Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 109

ASHLEY

"That wife of yours is very cheeky for her own good." Mila fumes over the phone. "She fought me, Ashley. She was so shameless about having feelings for my fiancé and didn’t even bother to defend herself. Instead, she tried to call him in my presence like he’s her knight in shining armor or something. She dared to look me dead in the eye and challenge me, ha. You better call her to order. I only held back out of respect for myself and your family."

A migraine is starting to brew in my head as she continues ranting over the phone. I have barely had time to distract myself from Asher’s warnings about Demi and now, Mila has given me more things to think about my wife. How could Demi be so cocky towards Mila. She should have shown some remorse if she truly wants peace. Mila has every right to be pissed at her.

"Calm down, Mila. You shouldn’t be so surprised. I already told you the dynamic of the relationship she has with my brother. They’ll go on denying their feelings for each other and claim they’ve moved on when their actions and words contradict their claims. It’s frustrating, I get it, but you can’t let yourself get so worked up. You have to be smart about this."

"What are you suggesting? Was I supposed to smile and pretend I don’t want to rip her eyes out? SHE KISSED ASHTON! Yuck! God knows what else she’s done with him. I can’t even let myself think that far or I’ll turn on my crazy switch and go off on her." She heaves a breath. "How do you tolerate her? Why do you?"

That’s the question everyone keeps asking me. Why do I bother with Demi? If I give up on our marriage and lose her heart to Ashton, will it be so bad? This wouldn’t be the first time he has bested me. Why am I taking things personally and too far this time around?

Demi is clearly never going to put me on the same pedestal as Ashton so even if I stay in a miserable marriage with her for however long, it’s not a win. I bet Ashton has thought about this too and had a good laugh behind my back. Demi’s heart will always be his even if he is engaged and soon to be married to another.

"Why, Ashley? Do you love her that much?"

I chuckle at that. "There was a time when Demi and I were growing closer, when she didn’t have her head filled with thoughts of my brother. We had just gotten married. We got along so well and I could tell she was open to loving me. Then Ashton happened. I don’t know when or how but I lost that sweet girl that I was prepared to love with every fiber of my being. Despite her headstrongness, there are still moments when I catch glimpses of that girl. I guess somewhere deep down, I have convinced myself that I can still find my wife and save her from the doomed path she’s on."

"If you plan on saving her, you better be certain she can be saved and do it quick. I won’t let her ruin my relationship. I’d move out of the mansion with Ashton after our marriage if I have to. I can’t let her distract him any longer."

"Move out?"

"Yeah, I’m going to run the idea by him and see what he thinks. If Demi was too stubborn to follow her husband out of the mansion even when the move was spurred by the need to save her marriage, I only hope Ashton can be more mature about the same idea."

I can already guess what his reply would be but I’d let Mila find out herself.

"What do you think he’d say, Ashley? Do you think he’d move out with me?"

Shit.

"Look, Mila, I already went down that road and trust me, it was a difficult pill for my family to swallow. If your first demand as the new daughter-in-law of the family is to separate Ashton from his family, you’re not going to get Christmas cards from anyone. I doubt my father will allow it. He’s still trying to mend his relationship with my brother. My mother too. She feels distant from Ash and means to bridge that gap. You try to take him away and they’ll hate you. Even if Ashton agrees and stubbornly moves out with you, you’re going to be blamed anyway and hated. There’s no win for you there."

She expels a deep breath. "This whole thing sucks."

"I know."

"That leaves you handling your wife then. Keep her in check or you will solely be responsible for whatever I have to resort to in order to protect my relationship." She hangs up just as Lexi walks in.

"Sir, Nicci Grey is here to see you."

"About time." I mutter under my breath before nodding at Lexi to let Nicci in.

Nicci hasn’t been clinging to me like a leech ever since the engagement party. I bet she’s upset about how I used her to keep tabs on my wife. She lamented to me over a very long voice message how she had never felt so used and unappreciated. I barely got through half of it before I gave up, having gotten the gist of it.

