Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

DEMI

The harsh slivers of sunlight wash into my room, half-blinding my eyes. Stirring, | block the rays with an arm over

my face and groggily sit up on my bed. The room spins slightly with every move | make. Cussing, | pull my knees

up and cradle my aching head in my hands. Just then, the blinds on the window cdown, blocking off the

heat of the sunrays.

| blink severally to adjust my vision. My heart leaps at the sight of one of the quads sitting in my room. How long

has he been there watching me. His clothes are very casual and very black. | can't make anything from his bland

eyes. Trying to figure out which brother is facingmakes my head want to split in two so | just give up.

"What do you want? | am not in the mood for this."

"Beside you." He jerks his chin towards my bedside drawer. "That should help with the hangover." | hastily drain

the contents of the cup and toss my head back on the headboard. A film of sweat coats my forehead, dibbles

down my side.

"| hate this feeling."

"And yet you still drink." His tone makeslook up at him. "For someone who claims her life turned on its head

after one drunken night, you sure haven't learnt your lesson." A small smile tugs his lips.

"Which brother do | have the privilege of being lectured by this fine morning?"

"Hmm. | thought you were somewhat of an expert by now. Are the clothes too abstract for you?" Before | can

frown, he makes a familiar hand signal and relief swells inside me.

"Oh, Ashal, just who | wanted to see." | dab my brows. "I'm sorry about last night. | was so foolish. | thought |

wasn't furious about Nicola's visit. | wanted to cfind you so we can drink and | can air out my feelings but

then | recalled you already had plans. | guzzled a can of beer in here. | must have wandered." My head spins

again and | close a hand over my forehead. "I hope | didn't do something crazy."

Ashal chuckles. "Isn't it amazing that you seem to never lose your bearings especially when drunk?" He rises to

his feet. "If you're going to have a secret hand signal with Ashal, maybe try not to make it so fucking obvious in

public, Branson."

I shut my eyes. It just had to be him. | am not nearly ready for this back and forth, especially since our last

encounter is still vivid in my imagination. | feel a crimson blush seep into my cheeks. "Of course, you saw that."

My stomach muscles tighten as Ashton approaches with his hands jammed in the pockets of his pants as usual.

"You must know that my brothers and | have concrete reasons to be wary of you. Let's say | believe that the Blue

Cove was an accident. You cto my family the very next morning to assert your claim to a place here.

Pressured by public sentiments and my mom's rare liking to you, you were accepted into our home. You got a

husband and a wealthy family. Now, my question to you is why this isn't enough? Why are you hell bent on

finding the man who wedded you while intoxicated? What is it to you?"

"Keep it down. My head is aching." | hope | can stall his rapid-fire questions with a show of dizziness but true to

form, he persists stubbornly.

"Are you in love with him?"

The question makes my eyebrows slash up at him. The grim set of his eyes has been tempered by curiosity.

When he takes a seat right next to me, | stifle a nervous shudder. "Why him?"

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

"You spoke with mother?"

He nods briskly. "She's worried about you. Everyone is, in their own way." He hitswith those intense blue

eyes again and my throat goes dry. It always does whenever | am too close to one of the quads. "Why him,

Demi?"

| clench my jaw. "If he remembers that night as well as | do, then he wouldn't have to askthis question." My

eyes frantically search his deep ones. He tears his away, and shifts uncomfortably. "You know him, don't you?"

Gently, I touch his broad shoulder and turn him toagain.

"And what if he isn't willing to show himself to you because he is afraid of hurting the people that he loves?"

"I don't see how that could be a possibility. | am not asking him for a lifelong commitment. | just want closure

from that night and the morning after. | have a few things to say to him, things we didn't get a chance to discuss

because of how intoxicated we were."

My hands trail his jaw, snakes into his hair. He inhales sharply, closing a hand over mine. Unable to resist it, |

lean forward and capture his lips with mine in a hurried kiss. Ashton cups my face with both hands and leans in

deeper into our kiss. Our tongues discover each other. Our heartbeat drum in rhythm. Then, | pull away to his

surprise. | can't allow this anymore. It's too distracting.

"I'm sorry. | can't..." | run a hand through my frizzy hair and sigh. "Tell the Ash | met in Blue Cove that if he ever

wants to talk about that night, I'll be here. | just want to talk and that'll be it. | am not breaking my contract with

Ashley. | value promises and keeping my word." | try to slide off the bed when his words leavenumb.

