow me. He does just that.

"I don’t know what you think you’re doing but I won’t allow it." I punch the elevator button for the ground floor and step inside. "You want to talk? We’ll do it downstairs where everyone can see." William laughs softly as he joins me in the elevator.

"Are you afraid you still have feelings for me?"

Yuck. Why am I always surrounded by arrogant assholes?

"You wish."

"Fine, if you want me to blurt out to your husband, his brothers and anyone who cares to listen that you and I had a thing back in high school, be my guest. I was trying to save your face by being discreet." The elevator opens up and I tear my eyes away from William’s luscious beard that frames his angular face almost perfectly.

We grab drinks from a servant passing with a tray holding flutes of champagne. I cuss under my breath when I stare at my glass. The last thing I want to be is drunk at my party with my ex right next to me.

"We didn’t have a thing, William. It was a fake relationship, like the others you were used to having."

"You and I both know that isn’t true. I dated the other girls for a week after selecting their names from a spinning wheel. You and I dated for six months. Yours was the first real relationship I ever had even though I can’t say the same for you." I stare at him, shocked at his raw admission while he glugs down his champagne. He grabs another from one of the servants and peers deeply into my eyes.

"Are you shocked? Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I fell hard for you along the line. I actually thought your feelings for me were real and I stupidly tried to change myself to be deserving of you only to realize that you were playing me the whole time. You used me as target practice for your schemes, right? All that talk about dating a rich snob like me in order to acquaint yourself with the life? Then when you got what you wanted, you jilted me."

I try to walk away from but he snags my wrist and pulls me back.

"Don’t touch me, Will."

"Don’t walk away from me then."

"What exactly do you want to hear from me? You stubbornly pursued me for your own ego after I said no to being your girlfriend for a week. I lost my parents shortly after and in my messed-up state, I agreed to be your girlfriend for a week. I was emotional and at some point, suicidal. I needed the distraction to cope with my grief. You refused to break things up after a week and that’s how we ended up together for six months. So, maybe I wasn’t entirely honest about my feelings and strained you along but that wasn’t intentional."

"Damn right, it was." He fires back. "I especially remember the day you told me you loved me. That was after you visited my home and realized my family had ties with the Rollins family. You remember back in my room when you didn’t want to discuss anything other than my summers here in Danvarr and the one time I met the quads? You were so invested you barely even wanted to talk about us."

Will chuckles, eyes skirting around. "When I heard Ashely was married, I thought it had to be some model or rich man’s daughter. Imagine my surprise when it turns out to be my self-righteous ex-girlfriend who swore she hated everything a man like Ashley Rollins represents; a rich snob and famous philanderer. Wow, Demi, you’re such a hypocrite."

I lock eyes with Mila at the far end of the room. Ashton is nowhere in sight. No one else I recognize is within earshot. I shoot a sunny smile at her to fend off any suspicion and steer William behind the stairs.

"I don’t know why you’re doing this but this is not the time or the place. Move on, Will. We were teenagers for goodness’ sake. I was young and dumb, period. You want an apology because I didn’t reciprocate your feelings, fine. I’m super sorry for everything. It was a different life but I am a different person now. Please, don’t stir up trouble in my home because of my poor decisions in my teens." My hands are clasped in front of him.

"Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Ashley? I saw how eager you were to leave the party. His ex is also here with her tits and ass hanging out for everyone, including your husband, to see. Everyone can tell he isn’t over her. You’re not even his type. I’m trying to understand why you married him, Demi. Do you love him?"

My throat dries up as he waits for my response.

"Did you hear how our marriage came to be? If you did, you’d know that Ashley and I are still getting to know each other. That’s not to say that I don’t have any type of feelings for my husband. He might have a certain reputation but he has been very respectful and loyal to me irrespective of how bold and desperate his ex gets. He cares for me. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed in this marriage."

"Demi? There you are. Girl, you might be the celebrant but you’re not allowed to disappear on your best friends like that."

I whip my head to find one of the guests in a luxurious floor length gown, grabbing my wrist.

"What...?"

She looks tipsy and I fear she has me confused for someone else. She laughs and pouts her lips at William.

"I’m so sorry but I need to steal her for a couple of minutes. It’s a small emergency."

Relief floods through me for the interruption. I had no idea how I was going shake William off. I spin to him and give him a small smile.

"It was nice seeing you again, William Thorpe. Enjoy the party." I ignore the dissatisfaction in his eyes and follow the stranger as she tugs my wrist away, pulling me all the way outside the house. Though I have no idea who the heck she is, I play along just to get away from William. That conversation was too intense and deep to be handled without alcohol.

"I’m sorry Miss but I think you have the wrong person." We are by the driveway, under the glow of the moonlight. She stops yanking my wrist and turns. Something about the way she spins towards me confirms that she isn’t tipsy after all.

"I’m sorry. I looked over and it seemed like you were uncomfortable around him. I thought you needed saving so I pretended we were friends." Her crimson lips splits in a coy smile.

"Thank you. I did need saving." We share a short laugh. "I’m Demi."

"Laura." She replies, shaking my outstretched hand.

