SWNOVELS My Ex-Boyfriend’s Brothers: Chapter 41
If I knew Christina better and if Brad wasn’t my ex, I would’ve told her to run. Hours of sitting across from Brad, slowly extracting even the lamest bits of emotion from him, had been painful. It was also a painful reminder of how little I’d cared for myself in the thick of things with him. He spoke about Christina, a perfect angel of a woman, like she was a set of golf clubs. His reasons for loving her, not that he would actually say the word love, were all…surface level reasons. I fought with him until well after midnight to get even the most pitiful expressions of romance. If he had that hard of a time feeling the special, butterfly feelings of love for Christina, I couldn’t imagine he’d loved me at all.
I was exhausted on the walk back to my room. I considered going to one of the cabins to be with the guys but no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t make myself leave the lodge to walk to them. Mentally wrestling with Brad for hours had left me depleted. I just wanted to fall into my bed and pretend I didn’t have to wake up in just a few hours.
I let myself into my room and made it halfway to the bathroom before I realized I wasn’t alone. I screamed before I could stop myself. Sitting on my bed, waiting for me, were all three of the older Heath brothers.
I clutched my chest and bent forward. “Oh, my god. You guys scared the crap out of me! What are you doing?”
“Waiting on you.” Jackson didn’t get up to hug me.
None of them did. They all looked cranky. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I needed to pee but their energy was so off that I couldn’t make my legs carry me the rest of the way to the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”
Luke lifted his eyes to mine and I saw something haunted in them. “Is there something going on with you and Brad?”
I just stood perfectly still and stared at them, waiting for the punchline. I’d spent the entire day with them before coming back to the lodge, with my mother. They couldn’t seriously be questioning me. Seconds ticked by, though, and they didn’t laugh it off as a joke. My exhaustion slowly turned into anger and then bubbled over into something darker, something closer to fury. My emotions typically didn’t shift so far so fast but the idea that they seriously thought I was hooking up with Brad made me want to break things.
I could see them considering my silence and thinking about what it meant, considering if it was some kind of admission of guilt. It just pissed me off even more. I’d just spent hours with Brad trying to make sure he didn’t let Christina down because he was a complete and utter waste of space and they were questioning my loyalty. Beyond my loyalty, they were questioning my worth as a human being.
“You should all leave.” My voice didn’t sound like my own. It shook with anger. “Right now.”
Ryan held up his hands and stood up. “Let’s just talk this out.”
“No!” I felt a wave of power as they flinched when I shouted. “After the day we had, you’d seriously ask me if I’m-what? Fucking Brad? You think that I’m that horrible of a person that I’d not only do that to you three, but to Christina? Honestly? I don’t want to look at any of you. Get out.”
Jackson sighed. “Come on, Bubbles. It’s weird. You disappeared with him for hours.”
“Disappeared with him for hours? I was in the dining hall! And I know you know that because Gregor was checking in on me the entire time. How dare you ask him to stay up just to do something so beneath him. That’s an abuse of power.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and blew out a sharp breath. “I am planning his wedding to Christina. Even if I had loose morals when it came to breaking up a marriage, something I wholeheartedly believe in, that would mean that I didn’t give a crap about you three. If you truly think that, you’re idiots. I’m sorry. I just… I want you to leave.”
“If you really want us to leave, we’ll go tonight. I didn’t mean to upset you, Maggie. It’s not easy… You know what? We can talk tomorrow.” Luke walked over and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Get some sleep.”
My fury drained out of me with that kiss. I watched them all make their way to the door and I felt a sudden bolt of fear. I didn’t want to send them away like that. I knew from personal experience just how short life could be. I took a deep breath and nearly choked on it when Luke pulled the door open.
“Wait.”
Luke slammed the door closed and stalked back to me. He picked me up and I wrapped myself around him with a sad whimper. “It’s okay, baby. We’re not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to. I’m sorry. I want you here. I just… I would never do that! I would never cheat on you guys. Or… betray you. Whatever. You have to know that. That’s not me.” I sucked in a shuddering breath. “Do you really think I’d do that?”
“Get her stuff.” Luke held me tight. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to see you be stolen away by Brad over and over again. We were going to tell him the truth when he asked us what was going on tonight. I’m not a man who feels the need to hide something I’m proud of. You’re right, though. We should’ve known better. We watched you give Brad loyalty that he’d never deserved for three long years. You’re not a woman who’d cheat.”
I sniffed. “Also, what kind of woman has three men and still needs to cheat? I care about you guys. Do you not understand that? Is this just…sex for you?”
Ryan growled. “No. It’s not just sex. We’re fucking stupid, Maggie, but we’re not that stupid. We know a good thing when we see it.”
“Alright. Ready.” Jackson hefted my suitcase and held my gaze. “We’ll move the rest of your things tomorrow or buy you all new. I just want to get you to a bed.”
Luke sighed. “Jackson. Really?”
I rested my head on his shoulder. “No, Jackson’s right. Bed sounds nice.”
“You’re dead on your feet, baby. You’re going to bed to sleep.” Carrying me out of my room, Luke held me tight. “This isn’t your room anymore. Got it?”
I wanted to fight him carrying me but I didn’t have it in me. I just wanted to be close to them. “Okay.”
“As soon as this shit is over, you’re taking some time off, Bubbles. You need a break and I need you.” Jackson carried my suitcase and a serious frown on his face. “This wedding is wearing you down.”
I sighed. “It’s not the wedding. It’s Brad.”
“Then it seems like our little brother needs a kick to the ass.” Ryan’s random flares of anger were more than a little surprising and surprisingly attractive. He’d always been so laid back around me.
Pressing my lips to Luke’s neck, I let out a soft breath. “I’m not too tired.”
Luke walked faster. “We’ll see.”