Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 173

DEMI

"What do you mean you’re not going?" Anna reiterates my words in shock.

"Exactly that. Ashal is back to his family. Skylar’s been stopped. Liam is...well royally pissed at me but what else is new?" I shove what was supposed to be my dress back into the closet and shut the door. "Skylar was the one who was forcing me to attend the party. I have no reason to go there much less as Ashton’s date. I’ve had enough embarrassments to last me a lifetime. No need to add to the long list."

Saying nothing, my best friend drops on the closest couch and stares intently at me while I fuss round the dresser, tidying up.

"So, you believe you’ve played your part in assuaging your guilt and your mission to stop Liam is complete?"

"It appears so." I try to grab my phone off the bedside drawer and knock it down accidentally. Anna arches her eyebrows at me.

"You seem a little disoriented, don’t you think?"

"It’s not polite to stare, Anna." I snap back.

"I just don’t understand why you’d ask me, Kat and Maddox to go to the party when you weren’t planning on attending yourself."

"I know you want to be there, to see Asher." She doesn’t even try to deny it. "I’m sure he’s still Asher but I can feel something simmering beneath the surface. Can’t put a name on it yet but for the first time, I’m starting to think he isn’t...completely hopeless. As for Kat and her brother, they’re fans of the quads and would secretly loathe me if I didn’t smuggle them into a high-profile party like that."

Anna chooses to be understanding.

"Ok. I get it. They’ll be expecting you though. What do I say?"

"Keep them expectant till they figure out later that I am a no-show."

She inhales deeply, staring at me with warmth in her eyes. "So, what’s next for Demi Branson?"

What’s next? If only I had the foggiest idea. I give her a thin smile before going into the bathroom to fend off the tears. The last time I felt this empty and clueless about my life was when I lost my parents. I feel like I am dropping head first into a bottomless pit, too emotionally drained to scream for help. I slide to the floor of the bathroom, press my hands to my lips to stifle the moan of pain as misery overwhelms me.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" Anna calls, knocking softly.

"Yeah, I just need a minute." I mutter, then hate how spineless I sound. Before she can insist, her doorbell chimes. I expel a breath of relief when she leaves to get the door, while half-praying that the visitor isn’t here for me. Anna doesn’t come back to me until after ten minutes. In that time, I manage to get the worst of my emotions under check.

"Hey, Demi?"

"Yeah?"

"That was Kat and Maddox. They’re off to the party."

"Why aren’t you leaving with them?"

She says nothing until I unlock the door and find her poor attempt at taking off the beautiful dress Asher sent for her. "What do you think you’re doing?" I zip her right back up and spin her towards me. "You’re going to that party! You hear me?"

"I’m not leaving you like this. You’re not fooling anyone with that brave face." She reaches for the diamond studs on her ears, still a gift from Asher, and grunts when I slap her hands off them.

"Don’t make this harder for me, Anna. Staying back here to babysit me will only make me feel worse for ruining such a beautiful day for you. You deserve to be there. Asher will be expecting you."

"And Ashton will be expecting you too."

"Not for the same reasons." I grab her hand. "I can’t do it, Anna. I am not in the right headspace to go over there. I DON’T WANT TO." She must have seen the fear in my eyes because she pulls me into a hug that feels warm and safe. "I just need...I need some alone time. Please, I feel a bit lost and unsure of my next moves. I want to soak in the bathtub and convince myself that though it feels like I failed my parents by not avenging them, they’re still proud of me."

Anna’s hands tighten around me. "Are you sure you don’t want me here? I can be a fly on the wall while you process everything. I won’t get in your way..."

I ease back and beam at her misty eyes. "I’ll be fine. Now, off you go. Have fun. I’ll keep my phone close if you’re worried."

"Thanks. I’ll call every hour for proof of life. Love you." She kisses my cheeks after I fix up her dress and hair, then dashes out.

I wait until her Uber pulls away before locking myself in. The deafening silence hits me like a punch in the face. The emptiness I feel swaddles me. Why do I feel so hollow inside even after doing what I consider ’the right thing’?

I spend the next two hours in the bathtub, toying with the idea of not coming up to the surface each time I immerse myself in the foamy water. Wouldn’t it be easier on my heart to go be with my parents? But each time I start choking under the water, I surge to the surface, not because of the few people who would be hurt by my suicide, but because I can’t accept defeat like this.

I went through hell and back to get here. Though it’s not at all what I envisioned the AFTER would feel like, I certainly won’t be a coward and take my own life. If all the pain I went through never drove me to the edge of that cliff, I don’t think anything will at this point.