"Sick party." She says, then after giving the gigantic mansion a survey, "...and mansion. It’s more like a fortress if you ask me on a deeper level." More laughter.

"Um, I’m sorry. I really don’t know you. I wasn’t very involved in planning my own birthday or controlling the guest list so a lot of the people that attended are strangers to me."

"I understand."

"I’m glad you graced the event, though."

"Thank you." She replies with a smile. "I’m here with my husband. He is an employee in one of your family’s subsidiaries."

"Oh, that’s great."

"So, that guy, is he like a crazy stalker or an ex?"

"He’s no one important." The night air is chilly now. I rub my hands over my arms. "I should go change. Thanks a lot Laura, for the save."

"Any time, Demi."

Laura watches me and waves as I make my way back in. Thankfully, William is nowhere to be seen. He probably went back to the pool area to rejoin Ashley and the others. From the loud shouts and music, I won’t be surprised if Nicola is doing more than swimming in front of my guests.

Feeling a little drained, emotionally and physically, I reach for a flute of champagne at the champagne fountain set up on the ground floor and try to justify having one damn glass at my own party.

"You deserve it for making it through this hellish night." I mutter to myself before placing the rim of the glass to my lips. Just as I am halfway through the glass, it gets yanked from my hand.

"That’s enough."

I glance in shock at the rude man who stands next to me. Why does he have to show up now when I am just starting to feel light on my feet.

"Where’s your date? She looks really hot in red by the way." I grab another glass and manage a big sip before Ashton wrenches it from my hand. With a loud grunt of frustration, I glare at him. "I am a fucking adult. You’re not my dad. Don’t touch my drink again!"

"You touch that glass one more time and I’ll smack your cheek like the child you’re being right now. How could you even think of drinking after...."

My feet are badly sore from standing on heels for over four hours. Still, I hold my heavy head and laugh. Why won’t they ever let me forget that one night? Am I banned from drinking because I can’t hold my liquor yet?

"Hmm. How am I supposed to learn to hold my liquor if you don’t let me drink?"

"You’re exhausted. Go to your room and rest. The party is over."

"Is it? Because the last time I checked, it’s still happening by the pool. Nicola should be giving my husband a lap dance in his head by now, if they aren’t already smashing in a dark corner somewhere."

"That’s not true." His voice is edged with pity. "Don’t do that to yourself."

"Trust me, it’s easier to think of him and Nicci than you and Mila." I must really be drunk to admit that right now. Yet, instead of cringing with embarrassment, I giggle at the look on his face. "Your face right now. It’s...cute." The ground gives way under my feet and I fall into Ashton’s arms.

"I’ll just get Ashley to tuck you into bed."

"W-Why? You don’t know my new passcode? I can tell you..."

"I don’t want to know, Demi. I’ll just take you to Ash’s room."

"0-7-0-3-2-3."

I smile up at him. It’s the date of our botched date as Dee and Will. From the look in his eyes, I think he recognizes it too. My eyes are drooping now.

"I’m sleepy."

"Ashton?"

When I look up, it’s the lady in red.

"What’s wrong with her?"

"She had a few drinks." Ashton helps me to a standing position but I continue to cling to his chest. Mila is clearly uncomfortable with my wandering hands. "Could you help me go over to the pool and call Ashley. Tell him he needs to put his wife to bed."

"He’s b-busy." I laugh. "Even if he isn’t, Nicci won’t let him leave."

Mila inclines her head at my statement. "What was that?"

"She’s just drunk. You know what? Give me a minute. I’ll help her upstairs and join you soon."

"Ok. I’ll be by the pool."

I watch her sashay her way back outside. Ashton picks me up like I don’t weigh more than one barbell and heads for the elevator.

"You said the party was over. Why isn’t she leaving?" When he says nothing to me, I rest my head on his chest. "You didn’t wish me a happy birthday."

"I did."

"You didn’t tell me if you liked my dress or not."

"I do. It’s beautiful."

"Just the dress? What about me? Am I not beautiful?" He leans to press the elevator button.

"You are also beautiful." Hearing those words from his lips makes my cheeks heat up.

"More than the dress?"

"More than the dress."

"More than Mila?"

Pause. Tears sting my eyes. Why the pause? Is he unsure? The elevator opens and he heads in the direction of my room. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Put me down! I can walk." With a little struggle, I plant my feet on the ground, slapping off his hands from assisting me. "Go back to the pool. Mila and a bunch of other hot women are waiting." Right now, I don’t care how pathetic I sound. Too tired, I trip on my heels and almost sprain my ankle.

"Shit." I still reject Ashton’s help. Bending, I undo the straps and take off the shoe to massage the sore heel of my foot.

"Sir, one of your brothers requests your presence downstairs." A servant at the top of the staircase echoes. Ashton turns to him and then back to me, his eyes uncertain. "I’ll help her, sir."

The servant draws closer and helps me up. "This way, ma’am." While he helps me to my door, Ashton pivots on his heels towards the elevator. I glance once more at the corner and lock eyes with him just before the elevator closes. He’s too far to see the moistness in my eyes.

