Chapter 3
ETHAN
As I pushed the door open, a surge of urgency hit me like a ton of bricks. Holden couldn't see what I was witnessing, but I knew both he and Alexis should be involved. She needed to know too, and needed to be in on this.
Quickly, I fired off a message in our group chat, summoning everyone upstairs pronto. And I made sure to request Carrie and Alexis in the call-out to the guys. I had a gut feeling Alexis would prefer some female support when reality came crashing down on her.
It was evident they'd been caught off guard, fucking, when I opened the door, and now their clothes were thrown on haphazardly. Brody and Ellie were lucky I granted them even thirty seconds to compose themselves before Holden's eyes landed on them.
Now, here we are. Holden, empathetic, but awkward, holding onto Brody's ex-fiancée as she crumbles in his arms. And I am left here, mulling over our next steps with a houseful of guests downstairs, oblivious to the drama unfolding above.
Holden is likely doing his best to keep his head together, with the weight of the situation bearing down on him. Maybe having Alexis in his arms is a blessing in disguise, providing him with a much-needed distraction amidst the chaos.
As her tears subside, she pulls away from Holden and glances at me, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "Is there a bathroom where I can freshen up?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Sure, come with me," I reply, guiding her across to the hall on the other side of the stairs.
My goal in that is to steer her away from the scene of the crime. Entering one of two guest bedrooms in that corridor, I direct her to the ensuite bathroom.
"We'll wait for you out here." I smile.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity of silence, Holden breaks it. "What the fuck, Ethan?" he demands, his frustration evident.
"Dude, I don't know, your instincts were right, but seriously," I turn toward the door Alexis is behind, "if he had that at home, why the fuck would he be fucking around with someone else's girl?"
Holden's expression tells me I need to shut the fuck up now.
"Fuck," he says and then crouches against the wall. "I'm not even all that upset about losing Ellie, just about the way it happened."
"I get it," I offer in understanding.
Alexis opens the door, and both our heads snap toward her as Holden stands up, regaining his composure. Despite having washed her face, Alexis's eyes remain swollen, and her cheeks and nose are slightly red. However, she appears much better than when she went into the bedroom.
"You okay?" I ask gently.
"Not really," she lightly scoffs, but she is much more composed now as she continues, directing her words to both of us.
"Fucking Brody, I should have known it was all too good to be true.
I literally left my entire life in Maryland, my job, my condo, my friends, everything, to move out here to be with him.
All my shit is at his apartment, like literally everything I own outside of a few things I left at my parents' house in Baltimore.
I have almost no money because I'm still looking for a job here and waiting for my condo to sell," she sighs and shakes her head.
"In fucking around on me, he literally fucked me over completely. "
I look at Holden, and our eyes meet for a second before I look back at Alexis.
"You can stay here tonight for sure. If Carrie can't get you some extra clothes, we can get you something of ours.
We can probably find whatever else you'll need.
Tomorrow, Carter and I can take you to get your stuff, and we'll go from there. "
"I think the only other thing I need is a phone charger," she sniffles.
"We have those too," I'm quick to offer.
"Are you sure? You guys don't even know me," she inquires warily.
"I'm sure," I answer quickly. "In case you didn't notice, we're not hurting for space here."
She laughs and nods, then turns to Holden to ask, "Are you okay?"
He nods, "As okay as I can be. I'm just pissed because I had suspected it for a long time, and," he pauses, swallows, and looks between me and Alexis, "I'm pretty pissed Brody would do that to you too."
Alexis looks at me. "I think I need to get drunk now."
Holden and I both laugh in earnest. I wrap my arm around Alexis and say, "I think that can be arranged."
When we get downstairs, Carter is in the kitchen, at the island, pouring himself a drink. "Hey, Carter, Alexis here needs a bartender for the night," I laugh. "Maybe make her forget Brody. Also, I volunteered you and me to go get her shit from his apartment tomorrow."
"Alexis?" Carter asks, looking at her, and I realize they haven't met yet, even though I know he saw her. "I saw you earlier, but we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Carter," he says, extending his hand to her.
She smiles at him and shakes his hand but doesn't say anything.
"What's your pleasure?" Carter asks, gesturing across the bar. "I used to be a bartender, so whatever you want."
"Can you make a long island out of this?"
"Sure can," Carter says with a wink and starts pouring.
After Alexis has a drink in hand, she, Carter, and I all head to the big screen to catch the end of the game. The Ravens win, providing Alexis with at least one positive moment on the day. Eventually, all the guests begin to leave, including Carrie. Soon, it’s just the six of us.
Holden finds a phone charger and some clothes for Alexis to sleep in.
I ensure she has towels and anything else she might need in the bathroom.
Once she's settled in the guest room upstairs, the five of us guys convene in the kitchen for a roommate meeting, speaking in hushed voices to avoid her overhearing or disturbing her.
Shawn starts us off. "So what the fuck are we going to do with her?"
"Well, we sure as hell can't kick her out. She has nowhere to go," I reply, and it’s a declaration, not a suggestion.
"Maybe we can help her find a job," Holden suggests with a shrug.
"Do you even know what she does?" Carter asks.
"No," I admit, "but we can find out. Carter and I will take her to Brody's tomorrow to get her stuff. She has the code to the door, so it doesn't matter whether he's there or not."
"I can go too," Holden volunteers.
"No," Carter and I protest in unison; the last fucking thing we need is for Holden to assault him on his own property.
"Sorry, man," I continue, "I don't want to risk you getting in an altercation, and even though Ellie has her own place, there's a chance she'll be there."
"Well, I can go with you," Jeremiah offers.
"And me," Shawn adds.
"You really think she needs four of us?" Carter asks, laughing.
"Well, if Brody wants to be an ass, I don't think he'd want to deal with all four of us," Shawn answers.
"What positions do you all have open at Laugherty, Jer?" Holden inquires.
We all look at Holden, sensing where he is heading with this, and I think we're a little apprehensive. But then we turn to Jeremiah, wondering what the answer is.
"Entry-level accountant, marketing director, graphic designer, and an executive assistant for Ethan," Jeremiah answers hesitantly.
"I'm pretty sure she could fill one of those roles, at least temporarily," Holden replies. "Long enough to get her on her feet, anyway."
Jeremiah sighs and rakes his hand through his hair. "Probably, but let's see what her background is. Maybe she's an elementary school teacher or some shit," he laughs.
"I'd be a'ight with her being my assistant," I joke and shrug; Carter smacks me in the chest.
"In all seriousness, guys. Don't be dicks. She just broke up from an engagement because he fucked around on her. I know she's hot, but don't be trying to be the rebound guy," Holden warns.
"Well, there's an expiration date on that, though," Carter jokes with a wink.
Holden rolls his eyes, but we all laugh.