"He's right here, Demi. So, what is it you want to say toabout that night? Tell me." My heart thumps wildly at

his admission.

"ou..."

"I'm sorry." Ashton runs a hand over his face. "I-1 had a bad day. | wanted sprivacy, away from everyone to

drink away my pain." Tears wells up in my eyes when he plants a kiss in my palm. "It was stupid what we did. |

didn't think you'd care or show up the very next morning at my house with our marriage certificate on display for

the world to see how badly I fucked up. | was mortified, Demi and mad at your arrogance. Heck, | didn't even

recall your face from the previous night until you arrived. | thought you were one of the numerous gold-digging

women vying for our attention. I-I loathed you in that instant and blatantly denied you."

| wrench my hands from his face but he holds on tight. "Please Demi, you have to understand. A lot was at stake

for me. Yes, | did feel a connection between us in Blue Cove but everything wilted when you showed up with your

family. Heck, couldn't you have personally tried to reachfirst? What was the need for the and

involving my parents too? | was disappointed in you. | thought you were no different from the other women my

brothers and | are used to."

Bile tickles my throat as anger bubbles hot inside me. While | am glad to be rid of this confusion of trying to

decipher the one quad that may have a connection to my parents’ death, | am devastated to know it's Ashton. |

didn't realize how desperately | wanted it to be anyone else but him until this very moment.

| forcefully pull myself off the bed only to feel dizzy and end up falling into Ashton's waiting hands. Though | am

grateful for his reflexes, | am too angry to thank him. | shove his hands away fromand wobble towards the

bathroom.

"Demi, you said you wanted to talk. | opened up, okay? Please talk to me."

His words irkright now. A fine head of steam threatens to explode if he lingers in my room. Gritting my teeth,

| turn to face him. "You know what, | thought | needed closure. | felt a connection that night and every day since

then, | have wondered if things would have been different if you stepped up as you should and we were given a

chance to explore life together. After all this time, and learning that it's been you all this while, | feel nothing. So,

there's nothing more to be said." A conspicuous frown creases his forehead.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. | forgive you too as | hope you'll forgivefor all the inconveniences

caused. Let's expunge that night from our memory as well as this morning, and move on. Good day, Ash Rollins."

With the bathroom door shut behind me, | exhale deeply and listen as his steps retreat. Tears cloud my eyes.

Why him?

"Stop it, Demi. You always knew it was going to be one of them. You were prepared for this." | blot away my tears

with the hem of my nightdress and stare at my disheveled face. Maybe this is a good thing. With all that out of

the way, it's tto move another card on the board.

ork

"You got drunk? Demi, how could you have been so reckless? Anything could have happened to you. There's no

telling what those quadruplets could have done to you." Liam chides.

We are in Mr. Rahl's bookstore, sipping coffee in a quiet nook at the back of the shelves. Just before | had to

move in with my new family, | had pitched the idea to Mr. Rahl about adding sreading tables and sofas to

the shop, as well as displaying treats and coffee to draw in more customers. Thankfully, with Liam's support, he

had implemented them, and amidst my chaotic transition from a nobody to a member of the Rollins family

nonetheless.

To show his appreciation, he allows Liam and | to hang out at the back to avoid being photographed by

desperate journalists. Save for the new employee at the counter with headphones stuck on his head, the shop is

empty for now.

| set my mug of steaming coffee down. "It had to be real. Asher was there. | knew he wouldn't buy it so | had to

actually get drunk. | know it was risky but | was counting on the fact that they would respect their parents and

their henough to not entertain any dark thoughts they might have had. | needed to get in there somehow

Liam and they were going to suspectway more if | turned up sober."

Liam shakes his head. "Well? Did you succeed?"

I nod in affirmation. "I was literally struggling to keep my eyes open but when Ashal heldby the door as his

brothers bickered, | managed to stick one of the devices under the wooden table closest to the door. | was very

scared. Asher was ontobut Ashley and Ashton protected me." | stare wistfully into my mug as | recall

snippets of their arguments. Ashley really stood up for me? Was he just being a gentleman or could there be

more to his chivalry?

Liam scowls at the distant look on my face. He sips his coffee and sighs. "I don't like that look on your face. You

know you can't have soft spots for any member of that family if you hope to uncover the truth about your

parents’ death."