Of course, I forgot to call her and make amends. In my estimation, I didn’t think she would last more than a day before calling me. Well, it’s almost a week already. That scared me a bit. If I don’t have Nicci’s love no matter how conditional it might be, I’d lose my marbles with everything Demi is putting me through.

Nicci strolls in with a dull look on her face.

"Hey stranger."

She says nothing in reply, only pauses her lips and stands, gaping at me. She wouldn’t even help herself to a seat until I gestured towards it.

"Are you okay?"

"Do you really want to know?" Her tone is sharp and frosty.

"I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’ve been swamped." While I try to flesh out my lie, she only bows her head and sniffles. Is she crying?

"My dad’s back in town." Her eyes are blurry with tears when she looks up at me again.

"He is?" He must have sneaked back in since nothing was said in the news. Something crosses my mind as she dabs her eyes dry. I lurch to my feet with a grim look. "Nicci, did he hit you? Tell me the truth! Did he hit you again?"

"If you want to know why I am crying, then you have the wrong idea. Ashley," She says softly, weakly. "I could have spoken to you over the phone but I chose to come in person because I have something serious to talk about."

Uh oh. This can’t be good. Slowly, I sit down on my chair.

"Serious? What could that be?"

"Us? I want to know what we are and what we will never be, Ashley. I can’t keep doing this if you only plan to string me along while you work it out with your wife."

"Nicci..."

"No, please, let me finish. I know. I ruined our beautiful relationship once before and things have not been the same between us ever since then. I can never forgive myself for losing you, Ash. It still haunts my sleep till date. That’s all in the past now. Right now, you and I are just having an affair which your wife and entire family knows about. Heck, even the people of Danvarr have started gossiping about our work relationship. Most of them miss us together."

"Is that where this is stemming from?"

"No, I wish it was that simple." She rises and paces the office. "I spent the better part of last night thinking and wondering if I want to spend my life chasing after the shadow of what we used to be. You’re married, Ashley. You have a wife whom many adore. I know for a fact that I love you with every breath in my body. I also know she doesn’t love you half as much as I do. I am a little unclear about your feelings for her but whatever they may be, you seem prepared to stick with her for life. I can’t blame you if you feel that way. You’ve lost faith in me. You no longer trust me and my intentions for you. I get that."

"Nicci, why don’t you come sit down and we could figure this out?"

"My career is hanging on by a thread." She continues with a nervous laugh. "I have been neglecting every other thing in my life that deserves my undivided attention just because I have been too focused on chasing after you. I am left with nothing now. I neither have your heart and loyalty or a thriving career. My dad...he said some things to me yesterday."

"What did he say to you?"

"He helped me see clearer that we are never going to be more than this no matter how much you claim to love me and a few years from now, I will begging for scraps in the modeling industry because of my tanked career and you will be doing what you’ve been doing; obeying your family’s wishes even though your heart lies elsewhere."

My face hardens. Why would her father be putting such thoughts in her head? What does he think he knows about my family and I?

"Your father doesn’t know the first thing about me or my family."

"But I do, Ash, and yet I know his assumptions are spot on." There’s a distant look in her eyes as she comes to my desk. "Look me in the eye and tell me you have better plans for me than the bleak future my father painted. Look me in the eye and tell me all of this secret affairs and promises will soon lead to an official label on our relationship, a status change from ex-girlfriend and side chick to..." Her voice wavers as tears roll down her cheek. "To what, Ashley? Can you finish that sentence?"

I am not ready for this conversation. It’s too deep and heavy for me to take on right now.

I stare deadpan in her eyes. "Since when did your father give a shit about you? Why do you care what he thinks or says? Your overthinking is going to drive us apart again."

Nicci shakes her head. "You’re evading the subject." She rakes her hands in her hair and chokes back the tears. "Why are you really with her? What is it that she does for you that I can’t? SHE DOESN’T EVEN LOVE YOU."

"Why are you being like this?"

