Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ashton
Atlus - You’re a Fucking Bitch, Hope You Know That Shit
E verleigh worked relentlessly, tearing her hands through her long hair to rid it of the tangles and knots that had formed. My gaze darted to her ripped thong on the ground, a smirk tugging at my lips due to the knowledge that she was forced to go commando, to feel my cum dripping out of her while she sat with my family. There was already a slight discoloration around her neck from where I’d held her in place, and I knew there would be bruises on her hips and under one thigh, too.
“Your hair still looks like shit,” I pointed out.
“Fuck you,” she snapped, glaring at me. “Yours isn’t any better.”
That was probably true. But unlike her, I didn’t give a shit. Her skin was flushed, and her eyes were still dilated. She definitely looked like she’d just been fucked nine ways from Sunday. It was a good look on her.
“Come on. We’re probably late now.” I motioned for her to walk in front of me so I could keep an eye on her. If she tried to run, I’d fuck her again. I knew she had to be sore, which would make it even more painful when I slammed into her. That thought had me wishing she would.
Everleigh blew out a breath before stomping through the trees, leaving me to trail behind her. My gaze dropped to her round hips and plump ass. She’d filled out over the years, and that was a good look on her, too. Why couldn’t she have gained a shit ton of weight and gotten fat? That would have been the ultimate karma.
She didn’t slow down until we reached my massive yard. She couldn’t even walk straight, and that made me grin, too. She’d be feeling me for days. It wasn’t until she started dragging her feet, that I gave her a slight push to keep her moving.
“I still don’t think me being here is a good idea,” she muttered, folding her arms across her body. “It’s just going to start unnecessary drama.”
“Then you should feel right at home,” I retorted dryly.
She glared at me over her shoulder, but didn’t say anything else. When we reached the porch, her entire body went rigid. She knew my parents didn’t like her much—not after what she did. It wasn’t like I was thrilled to see my brother, either. But if I had to suffer through it, she was suffering with me.
I took the lead and opened the door, not bothering to knock this time. The bright lights illuminated the house, the scent of stew heavy in the air. It was one of my mom’s favorite meals, one she’d made for me and Everleigh often. My stomach twisted at the reminder. At least the bitch had the decency to wear something presentable. Even if her hair did look like a mess. Mom probably wouldn’t put it together that she’d just been fucked, but everyone else would. Especially if they noticed the bruising around her neck where my fingertips had pressed against it.
Voices sounded from within the house, along with a baby cooing. Mom texted me on short notice, saying that the dinner would be here tonight. Next week, it would be at my brother’s. As much as I wanted nothing to do with Dakota and his new family, I’d rather be there instead of here.
Everleigh’s brown eyes were filled with panic as she followed me into the house. Her gaze whipped around the entryway. Nothing had changed since the last time she’d been here, and I was fairly certain she realized that.
Once we reached the end of the foyer, Everleigh froze, refusing to move any further. It was kind of funny to see her so freaked out like this, and over something so small. I arched an eyebrow in response.
“I-I can’t,” she whispered.
I released a sigh and reached for her, lacing my fingers through hers. She tried to jerk her hand away, but I was prepared for it. I pulled her through the house and into the kitchen.
Mom was serving the food, an apron tied around her waist. There was a glow to her features that I hadn’t seen in a while, and I knew it had everything to do with this pointless ass dinner. My jaw tightened when I noticed my brother at the head of the table. His hair had grown out a bit and he had a tan going on. A pair of sunglasses rested on the top of his head despite it being dark out. Everleigh was trembling, plastering herself to my side, which was hilarious since she was just trying to get away from me moments ago. Astrid was seated next to Dakota, her dark brown hair braided in the back. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, probably from the lack of sleep she’s been getting. Funny enough, Dakota looked perfectly rested.
