Chapter 61
***Memphis***
Bea paced in front of the couch, clutching a bottle of water in her hands so hard the plastic was making awful noises.
She still hadn’t said whatever she needed to say, but I wasn’t sure it mattered.
After seeing the way the guys had responded to me, I was one hundred percent sure that everything was over. I’d lost them.
I sighed and went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of sweet tea. It didn’t even taste good after what had just happened. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”
“Yeah, yeah. Do that. This can wait.” She practically ushered me into the bathroom and went right back to pacing.
I took a hot shower and scrubbed myself pink. I took my time, unhurriedly going through the motions while my brain tried to torture me with a constant play by play of the things I’d said to them in the dining room.
When I was dried and dressed, I found Bea in the kitchen, putting brownies in the oven. I frowned and looked around. I hadn’t even known there were ingredients for baking.
“I thought chocolate would help.” She set the oven timer and then met my gaze. “I’m just going to say it.”
“Okay.”
“Like ripping off a bandaid.” She started stretching for some reason. “Here I go.”
“Anytime is good for me.”
“Just going to give you bad news and that’s okay.
It’s okay.” She shook out her hands and then blurted it all out.
“They never wanted kids. I’d always thought they hated kids.
They were giant man whores, living like Peter Pan Syndrome is a cute condition, and then Don died.
He wrote into his will that they would get nothing if they didn’t each have a kid within five years.
They couldn’t get out of it. They didn’t want to lose their family home, so they figured out that a surrogate would work.
I overhear things all the time, you know, and I heard them losing their minds about being forced to have kids.
They tried everything to get out of it.”
I sat down heavily on a stool. Her words were jumbled in my head and when I started to unjumble them, I shook my head, because that couldn’t be right. “No, they told me they wanted to start their families now. They said that losing their father had really made them see that life was short.”
“They hated Don. They probably would’ve loved it if he’d died a lot earlier on.
” She watched my face and winced. “I’m sorry.
I didn’t know how to say anything and then it seemed like they were changing for you.
They seemed softer. I thought they’d see the light and be happy.
But after this, I couldn’t hold it in. They’re punishing you for lying, but they lied too.
And their lie leaves three kids in a world they weren’t really wanted in. ”
I felt my body burn hotter and tingles break out everywhere.
I’d just professed my love to them and had them ignore me, all the while they were lying about wanting a family.
They were having kids as a currency to get what they wanted.
I wasn’t giving them blue blood kids, but they weren’t giving the kids a real family, so what did it matter?
“Memphis?”
I stood up and jabbed my finger in the direction of the house. “I’m going over there and I’m going to show them what it looks like when you piss a southern woman off.”
“Should I come?”
I looked at the brownies and knew I’d want them later. “Would you be willing to make sure the brownies don’t burn?”
She let out a giant sigh. “Thank God. I’d fight them for you, but I’d really love to keep my job.”
I all but ran to get back to their house. I could feel my blood rushing and I felt like breaking something. Maybe a whole man. Or three.
Letting myself into the house again, I stomped to and fro until I found them in the living room.
I gagged at the smell of liquor and vomit that hit me as soon as I crossed the threshold.
Once again, I’d managed to work up a good rage and once again, I had to put a cork in it.
Strewn out in front of me, looking like a bunch of drunk coeds, the guys were clearly drunker than a skunk and at least one of them had already thrown up.
“What the actual hell is wrong with y’all? How did you manage all of this in the little bit of time I was gone?” I tapped Remy’s prone body with my foot and nearly screamed when he rolled onto his back and stared up at me through bloodshot eyes. “Jesus, Remington. What is wrong with you?”
He reached for my foot, but I stepped away. “Come here, sweetheart. I know a secret.”
Wells’ head popped up from behind the couch for a second before he went down again and the sounds of vomiting filled the room. I had to walk across the room to find Boone. He was passed out behind a grouping of house plants.
I looked around the room and decided that I was leaving.
I wasn’t playing their games anymore. I couldn’t leave them to choke on their own vomit, but after I got them away from certain death, I was gone.
The men I’d begged for a chance and cried that I loved were drunk off their asses like they were having a fucking party after breaking my heart.
They couldn’t keep me prisoner and make people stay away from me. Screw them. I was done.
After trying and failing to lift Boone by myself, I took Remy’s phone from his pocket and rolled him onto his side. The phone at the guardhouse rang a few times before Nico picked up. I barely bit back a sigh. Nico didn’t seem to care about me in any way at all.
“Mr. Hawke?”
“Nico, it’s Memphis. I need some help at the main house.”
He spoke over me. “What are you doing with Mr. Hawke’s phone?”
“He’s drunker than drunk and I need help getting him and his two idiot brothers to bed. Would you come and help me?” I looked down and saw Remy moving his fingers like they were a camera square and he was taking fake pictures up my dress. “Stop it, you ass.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just get up here, please. They need help.”
I hung up and shoved Remy’s phone in my pocket without a second thought. Glaring down at him, I did my best to push my heartache and love all the way to the back of my brain.
“You look so beautiful when you’re mad.” Words slurred and all, Remy still chipped away at my resolve.
“I’m going to wait on the porch for Nico. Try not to choke while I’m gone.”
Thankfully, Nico was already coming in through the front door. I pointed him towards the living room and watched as the smell hit him. He looked back at me and then down at Remy, who’d probably never been anything other than a professional boss in front of him.
“Nico, bring Memphis to me. She’s being mean right now, but she said she loved me earlier. Can’t take it back, baby.”
Nico looked back at me with panic in his eyes. “What do I do?”
I growled. “You sure as hell don’t bring me anywhere. Help me get them to their rooms.”
“Are you sure you should be doing that in your condition?” He pointed to my stomach.
“My condition? I’m pregnant, not dying, Nico.” I grabbed Remy’s legs. “Help me or I’m about to drag him up the stairs like this, just so he hits every step on the way up.”
Remy gagged. “Gonna throw up.”
I threw up my hands and went to find a bucket. I had just made it to the kitchen when Remy’s phone buzzed in my pocket. Startled, I took it out and saw it was a notification from the gate. I turned to go give the phone to Nico when video popped up on the screen.
Three women were standing in front of the gate, already out of their car.
They were barely dressed and as I watched on in horror, they flashed the camera and laughed together.
“Let us in, guys! I thought you were ready for a party. Remy, Boone, Wells! Hello? Would it help if we showed you our tits again?”
I turned off the screen and looked away, horrified and crushed.
I walked back into the living room and saw Nico had already managed to get Remy onto one of the couches.
Without saying a word, I helped him do the same with Boone.
Wells had to be cleaned up first, but not too long after, they were all settled on the couches, propped up by pillows so they couldn’t roll onto their backs, and I’d sent Nico to the gate to get rid of the women.
Their dates had partied too hard before they arrived. Too bad.
With my heart wedged in my throat, I found a notepad and pen in the kitchen and wrote out a simple goodbye. I didn’t plan on being around when they woke up the next morning.