Dressed in an oversized T-shirt with my hair freshly washed, I pull out a bottle of wine and a bucket of ice cream, unsure which way to go.

Don’t do it. Don’t do it, my inside voice cautions me. Curiosity gets the better of me and before I can think better of it, I turn on the TV. The quads’ birthday is on almost every news channel. The mansion is positively unrecognizable with elaborate decorations in place.

The quads are interviewed as a group and my heart thuds with joy at the sight of Ashal, safe and back with his family. The reporter teases about the big reveal but no brother takes the bait.

I silently wonder what the big plan is regarding the reveal, especially since we already diffused the threat. To smother the awkwardness of not getting his question answered, the reporter pushes with yet another uncomfortable question. This time, I abandon the bowl of ice cream for the bottle of wine.

"It’s slightly unusual to see the famous Danvarr quads unaccompanied by the best-looking women at any party, least of all at their own birthday party. Apart from Ashley who just went through a divorce, what’s the update on the relationship status of the rest of the quads? Will we be seeing anymore arranged marriages or what?" Stupidly, he shoves the microphone under Asher’s mouth, nursing a big grin that nearly said, ’I dare you to try to dodge this bullet.’

Asher only smiles but before he can answer the question, Ashton beats him to it by swiping the mic instead.

"It’s a shame that a reputable reporter like you who’s privileged to have an audience with us is doing a poor job of asking the right questions. As everyone knows, this is more than just a birthday party to us. Though our personal lives are none of your business until we say otherwise, we’re the least bit concerned about flaunting women on our arms tonight. That’s not all we’re about."

"Exactly." Asher continues, steering the mic to himself almost as though he is afraid of Ashton saying something they’ll all regret. "The only reason this party was organized this way was because it was our best shot at getting the people’s attention in spite of everything going on, and not because we’re insensitive to the situation around us." He gives his brothers a quick stare. "We do intend to address the rumors. In fact, we plan to run a proper investigation of the allegations made in order to get to the bottom of things. We’re not perfect and if our decisions and actions have caused unfavorable circumstances to anyone in anyway, we’ll devote our time and resources to reach an amicable settlement and making things right as much as we can."

The reporter looks slightly disappointed as the response wasn’t what he set out to stir up from them. He bobs his head as an afterthought and congratulates them once more on their birthday. He scurries off to interview Kristy Randall and Josh, her son.

The sound of my ringtone tears my eyes away from the party. I turn the TV off and instantly feel less tensed about everything. My phone rings just as I am shrugging into a shirt and jeans.

"Where have you been. I called trice."

"Calm down, Anna. I still have breath in my body."

"Well, that’s good to know. Changed your mind yet?" I sense a flicker of hope in her tone.

"Nope."

"Let me guess. You’re drinking, aren’t you?"

I glance at the bottle that’s half empty. "What? Are you the only ones entitled to make merry because you’re at a party? I’m having the time of my life here as well."

"Take it easy, Demi. I’ll be home as soon as its..."

The sound of the doorbell interrupts our call.

"My pizza’s here. Got to go. Love you." I hang up and try not to feel bad about the lie. When the knock persists, loud and impatient, my heart skips a beat. Who could it be? Everyone I expect to come calling at this hour is at the quads’ party. I sidle to the peephole and gasp in surprise at the visitor.

"What are you doing here? Did your invite to the party get lost in the mail?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Cree Baxter replies, struggling not to roll her eyes at me. "Look, I’m not here on Liam’s or Skylar’s behest."

"Why? You got a new hirer for your versatile services?" When I start heading into the living area, she pulls me back.

"I don’t have time to banter with you, Demi. This is personal business, one that happens to be dear to my heart." Her seriousness captures my attention but I tread cautiously with her. For all I know, she could still be here to fulfil Skylar or Liam’s instruction which right now could be to poke holes in the false sense of security I feel for the Rollins’ family.

"I am not even going to bother asking how you found me. So, what is this really about, Cree?" Folding my arms across my chest, I ease my butt on the wall and glare at her. Maybe this is part of the reason I’ve been feeling quite uneasy, because everything isn’t completely over.

"You wanted to know what Liam’s got on me, right? Why I was doing his bidding slavishly even though I had no bone to pick with the Rollins family? Well, it was never about him. It was between me and Skylar. I did what she wanted."

"Why?"

She huffs out a breath, rubbing at her eyebrows. "It’s because of my grandpa."