Dad was scrolling on his phone but glanced in our direction as if sensing us. Surprise flickered across his face when he took in Everleigh, but he wasn’t the one I worried the most about. It was Mom. It wasn’t that my father hadn’t been upset after what she’d done, he just got over it.
“It’s been a while, girl. How have you been?” Dad asked politely once he fully processed what he was seeing.
This seemed to get everyone’s attention, making Everleigh’s hand tighten around mine. A plate shattered against the floor, making me wince from the unexpected loud noise. Mom mumbled an apology before she started picking the pieces up. Dakota looked pale as shit, which I expected. Especially since he told Astrid all about her.
Everleigh shifted nervously. “Oh…um…fine. And you?”
“Exquisite.” Dad grinned. “Please. Have a seat.” He motioned to the empty chairs adjacent to him.
Reluctantly, Everleigh dropped my hand. Her legs were wobbly as she walked, and I liked to think it was because my dick had just been that good, but I had a feeling part of it was nerves. She pulled one of the wooden chairs back and dropped into it. I took the one beside her, leaning against it with my legs outstretched. The table was large enough that there was plenty of legroom.
Mom continued picking up the pieces of glass and then she got the broom to sweep up the remainder. “I thought it was just going to be family,” she murmured.
“Astrid isn’t family,” I pointed out.
Dad raised an eyebrow, lifting his whiskey glass to his lips before swallowing. “She’s married to your brother, and she had our grandchild.”
He wasn’t wrong. I expected some kind of conflict with bringing Everleigh around, especially after all this time, and with no prior warning. But if they could forgive Dakota for the part he played in it, then they could suffer Everleigh’s presence. He’d been an adult; she was only seventeen at the time. Not that I was making excuses for her. She was just as much at fault. But I judged them equally.
“If Everleigh hadn’t been on the pill, you probably would have had a grandchild a lot sooner,” I joked.
“That’s not funny,” Mom snapped, depositing the pieces of glass in the trash can. She sucked in a sharp breath and ran her hands over her apron to smooth it out.
I shrugged and glanced over at Evie. “It was a little funny.”
Everleigh glared at me, apparently siding with my mother on this one. But I’d brought her here to make them all uncomfortable. Maybe they’d think twice about forcing a family dinner on me in the future, and if they didn’t…I’d just keep forcing her to come with.
“So, Everleigh,” Dad began, setting his glass down on the table. “How’s adulthood been treating you?”
She swallowed thickly. “Um…fine. I guess.” She shrugged. “Just trying to get through school.” She forced a small smile, trying to pretend that she wasn’t as bothered as she was.
“What’s your end goal?” he asked as my mom started passing out the rest of the stew.
Everleigh straightened in her seat when a bowl was placed in front of her. She thanked my mom before addressing the question lingering over her head. “To get my RN degree.”
Dad dipped his spoon in his own bowl and nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response. “That’s a decent career path,” he commented. “Is there a reason you chose that specific field?”
“Yeah.” She sighed, like it was the last thing she wanted to talk about. “My mom got sick, and…I thought that I’d be able to help her get better if I had the experience and knowledge to do so.” She stared down at the food in front of her, a stitch between her brows like she was lost in thought or reliving a memory of some sort.
Mom slipped into the seat beside Dad, her gaze falling on Everleigh. “I heard about that. Is she doing okay?”
Everleigh tensed. “She passed away a couple of weeks ago.”
Mom placed a hand to her chest, her lips parted in shock. “Oh. I’m so sorry to hear that. How’s your father doing with all of this?”
My mind flashed back to the party during the second week of school. How Crystal had very bluntly mentioned that her father was no longer in the picture. It was something I’d been curious about, too.
“He left us a long time ago. Right after my mom got sick. It’s just me and my siblings now.”
Dad frowned down at his food, but no one commented on it. Briley had hinted that Everleigh had adopted somewhat of a maternal instinct, but never outright explained what that meant. It all made sense now.
Dakota’s voice cut through the silence, his eyes darting between me and Evie. “Are you two back together?”