My fingers tremble around the mug. "You don't have to remindevery time. | am not sidestepping from the

plan."

"You think you're still in control but you don't see what | see." He leans forward. "Judging by that sappy look on

your face over the fact that two of the quads stood up for you, | can tell you for free that you're slipping."

Sighing, he whisks out his phone. "Thankfully, you haveto give you a rude awakening. | really never wanted

it to cto this but our mission is just as important and personal toas it is to you."

After a few quick taps on the screen, he slides his phone across the table to me. The minute | pick it up, I lose my

mind.

"WHAT THE FUCK? WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS?" Tears track down my face as | stare angrily at him. Without

thinking, | smash the phone on the floor and proceed to stomp my foot on it. Liam simply watcheswith

impeccable calm, sipping on his coffee. When | attempt to upend the table, he catches my wrist. Even through

the blur of tears and the rage, the dangerous look he shootssends shivers down my spine.

"Are you done nursing feelings for those despicable quads? That's what | thought." He shoveshard against a

shelf. The new hire calls out to know if everything is okay and Liam cheerfully assures him everything is fine.

Then his face hardens as he stares back at me. "I want that picture engraved in the deepest recesses of your

mind; the mangled bodies of your parents on the national news. | don't fucking care if it nauseates you or not but

I will forward every autopsy photo so you're reminded of all the bruises on their ashy skin as they lay cold and

dead on the gurney."

"Enough!" | croak in tears.

"Need | remind you that while the Rolllins passed it up as an elevator accident, their autopsy showed that they

suffered severe impact prior to their crash down the elevator. The impact was so severe it only points to one

conclusion; they were run over by a car, Demi. That was the original cause of death and your bastard in-laws

must have dumped their bodies in the faulty elevator to cover it up. You should be ashamed to even feel

anything other than brutal revenge against that family."

While | sink to the floor and bury my face in my hands sobbing, Liam huffs out a breath. "You think | don't care

enough about this simply because | didn't lose loved ones to the cold hands of death because of the actions of

those buffoons? | never competed with you for whose goals are top priority in this. However, | am also in this to

save my family and our business. | joined hands with you so we could take down a family that's hurt us

personally and continue to hurt others. | NEED YOU TO WAKE UP AND GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER."

He crouches to breathe in my face. "If you dare screw this up for me, I'll cat you with everything I've got

and ruin you along with your precious new in-laws. You decide whose side you're on."

He heads towards the front of the store and pauses by the doorway. "Oh, Demi? You have two weeks to install a

spyin the quads' phones. | don't care how you get it done. You can fuck your way through them if that gets

you close enough to distract them. If | am unable to record their texts, phone conversations, GPS locations and

whatnot on my device in fourteen days' time, I'll send your father-in-law, Brett Rollins, a little gift exposing your

connection to the elevator victims from five years ago. | guess you have to hurry if you don't want to end up like

your parents."

His smile is dark as he leaves. | dab my tears away. Liam is right. | needed to see that. Maybe | have been

derailing for a while now because of sstupid hormones. Guilt wracks my system as the gory image of my

parents’ bodies flash in my mind. Instantly, disgust at my foolishness fills my mind. I laugh hysterically, clutching

my stomach. Women are indeed such fickle minded creatures.

When | arrive at Ashton's company to see him, there are little to no traces of the weepy woman Liam had left

behind. Rather, | am elegantly dressed in a chic, white two-piece suit and red stilettos. Ashley's wardrobe haul

did cin handy after all, | think to myself while Gris ushersinto Ashton's office. | ignore the silent gasp

when Ashton sees me. With Gris gone, | plunk my little purse on the couch and turn to face Ashton with an angry

look. He swallows hard, his eyes struggling to stay on my face. | just need to confirm a hunch I've been having all

morning.

"You can't make this a habit, Branson. What do you possibly want?"

"That's rich coming from someone who was just in my room this morning. The double standard is nauseating,

Ashton Rollins." Surprise flits across his face and fades just as quickly but not before | registered it.

"I'm here finish what you started this morning." He looks flustered as he walks around his table to me.

"I don't have tfor this. We'll deal with it when | get home."

Face to face, | see it now. His eyes. It's always in the eyes. Ashton has no recollection of what happened in my

room this morning, because it wasn't him in my room this morning!