Chapter 2
HOLDEN
"I should've told Ellie to leave him off the guest list," I mutter to Carter as we busy ourselves restocking the fridge out on the back patio during halftime.
"I get that Brody gets under your skin, but he's Ellie's coworker. Party or not, you're just gonna have to deal with them interacting," Carter replies with a nonchalant shrug.
Carter is more than just a friend; he's like a brother, even though we don't share blood.
We click on a different wavelength, him and me.
People often mistake us for siblings with our similar heights and hair and eye colors.
But while my hair is straight, his is a mass of light blonde curls.
He's also covered in more ink than I have thoughts in my head most of the time.
"He brought a cute date, though," Carter remarks with a sly grin.
"His fiancée," I clarify pointedly. "Thank goodness he's tying the knot. Maybe that'll put a damper on the way he and Ellie carry on."
"I reckon Ellie's more the issue there, but Brody doesn't exactly put a lid on it," Carter adds with a knowing nod.
Before I can respond, Shawn saunters over, grabbing a drink from the fridge instead of stocking it. "Let me guess what has you upset, Brody and Ellie?" he interjects.
I shoot him a glare.
"Hey, I'm sorry," Shawn says, lifting his hands in surrender.
I release an exasperated sigh. "I'm just fed up. Hopefully, his fiancée can do what I seem incapable of. It's only when Brody's around that I feel this way about her."
I glance back at Shawn. He is a bit shorter than me, with a mop of dark hair that falls a bit too long over his brow and deep brown eyes that always seem to see right through me even though he says very little most off the time. He usually has some stubble, but today, he's sporting a clean shave.
His face reflects understanding, but then he drops a truth bomb. "Honestly, man, I don't think you're happy with her at all. But I've got your back for as long as you want to stick it out."
He may be right. We’ve been dating for just under six months, and it hasn’t been great, but she is a soft place to fall sometimes.
Shawn raises his beer bottle in a salute. "But damn, that fiancée of his is smoking hot, way hotter than Ellie. So, there's that."
Rolling my eyes, I rise from my seat, signaling it's time to head back inside.
Carter and I shuffle into the main viewing room, and there she is, Alexis, stationed in her claimed spot, actually watching the entire game. It's kind of endearing, maybe even a little sexy, how invested she is in the game.
I've witnessed her cheer and tense up at all the right moments. But Brody is nowhere in sight, and the realization that I haven't seen Ellie since before halftime sets off alarm bells in my head.
I find myself on the other side of the couch, standing right next to Alexis; I wait for the current play to conclude before turning to her. "Hey, Alexis, I hope you're enjoying yourself. At least the Ravens are holding up their end of the bargain right now."
"Yeah, it's been fun. Thanks for hosting," she says, her smile beaming at me.
I have to admit, her smile adds another layer of allure to her already attractive features; her eyes, a captivating shade of blue, sparkle with joy.
"Did Brody ditch you?" I quip, trying to lighten the mood.
"He said he needed to take a call, but yeah, I haven't seen him since halftime," she shrugs.
My intuition, which I don’t have much of, is practically screaming now, but I keep up the facade. "Hopefully, he finds his way back here soon."
She flashes me another smile before I start scanning the party for any sign of them. After a brief search, I grab Ethan, and we make our way toward the back rooms of the house on the main floor and then upstairs, where the bedrooms are. I hope I'm wrong, but where else could they be?
Upstairs, down the hallway to the left of the grand staircase, primarily guest rooms, Ethan checks the doors on the right while I handle the left.
The second door Ethan tries is occupied, and I catch a muffled sound, a stifled shriek, as he opens the door.
I shoot Ethan a look, and he holds his hand up in a stop signal, asking me to hold back while he reaches for his phone.
My jaw tightens, and I shake my head in disbelief.
Whoever's inside that room, Ethan is giving them a look that screams, "fuck around and find out." I have no idea who Ethan is texting, but within about thirty seconds, Jeremiah and Carrie emerge at the top of the stairs, with Alexis trailing right behind them.
Fuck.
Carter and Shawn are only about ten seconds behind Alexis.
Ethan extends his arm silently, indicating that whoever's inside the room can come out now. He doesn't utter a word. As Brody and Ellie emerge, I doubt they realize the audience they're walking into.
Just before I react, I lock eyes with Brody's fiancée, and her widened gaze tells me she's piecing things together.