My jaw tightened, anger licking up my spine. It wasn’t any of his fucking business. I hadn’t braced myself for the question, but it was a valid one. Why else would I bring her here after all this time? Everleigh opened her mouth to speak, but I knew what she was going to say. The opportunity to burrow under her skin even more almost brought a smile to my lips. It was too good to pass up.
“Yes,” I decided.
Everleigh clamped her mouth shut and turned to give me an incredulous look. I snorted a laugh and dipped my spoon in the stew before me, the warm broth seeping onto my tongue.
Dinner went more smoothly than I’d anticipated. After Mom got over her initial shock at seeing Everleigh, she wasn’t completely unbearable. I led Everleigh into the living room, my gaze skimming over the seating arrangements. Dakota had chosen the sofa, and Mom would probably join him there with Astrid, and possibly Dad. There was no way in hell I was going to let Everleigh sit next to Dakota. Fuck that.
I grabbed Everleigh’s hand, making her gasp out in surprise. My grip on her was tighter than necessary, but just thinking about her sitting next to my brother was pissing me off more than I cared to admit. I dropped into the armchair, tugging Everleigh down so that she was falling into my lap. Her entire body was tense, but to her credit, she didn’t fight me on it much.
Astrid came scurrying into the living room with the baby clutched against her chest. “Dakota, would you mind holding Johnathan while I help your mom clean up?” She looked stressed and exhausted. Her hair was in disarray, and instead of the sundresses she usually wore, she was dressed in a large T-shirt and black yoga pants. Her skin was void of makeup, which was equally unusual.
Dakota barely spared her a glance, not giving a shit in the slightest that his wife needed help. Maybe they weren’t the perfect couple I’d initially thought.
Astrid released a frustrated huff. “Dakota, please.” She shifted the baby in her arms for a more comfortable position.
“My mom can manage on her own.” Dakota shrugged, not having a care in the fucking world. He didn’t seem that interested in having a new baby, or appreciative of the wife who had given him a son in the first place.
Tears stung her eyes, and it made my chest tighten. I’d offer if Everleigh wasn’t currently in my lap. But if I made her move, she’d probably go sit on the couch with Dakota, and that wasn’t fucking happening.
Everleigh shifted in my lap, clearly in discomfort at watching the scene play out in front of her. My brother had always been a dick. He even cheated on Astrid with Evie. But from what Mom was saying, I figured they were doing better now. That he actually cared about the life he was building.
“I-I can do it,” Everleigh offered.
I wasn’t sure if she was offering to go help my mom or to hold the baby. But Astrid seemed to suspect the latter, because her shoulders dropped in relief, and she hurried over to us. She gently placed the small child in Everleigh’s arms. He was dressed in a sleeper and had these big, blue eyes—his mother’s eyes. Even I had to admit, the child was cute.
“Thank you so much.” Astrid sighed in relief. She turned her back and made her way back into the kitchen to where my mom was.
Everleigh ran her fingertips along the side of the baby’s chubby cheek. I could see a hint of a smile on her face, adoration for the child she didn’t even know. My brother’s child. My grip tightened around Everleigh’s waist, causing her to shift against me in obvious discomfort.
I was surprised that Astrid was willing to let Evie have anything to do with her baby given the circumstances. But maybe she didn’t blame her like I did. It had been three years since it happened, and she could have just…gotten over it. But I wasn’t around them, so I had no idea how she felt.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, an edge to my voice.
Everleigh glanced over at me with furrowed eyebrows. “She needed someone to hold the baby. What does it look like I’m doing?”
My jaw tightened. I didn’t want her holding my brother’s kid. I didn’t want her to get along with my family. I’d brought her here to make her uncomfortable. To make my family uncomfortable. Rage simmered beneath my skin.