"I’m scared for you, Ashley. You’ve been through a lot to be stuck in a loveless marriage. I want to know why you’re too scared to want more, to embrace true love even when it’s staring you in the face. We both know the fairytale ending you’re secretly praying for won’t happen with a woman like Demi. I’ve met her. If she was ever going to fall for you, she would have done so by now. There are only two reasons why a woman who shares the same bed with a man like you would still have no feelings for you by now. It’s either there’s some other man already in her heart or she hates you for something deeper than your philandering."

"I can’t believe you. Now, you’re psychoanalyzing my wife and my marriage?"

I leap to my feet so sharply I knock off some stationery. Nicci takes a step back as I advance menacingly towards her. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Asher put her up to this because she’s starting to sound like him. However, I doubt my brother has had the time to call up my ex whom he loathes to convince me to dump my wife.

"This is surprising. What happened to being willing to be my side piece as long as I am a part of your life? What happened to being satisfied with having a piece of me and waiting for the day I’ll be open to giving you all of me again? I guess those were just lies, like everything else that comes out of your mouth!"

More tears spill from her eyes but I refuse to be affected by them.

"What are you saying, Ash? Is there really no hope for us?" Her voice is broken and pitiful.

I grab her shoulders. "We have a good thing going, Nicci. Why does it have to change now?"

"BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED." She replies, shoving my hands away. "Everything has changed Ashley." I dip my eyes to the hand that hovers protectively over her stomach. "These secret flings will no longer do. Everything will come to the light very soon."

The air dries up in my throat as I stagger backwards. "W-What are y-you implying?"

"I am pregnant, Ashley. We are having a baby!

***

My hands continue to tremble minutes after she drops the bombshell. Nicci has stopped crying and looking pitiful. Some unusual strength seems to have possessed her after she broke the news to me.

"Did you hear me, Ash?"

"I heard you loud and clear, Nicola. You’re pregnant, hurray. What has that got to do with me?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Oh, come on, don’t act innocent. We both know I am not the only guy you’ve been with recently. Have you managed to track down your other boyfriend and shove this news in his face?"

"I didn’t have to. I am four weeks gone, Ashley. It can’t be his. Besides that, Finn is medically infertile and despite that, I never let him touch me without a condom."

My vision blurs. She can’t be pregnant with my child. There has to be a mistake somewhere. She must have had other partners that I am unaware of.

She digs into her back and dumps pregnancy sticks on my desk.

"These can be wrong." I reply with red rimmed eyes. Demi showed all the signs according to Greta but her result still came out negative. Nicci’s could be wrong.

"I thought you might say that." She adds before whipping out two pregnancy test results. "They’re from two different hospitals. They can’t all be wrong."

I lunge to my feet, brimming with rage. "What the fuck is this, Nicci? Did you get pregnant on purpose to trap me? You know I am married. I thought you were on the pill. How could you let this happen?"

"If I had planned this, I would have made it happen a long time ago, long before you started prioritizing your wife over me, don’t you think? I didn’t do anything on purpose, Ashley. Things like this happen. I’m only human. I can’t say that I always remembered to take my pills especially with how often and how suddenly you like have sex no matter where we are. You hate to strap on a condom every time I remind you. Is it okay for me to assume you wanted a baby with me because you readily had sex with me several times without wearing a condom?"

I run a hand over my face. This is fucked up. This is too fucked up.

"I am prepared to undergo whatever test your family demands to prove that you are the only partner I’ve had in the last couple of weeks."

"Wait, what? Why are you bringing my family into this? They don’t have to know anything." freewēbnoveℓ.com

"Why? How do you plan to hide this from them forever?"

"You’re keeping the baby?"

My question offends her naturally. "Of course I am keeping MY baby, Ashley. What else have I got going for me? I barely have your love or my dad’s. I am practically all alone and you expect me to terminate this blessing? Hell no!"

Just my luck. Nicola now wants to play mother of the year at the lowest point of my life.

My brain wheels to my family; father, mother, Demi and my brothers. This will be a catastrophe if they find out. I am certain Nicci plans to make this public news. Demi will be shattered. It’s one thing to turn a blind eye at my affairs but having to watch me raise a child with my ex and side chick will be devastating for even the strongest of women. What if she chooses to divorce me now? Fuck!

