Chapter 14 #2
I nod as I can’t help but smile. “Yeah. I’m crazy about her. That penthouse Ava’s going to? It’s Eden’s. I bought it for her.”
Matthias stares at me wide-eyed after hearing that. “You bought a million dollar penthouse for a wife you were keeping hidden?”
I chuckle at that ridiculous price for a penthouse on the Upper East Side. “Try fifteen million.”
The youngest King steps forward and says, “You bought her a fifteen million dollar penthouse? I don’t understand this, Marius.
I mean, I get that you didn’t want to tell us, although I really don’t understand why, but you clearly care about this woman.
What did you think would happen when you insisted on the two of you keeping your marriage a secret? ”
I shrug because I’m not sure what they want me to say. “I didn’t think of anything but wanting to keep her all to myself. It was so nice to just be one person with another person. I didn’t have to be anyone but the man who married her. You have no idea how great that felt.”
None of my brothers respond, not surprisingly. They’ve never felt like they got lost in the shuffle of being one of five. Each one of the men around me has always been able to live with the niche they were assigned by birth. They have no idea how envious I’ve always been of that ability of theirs.
Matthias may have always hated the expectations put on him, but he’s handled them well and even enjoys being in charge of the family business now.
Ronan may have wanted to be anyone but the youngest son growing up, but he knows he’s enjoyed the benefits of that spot in the birth order.
And Kellen may not love the fact that Matthias didn’t have to do a thing to get to be the head of King Industries, but he’s been able to be the person he’s always known he wanted to be even with Matthias being above him.
And me? All I’ve ever been is Marius King, the younger brother of Matthias and Theo and the older brother of Kellen and Ronan.
That’s how teachers referred to me every year of school.
That’s still how people refer to me. No matter what I’ve tried to be in life, it was never more important than being one of the five King brothers.
“I had no idea you felt this way, Marius. I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to make you feel like you weren’t special in your own right,” Matthias says.
“It’s not anything any of you have done.
It’s just the way it is. Don’t get me wrong.
I’m not blind to all the benefits I’ve gotten being one of Max and Elizabeth King’s children.
I’ve got enough money to last my lifetime and more.
I can do whatever I want in this world. There are billions of people on this planet who would probably wish they could be me. I know that.”
For a second, I stop and then let out a heavy sigh. “But I also know I liked it when it was just Eden and me.”
Leave it to Ronan to ask the one question I don’t want to answer.
“I know what you’re saying, but how do you think that made Eden feel?”
For a long moment, I don’t say a word because I don’t want to admit the truth. I know how she felt. She’s been telling me for the past two years that she wanted the world to know about us. She’s said it in every way possible, and still, I told her I needed more time.
Today’s little visit from that guy with divorce papers shows how that went.
“I knew how she felt. In hindsight, I guess she was more unhappy about it than I understood.”
Normally about now, I’d be uttering the words in my defense, but this time, there’s no use. I have no defense. I know that.
“The girl? Sam? The one you brought to the party last week? What was that all about if you and Eden were married?” Ronan asks.
God, the questions keep getting harder. What a fucking mess I’ve made.
I blow the air out of my lungs and shrug.
“Just more of me being stupid. Ava kept setting her up with guys because she didn’t know we were together.
I told Eden I didn’t want her to even pretend to be with him, but she said Ava would know something’s up if she didn’t.
She was doing what I wanted by keeping us a secret, but I hated it because I was so jealous.
So I called Sam and told her to come over.
I thought I was showing Eden how if felt to see someone you love with another person. I think you know how that went over.”
My brothers simply stare at me like I’m some complete moron. Maybe I am. I have an incredible woman who loves me as my wife, and I spent the last two years keeping her hidden away.
“So are you going to sign the papers?” Matthias asks as he gets up to check on Matty in the stroller who’s starting to make noises like he’s hungry.
I shake my head at that ridiculous idea. “Hell no! I’m not getting divorced. Eden and I will be able to work this out.”
“How’s that?” Kellen asks with a chuckle.
Shrugging, I answer in the only way I can. “She’s still in love with me, just like I’m still in love with her. All I have to do is make her see that.”
Kellen stands up and looks at me like I’m out of my mind.
“Dude, she went to a divorce lawyer already. She served you with divorce papers. This isn’t going to be something like just convincing her the way you always put the toilet seat down is proof you’re a wonderful husband.
” He stops and looks over at Ronan. “Damn, I’m never going to be able to get used to that word being used to describe this guy. I thought he’d be single forever.”
As the two of them talk about me like I’m not there, Matthias sits down in front of me holding his younger son.
“I need to feed this little guy, but here’s my two cents, for what it’s worth.
Don’t listen to Kellen and Ronan. I can attest to the fact that even when it looks like you’ve done something that you can never come back from, if she truly loves you, then there’s always a chance. ”
I can’t help but smile at how big a romantic my older brother has become since falling for Ava. “Look at you. It’s like looking at a walking Valentine’s Day advertisement. I’m not worried. She’ll take me back. I know she will.”
“Good. Any chance you want to explain why? She looked pretty upset when she left here today,” he says as Matty makes louder noises that say he’s already hangry and if Matthias waits any longer, we’re all going to be treated to his piercing vocal talents.
“She loves me, and like you said, if she loves me, there’s still a chance. I’ll just win her back.”
Matty loses his patience and begins to cry loudly, so Matthias hurries him inside to eat, leaving me to figure out exactly how I will win Eden back. It’s not impossible. I know that. I just have to do it right.