“Get up,” I growled. “We’re leaving.” I hadn’t expected this to backfire on me. Logically, I knew that there was nothing wrong with what she was doing. It wasn’t my brother she was helping out. It was his wife. But I still couldn’t shake this feeling. Having her here again, around my family, and in this house full of memories was bothering me more than I cared to admit. This was the same house that she fucked him in.
“Chill out,” she snapped. “It’s just until she gets done helping your mom.”
I was thankful that the living room was large enough and Dakota couldn’t hear us from where he was seated. I had no idea where Dad had gone, probably back to his office.
I was half tempted to fuck her again. Just to send a fucking message on who was in charge here. But the whore would probably enjoy it too much. I didn’t want her pleasure. The only thing that mattered to me, as far as Everleigh was concerned, was her pain.
Luckily, it didn’t take Astrid too long to finish up, and she came to retrieve the baby as soon as she was done. As soon as the baby was out of Everleigh’s arms, I shoved against her back to coax her into standing.
Reluctantly, she rose, glancing over at me with weariness. She knew I was pissed. It wasn’t because she held the baby, either. It wasn’t that fucking simple. Everything in this fucking house reminded me of the stupid bitch. From the meal we’d eaten, to the normal conversations with my family, to my brother and his wife.
“Thank you for dinner,” I told my mom as soon as she entered the living room. “But I think we’re going to head out now.”
Mom didn’t seem pleased by that. “Already?” she asked. “I thought we could get out the card games, or a board game.”
The mere thought of playing family games with Everleigh and my brother just stoked the fire rising inside of me. “Pass.” I grabbed Everleigh’s hand, not caring how aggressive it looked to my family.
Everleigh forced a small smile. “I have to work tonight, anyways. Thank you for having me.”
I didn’t wait for my mother to reply. I was jerking Everleigh through the house and out the door. My chest was heaving as memories flashed through my mind. Memories of him on top of her, his groans permeating the air as he slid in and out of my girlfriend.
“What’s wrong?” Everleigh asked, gasping when her foot caught on a large rock. She stumbled but managed to regain her balance.
“Get in the fucking car,” I snapped.
I fished my keys out of my pocket, thankful that they were still there despite me throwing my jeans on the ground earlier. Everleigh hesitated, a spark of fear in her brown eyes. She was scared of me. Good.
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” I warned. I jerked open my door and slid inside. After a few minutes of weighing her options, she joined me in the car, her hands twisted together in her lap.
It was stupid bringing her here. All Everleigh had to do was tell my mom some sob story and my mother instantly felt bad for her. That wasn’t how my night was expected to go. I jammed the key into the ignition and twisted, my entire body vibrating with restrained anger.
We were both silent as I peeled out onto the road, my hands tight around the steering wheel. We were all the way on the south side of town, and Everleigh lived on the north. It was a decent drive, which meant it would be an even longer walk. I shouldn’t have brought her there. What the fuck had I been thinking? Bringing her around my family. My brother . My stomach twisted with nausea.
Everleigh glanced over at me, a weariness in her gaze like she could sense the anger radiating from me. I wasn’t exactly subtle. “D-did I do something wrong?” she finally asked with hesitation.
I didn’t even know how to answer that. She didn’t do anything wrong, not really. Not this time, at least. I did this to myself. “You mean, aside from fucking my brother?” I snapped.
Everleigh winced and tore her gaze away, looking out the window again instead. What the hell did she think this was? A date? My body was vibrating with rage, and I wanted to release it so goddamn badly, but I didn’t trust myself not to physically harm her. I’d already taken it out on her pussy, and that sated me for a bit, but it was back with a vengeance. I knew it would probably go away if I fucked her again, but it was a one-time thing.
My breathing grew deeper as the anger continued to build. Memories resurfaced, causing my hands to tighten around the steering wheel even more, to the point to where I thought it may break beneath my fingers.
The I love yous, making love, the thought that she’d one day be my wife. It was all a lie. A normal person would have moved on by now. Things like this happened all the time. I just never expected that she would do something like that to me. Maybe it was my own fault. I was the one who forced her onto my friends; I wanted to share her. Maybe I should have been more specific.