I thank the servant at my door. I am not as drunk as I portrayed. The wine wasn’t enough to dull the sharper edges of my senses but I took advantage of the situation to get away with saying or doing certain things around Ashton. If I wasn’t drunk, he wouldn’t have come anywhere close to me or carried me in his arms. If I wasn’t pretending to be drunk, I couldn’t have voiced my thoughts to gauge his reaction.

Thank you. I can manage on my own."

He turns to my door and adjusts the mask on his face. From the tiny gesture, I instantly recognize him.

"Liam?" I utter in shock. How did he sneak in here? "What are you doing here?"

"Shhh, cameras. Pretend you’re still tipsy and struggling with your door while we talk." I do just that, holding my head while he stands at a fair distance ready to jump in and help me if I need him to.

"I came for the cake." He jokes. "You look...different." Though I can’t see his face, I can imagine his eyes skimming the snug dress. I’ve had too many people looking at me like that all night. "I thought I would sneak in and try bugging the house myself. The party is a great distraction and dressed as one of the servants with a face mask, the cameras picking my movement wouldn’t matter. They won’t be able to recognize me by morning."

"Were you successful?"

"Barely. Every time I tried going up, I kept running into people asking me for one drink or another. The security guys have been keeping tabs on everyone with this uniform to ensure the guests don’t complain. Since the party has come to an end, I finally got a chance to sneak upstairs without getting stopped. That’s when I bumped into you and that guy. Was that Ashton?"

My breath catches. "Yeah." I deliberately key in another wrong code and watch the light flash red.

"He looked really concerned about you." Then in a lower voice, "...too concerned, Demi."

I say nothing in reply but unlock my door properly. "Be careful and leave before you encounter any problems." He nods in agreement and continues to the second floor while I enter my room.

Finally, back in my room, I shrug out of the dress and hit the shower. While the water sluices down my body, I struggle in vain to fend off thoughts of my parents. What would they say if they saw me now? What would they think about me marrying into the family that ended their lives?

Would they think it a necessary sacrifice to bring those culpable of their deaths to justice or would they wish I would let things go and lead a normal life? Would they be disappointed by my growing feelings for one of the quads? Will they forgive me for letting that happen?

Tears flow alongside the water running down my face. To distract myself from drowning in my pain, I go through mental files of my birthday party. Crazy is an understatement at this point. It was wild. However, I am glad it is over at least for me. After changing into some comfortable sweatpants, I climb into bed and go to sleep.

***

The next morning, I wake up to my blaring ringtone. Groggily, I reach for my phone atop the bedside drawer. It’s already past seven in the morning? I don’t panic though. It’s Sunday. I am not in any hurry to leave my bed given the chaotic night I had but who the hell is bothering me this morning?

"Ashley?"

"Morning. Could you come downstairs right now? Everyone’s waiting."

"What?"

"It’s urgent, Demi. Please come down." He hangs up before I can get another word of protest in. Frowning, I groggily head for my bathroom and brush my teeth before going downstairs in my pajamas and flip flops. The house is shockingly squeaky clean again.

Everyone is gathered at the living room area, including some of the bodyguards in black suits. I hide my shock on seeing Mila propped on the armrest of the chair Ashton is sitting on. She’s in a nigh robe that doesn’t seem like hers. That can only mean she spent the night here. Ignoring the fresh tear in my heart, I avoid Ashton’s eyes as the embarrassing details of our little moment last night comes to the fore.

After greeting everyone, I sit next to mother. Father’s face is set like a rock, as well as Asher’s. The latter passes me his iPad.

"Do you recognize the man in that clip?"

My throat dries up as I watch the video of Liam and I standing in front of my door.

"That servant is the only one unaccounted for after this morning’s roll call. He is not recognized by any of the other waiters. We have videos of him trying to access areas meant for family members only. We have no idea why he was trying to pry doors open or poking around. Did you get a good look at his face?"

My tongue loosens. "No, I...He was wearing a mask and I was slightly drunk. I didn’t take note of his face."

Asher holds my gaze as he retrieves the iPad from me. "Are you sure."

"Yeah, I am."

"What were you two talking about? He lingered for a bit."

Massaging my temple in circles with my right hand, I pretend to think. "I think he complimented my outfit and wished me a happy birthday. He wanted to know if he I needed help with anything else. He was...kind. I didn’t have any reason to be suspicious of him."

"Alright." Asher leans close to father and mutters some words. My phone beeps as father issues instructions to Duncan and his team. Mila pulls Ashton away. When I catch mother watching me while I was watching Ashton leave with Mila, I feign a smile and turn away to check my message. It’s from Charlie aka Liam.

[Olivia Dunn was at your party last night!}

What? She was?

"Good morning, everyone." Someone greets gaily. I stare up from my phone and gasp in utter shock as I find William holding a steaming mug of coffee by the stairs. He is wearing a night shirt and pants. The first three buttons of the shirt are undone, exposing his hairy chest. His defiant eyes locks with my shocked ones and I gulp silently.

"Morning to you especially, birthday girl."