"It's not what you think, Holden," Ellie rushes to explain as she approaches me, but I remain a statue, arms crossed tightly over my chest.
I step around her, fixating on Brody, and without a second thought, I swing a punch at his jaw.
He moves to retaliate, but Carter and Jeremiah quickly intervene, each grabbing one of his arms. Despite my rage, I restrain myself from hitting a defenseless man.
My anger burns hotter towards Ellie anyway.
"You both need to get the fuck out of our house," Ethan commands, glaring between Brody and Ellie.
Carter and Jeremiah release Brody at his words. Ellie looks at me, but I only shake my head in refusal before nodding towards the exit, signaling her to leave.
Then, seemingly premeditated, Ethan turns to Alexis and says, "You can stay."
Carrie wraps a comforting arm around Alexis's shoulders, and she appears stunned. Brody approaches her, reaching out, but she flinches away from his touch, her bottom lip starting to quiver.
"Babe, come on, we'll talk about it," Brody pleads, but Alexis shakes her head, and her eyes start to well with tears.
Ethan positions himself protectively between Alexis and Brody. It's uncharted territory for us, but I'm impressed by Ethan's stance, especially considering we barely know this girl.
Brody starts to reach for Alexis; Ethan grabs his arm. "What do you not understand about 'get the fuck out of our house?'"
Tears begin to stream down Alexis's cheeks, her emotions raw and overwhelming.
With trembling hands, she removes her engagement ring, flinging it toward Brody in a gesture of finality.
He retrieves it with a fleeting glance back at her before Ethan steers him away down the stairs.
As Brody and Ellie make their descent, Alexis collapses into Carrie's arms, her sobs echoing through the hall.
In that moment, I feel a surge of gratitude for Carrie's presence, providing comfort amidst the chaos.
Turning to me with a look of remorse, Ethan expresses his apology, his regret evident in his furrowed brow. I offer a resigned shrug, acknowledging the inevitability of the situation. The signs were there, but I had chosen not to fully see them.
Feeling a sense of responsibility toward Alexis, I approach her, mindful of Carrie's supportive presence. Placing a gentle hand on Alexis's arm, I coax her attention away from Carrie. "Are you going to be alright?" I inquire softly.
In response, she shakes her head, a mixture of pain and confusion evident in her eyes.
Meeting her gaze in a gesture that is relatively out of character for me, I wordlessly open my arms, offering solace and support.
Without hesitation, she buries her face against my chest, her anguish pouring out in heart-wrenching sobs.
Meanwhile, Carter and Shawn take charge downstairs, ensuring that Brody and Ellie leave the premises. Jeremiah and Carrie depart shortly after, leaving Ethan and me to console Alexis in the aftermath of the emotional turmoil.HOLDEN
"I should've told Ellie to leave him off the guest list," I mutter to Carter as we busy ourselves restocking the fridge out on the back patio during halftime.
"I get that Brody gets under your skin, but he's Ellie's coworker. Party or not, you're just gonna have to deal with them interacting," Carter replies with a nonchalant shrug.
Carter is more than just a friend; he's like a brother, even though we don't share blood.
We click on a different wavelength, him and me.
People often mistake us for siblings with our similar heights and hair and eye colors.
But while my hair is straight, his is a mass of light blonde curls.
He's also covered in more ink than I have thoughts in my head most of the time.
"He brought a cute date, though," Carter remarks with a sly grin.
"His fiancée," I clarify pointedly. "Thank goodness he's tying the knot. Maybe that'll put a damper on the way he and Ellie carry on."
"I reckon Ellie's more the issue there, but Brody doesn't exactly put a lid on it," Carter adds with a knowing nod.
Before I can respond, Shawn saunters over, grabbing a drink from the fridge instead of stocking it. "Let me guess what has you upset, Brody and Ellie?" he interjects.
I shoot him a glare.
"Hey, I'm sorry," Shawn says, lifting his hands in surrender.
I release an exasperated sigh. "I'm just fed up. Hopefully, his fiancée can do what I seem incapable of. It's only when Brody's around that I feel this way about her."
I glance back at Shawn. He is a bit shorter than me, with a mop of dark hair that falls a bit too long over his brow and deep brown eyes that always seem to see right through me even though he says very little most off the time. He usually has some stubble, but today, he's sporting a clean shave.
His face reflects understanding, but then he drops a truth bomb. "Honestly, man, I don't think you're happy with her at all. But I've got your back for as long as you want to stick it out."