As we reached the end of the south side, I jerked my car onto the shoulder. Everleigh shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at our surroundings.
“Ashton…” she trailed off. “What are you doing?”
I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to reel in some of the anger. I needed to find someone to fuck who wasn’t Everleigh, take a shower, and maybe get into a fight. Or maybe I’d skip out on sex since I wasn’t that horny anymore. I just needed a fucking outlet.
“Get the fuck out,” I growled. She could walk home from here. I was tired of seeing her conniving face.
Her eyes widened comically, and I might have laughed at her if I wasn’t so pissed off. “What? No!” She shook her head profusely, like she had any say in the matter.
“Get out before I throw you out.”
Everleigh’s lower lip trembled, fear sparking in her brown eyes. “Y-you c-can’t make me walk, Ashton,” she stuttered. “I-I live on the north side. You don’t understand.”
Fuck.
She was right. If she was anyone else, I still wouldn’t give a shit. She wouldn’t be my problem. It just pissed me off more knowing that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she was jumped, killed, or raped. Jameson used to live on the north side. It wasn’t a good place, especially for a young female walking alone at night.
My hand shook as I reached out and wrapped it around her delicate little throat. She whimpered as I pressed her against the window, my gaze searching hers for a moment. She cheated on me, she broke my heart, she lied to me. She was nothing but a conniving snake, so why couldn’t I do this one simple thing? I reveled in how she trembled beneath my grasp. She didn’t know me anymore, and the look on her face told me she was realizing that.
I could make her walk. Trail behind her to make sure she got home safe without her ever knowing. But that seemed like more trouble than it was worth when I could just drive her there myself. It would be a lot quicker, too.
I leaned across the center console, my grip tightening around her throat. Her breath was fast, her eyes wide.
“Kiss me,” I demanded.
She reeled back in surprise, her head thumping against the glass. “W-what?” she stammered. “Why?”
Fuck if I knew. I just wanted to feel her lips against mine one more time. “Kiss me and I’ll take you home.”
Her throat constricted beneath my fingertips as she swallowed. Reluctantly, she shifted forward and brushed her lips against mine. I deepened the kiss instantly, sliding my tongue against her cherry lip gloss that I used to love so much. My heart was hammering in my chest with a mixture of rage and desire.
“What’s that for?” Jameson asked wearily, peering down at the black box on my desk.
I couldn’t hide my excitement even if I tried. Kash was seated on the edge of my bed, his eyebrows raised.
I picked up the small box that fit perfectly in the palm of my hand and cracked the lid open for him to peer inside. It was a beautiful square diamond cut ring with a smaller princess band beneath it. On the inside of the ring were our initials, much like the matching tattoos we’d gotten. A+E forever.
“I’m going to ask her to marry me.” I grinned. “After graduation of course.”
Jameson’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he glanced over at Kash, who didn’t seem nearly as surprised. “A-are you sure, man?” he asked. “Why the rush?”
I scoffed, knowing he was so horrified by it because he had a crush on my girlfriend and not because he thought it was too soon. “Because I know she’s the one I want to be with forever,” I said simply.
A pained whimper sliced through my thoughts, jerking me back to reality. It was then that I realized my hand was still around Everleigh’s throat, but I was squeezing much harder than intended. I broke the kiss and pulled away abruptly.
Everleigh placed a hand to her throat, her eyes glazed with unshed tears. Blowing out a breath, I put the car in drive, trying to clear my head of all these thoughts and memories. I wanted to apologize for choking her out like that, but I didn’t even know how to. It was better if she just thought I was a piece of shit who didn’t care anyways.
The drive to her house was silent, and she didn’t even hesitate to climb out. She was pissed at me, but she’d get over it. If she thought today was bad, then she was in for a rude awakening.
What I had planned was much, much worse.