Asher was right. I should have made the move to divorce her earlier. If I do it now and Nicci’s pregnancy leaks, Demi will be pegged the victim and garner the sympathy of the public. It will be like her marriage claim all over again. The media will have a field day chewing up our family’s reputation. Our stocks will crash with news of my cheating scandal and divorce. Father will really kill me this time. Asher will never forgive me.

When Nicci reaches for my hand, I move away from her.

"Don’t be like that, Ashley. I know you love me. You’re just worried about your family."

"Of course I am worried about them. How do you expect them to take this news? I AM MARRIED, NICOLA. IF THIS GETS OUT, I WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC RIDICULE. MY FAMILY IMAGE WILL BE IN THE MUD. MY WIFE...I CAN’T EVEN DIVORCE HER NOW. EVERYONE WILL RALLY AROUND HER AS THE VICTIM IN ALL THIS."

"Divorce? You were already thinking about divorcing Demi?" A hint of a smile creeps into Nicci’s face. "Why didn’t you tell me? Tell me what I can do to help speed that up?"

I look into her eyes and see the ball of excitement behind them. I also see an opportunity to buy myself some time to figure out this mess. I cup her face with my hands and stare at her adoringly.

"Things have been tough between Demi and I lately. You’re right. She doesn’t love me. I can’t trust her with my heart. I thought I could wait for her to fall in love with me but that won’t be happening anytime soon. The thought of divorcing her has crossed my mind a few times but you know how damaging divorce can be for a guy like me. I have to think about the ripple effect it will have on my family, on the business. If I don’t play my cards right, I could lose so much from that one decision while Demi walks away as Danvarr’s favorite. They’ll be braying for my blood for cheating on my poor, innocent, lower class wife. Think of the headlines."

"I understand, Ash."

"They’ll come for you too, Nicci. Whatever is left of your career will be destroyed. You’ll be branded a homewrecker. Nobody will want to work with you. And our innocent child," I place a hand on her stomach for dramatic effect. "What kind of world will he/she be coming into? Imagine the name calling. Even if we wanted to get together after I divorce Demi, imagine how many influential people will frown at that. My family will lose face in every circle."

My words are sinking into her brain. She dips her eyes in thought.

"What do we do now?"

"We keep this between us for now. I need time to devise a plan so we come out on the other end with our heads held high. My family won’t accept you or our baby if they believe it will destroy our reputation. You have to trust me and do as I tell you."

She nods her head. "Okay. I’ll trust you Ashley but whatever you have to do to get Demi out of your life, do it fast. I’ll be showing soon and we both know people won’t have a hard time guessing who knocked me up."

My phone starts buzzing on my desk. We both crane our necks and see that it’s Demi calling. Before I can reach it, Nicci snatches it.

"I have to take that."

"Do you? I don’t think anything she has to say will be more important or more urgent than the child growing in my womb." She slips the phone in her bag. "You want to make a plan, let’s start brainstorming right now. My father might clue in soon. He saw me throwing up twice. I don’t think he bought the lie I told him. If he suspects I am pregnant, he’ll be marching to your mansion like Demi did. That’s assuming he doesn’t contact news reporters first."

A chill runs down my arms. I need to talk to my brothers. I can’t do this alone. My phone starts ringing again.

"Can I have my phone. It must be important if she keeps calling."

"Again, it can’t be more important than..."

"GIVE ME THE PHONE, NICCI. I NEED TO KNOW WHO’S CALLING AND WHY."

She caves and passes it to me with a frown.

"It’s my brother." I snap, flashing the phone with Ashton’s name in her face. "Yes, Ashton? I was going to call you..."

"Get to the hospital now, Ashley!"

"What? Why?"

"Demi was attacked. She’s lost a lot of blood...and more." My heart skips a few beats as his voice breaks. "I’m so sorry, Ashley. The doctor just confirmed that she lost the baby!"