"What?"

"No, actually, he’s not biologically related to me but I don’t consider him any less." With tensed shoulders, she moves to sit on the couch, holding her head in her hands. "I met this innocent old man a while back while volunteering at an Old age home. He was very high-spirited, funny, bubbly. Although he struggles with Alzheimer’s, there are moments when he often shares detailed stories about his life, his children and even his grandchildren. When he does, his eyes light up. At first, I thought he was just making stuff up but there were days he would cry his eyes out over the death of his precious daughter-in-law or panic over his son’s safety."

"Get to the point, Cree." I snap impatiently, unsure where the story is headed. Cree glances up at me.

"The point is that he wasn’t making stuff up, not the stories or the emotions. I know this because he never got the names wrong."

"What names?"

"The names of his grandchildren: Asher, Ashton, Ashley, Ashal and Skylar Sawyer!"

Now, I struggle to pick my jaw off the floor. "What are you saying right now?"

Cree stands to emphasize her point.

"How do you think I got to know so much about the quads’ past, their adoption story and the death of their biological parents? Grandpops always confided in me during his lucid moments whenever I took him out for a stroll to get some fresh air or whenever I was reading to him. No one else cared to believe his stories so he grew fond of me because I never doubted him. I even showed him pictures of the quads one time to confirm my hunch. He clutched my iPad for dear life, sobbing over the pictures." Cree shakes her head. "I know I blackmailed Ashton with the information just to make some money at the time but grandpops is still dear to my heart. And right now, I fear for his safety."

I sink into the couch to process everything. "So, you’re certain that this old man is actually the grandfather of the quads?"

"And Skylar too. That’s how I met her. She paid her grandfather a visit twice every month. When she saw how close I was to him and what I meant to him, she grew jealous. She started making threats about moving him to a distant elderly home and banning me from ever seeing him. Grandpops is like the only family I have and I couldn’t lose him. So, I did whatever she asked. Skylar acts like she doesn’t give a shit about him but she actually does. It hurt her that he struggled to remember her name but always got mine."

There again with Skylar struggling to be ’seen’ by her own loved ones, just like Ashal explained.

"Demi, I am just coming from the Old age home and I was told grandpops was moved. I can’t reach Skylar and Liam is at the quads’ party. I was hoping you could find a way to reach them? I just want to know where she’s taken him. Please, I need to know he’s safe. He’s quite fragile and if he doesn’t see me for a week, he gets cranky. Even if I never get to see him again, I’d like to say a proper goodbye. Please, can you help me?"

But my eyebrows are already slanted in panic. "Cree, are you sure Skylar is the only one who could have moved her grandfather?"

"Yes. She threatened to do so. Maybe she followed through because she was mad that Ashal escaped"

I shake my head while rising to my feet. "Why would she punish you for that? The whole escape plan was MY idea and the lady who actually executed it has nothing to do with your grandpops. This isn’t adding up."

Cree’s eyes widen with fear as she starts to see my point. "But, maybe Skylar did it to punish her brothers..."

"Brothers who have ZERO idea their grandfather still exists? I highly doubt that." I lock eyes with her. "Even if she thought it was a good leverage, Skylar couldn’t possibly have been able to arrange for the old man to be moved." I wait a beat before dropping the bombshell. "She’s currently being kept safe at a secluded property downtown. She’s got everything she needs to be comfortable except access to a phone or sharp objects. No one even knows where she is. Cree, I don’t think you and Skylar are the only ones who knew about grandpa Sawyer. Is it possible...?"

"Oh God." Cree gasps with blurry eyes. "Please Demi, we have to find him. You have to help me find him."

"I wouldn’t even know where to begin."

Cree wipes her eyes. "We have to inform the quads. They’ll definitely want to help. I know how invested they are in the truth about their past. Please, I am sure you can get into that party. You are on the guest list, aren’t you?"

"I can’t..."

"Yes, you can." We both turn to find Katherine at the door. I didn’t even hear her open it.

"Kat, what are you doing back here? Is the party over?"

She walks in tentatively. "I had to tell you this in person but after hearing snippets of your conversation, I’m convinced this is fate." She grabs my hands. "Demi, Maddox found out the identity of the person sending Skylar the postcards." She slides a glance at Cree and then back at me. "I think you’ll have to go to the party after all. Who else is better suited to give the quads’ the biggest news of their lives by informing them that their biological grandfather AND father are still alive?"

I stagger backwards in shock. "W-What?"

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l.com