Twenty
September -Third
Whitney
Brittanya grabbed Whitney the moment she stepped inside, her fingers curling around Whitney’s wrist as she pulled her toward the kitchen. “What is going on? Are you okay?”
“No.”
The word broke out of her like a breath she’d been holding too long. She reached up above the fridge, her fingers fumbling until they found the neck of a bottle. She pulled it down without checking the label, flicked the cap off, and took a long, desperate pull. The burn of alcohol hit the back of her throat, but it wasn’t enough to settle the storm inside her.
Behind her, the door clicked shut softly. Fade had followed, his presence a silent weight she could feel without looking. The crowd shifted just as Orion made his way into the kitchen, his eyes locked on Fade with a sharp, almost smug focus.
“So, uh—”
Orion’s voice carried just enough to grab attention without sounding like he was trying. “There’s a warrant out for your arrest, Justin, for absconding while on parole.”
The room stilled. Conversations quieted. And just like that, Orion had made himself crystal clear, no mistaking which one of the twins was the one Fade wanted to knock out cold. The air thickened, heavy with the weight of exposed secrets.
Whitney moved fast, brushing her hand over Fade’s arm like she could physically calm the fury radiating off him. She stepped toward Orion, her voice low and tight. “Owen, knock this shit off.”
He didn’t even flinch. Didn’t seem fazed by her anger at all.
“I’m not having either—or both—of you get kicked out because of old shit,”
she hissed. Her voice cracked on the last word, and when her eyes flashed between them, they were already glassy. “I love you both. And I will not choose.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and when a tear finally slipped down her cheek, her voice dropped to a whisper. “Please.”
Fade’s hand grazed her back, and his voice was quiet but firm. “I’m gonna go.”
“No.”
She turned immediately, her eyes pleading. “Go to my room. I’ll be there in a minute.”
The muscle in his jaw flexed, but after a beat, he nodded. He brushed past Orion on his way down the hall, his teeth sucking in irritation as their eyes locked.
Aldous stepped up beside his brother, his voice softer and more measured. “I agree—can we not do this? We just got here.”
Orion huffed, amused and clearly uninterested in peace. “Fine. Sounds like we’ve got plenty of time to get to know big sis’s fiancé.”
Whitney shot him a glare, her patience cracking. “I’m going to talk to Fade,”
she said, her voice trembling but firm. “Can you guys wait here?”
She threw a quick, tense wave toward the group still watching. “That’s Max and Shianne, Wolfgang, Brittanya, and Juniper.”
Her words spilled out fast, like she was just trying to get through it.
Orion rolled his eyes, hands stuffed into his pockets, while Aldous at least had the grace to respond. “Go ahead,”
he said, his tone calm.
“Brittanya, can you start dinner, please?”
Whitney didn’t wait for an answer. She turned on her heel and paced down the hallway, moving fast, like the faster she walked, the better chance she had of holding herself together.
When she slipped into her bedroom, she didn’t bother turning on the light, letting the glow of dusk seep through the curtains. She leaned back against the closed door, her shoulders dropping as the last bit of strength drained out of her. A sniffle broke the silence, and she pressed the back of her hand to her face, trying to keep it together just a little longer.
Fade was there almost immediately, his presence both a comfort and a spark threatening to ignite everything she was trying to keep in check. His hand slid gently along her back. “Whitney.”
His voice was softer now, but still rough around the edges, the weight of his anger and frustration still simmering beneath the surface.
“This should have been one of the best days of my life,”
she whispered. “Right after marrying you.”
She turned to face him slowly, her face worn and defeated.
His brow furrowed, eyes darkening. “Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?”
His voice sharpened, and his anger flared all over again. “Because if that fucker is the reason for a second fiancé to leave—”
“Fade,”
she cut him off, her voice breaking through his frustration. “I didn’t say I was leaving you.”
The anger drained from her as she exhaled, her eyes tired and glassy. “But do you still want to marry me? Knowing I have such a shitty family?”
He didn’t hesitate. He stepped closer, his hands sliding up her arms and pulling her in. “I still want to marry you,”
he said softly. “You’re mine. And I can try to ignore the past but right now, I’m gonna need a distraction.”
His hands tightened at her waist, and when his hips rolled into hers, there was no mistaking the hardness pressing against her.
“Fade—”
she started, but he didn’t let her go. His fingers curled into her belt loops, keeping her within reach even as she tried to put some space between them.
“Come on, baby,”
he murmured, his voice low and rough against her ear. “I’ll be fast and it’ll help release some tension.”
She sighed, her resistance wavering. She never wanted to turn down moments like this with him, not when their chemistry burned so hot and fast. But she knew what this was about. She could still hear his words from earlier ringing in her head: Revenge would have been a whole lot sweeter.
“Fine,”
she whispered, her resolve breaking. “But you better make it quick.”
That was all the permission he needed. Fade’s mouth crashed into hers as he backed her against the wall, his hands already roaming, his need for her as urgent and fierce as the fire still smoldering between them.
********
Leaving Fade in her room for the night, Whitney walked back into the living room ten minutes later, the hum of conversation washing over her. She spotted Juniper and made a beeline toward her. “I’m so sorry your birthday got ruined, June.”
Juniper smiled, her expression soft and understanding. “It’s fine, I get it. Do you want to step out and get some fresh air with Brittanya and I?”
“Yes.”
Whitney didn’t hesitate. She stepped into the kitchen, rifling through the drawer until she found her old fake cigarette, something she hadn’t touched in months but suddenly needed.
The three of them slipped into the backyard, their footsteps quiet on the grass as they made their way toward the far end of the lawn, well out of earshot of her bedroom window.
“I hope we weren’t too loud,”
Whitney muttered, feeling heat creep up her face. “There was only one way to calm him down.”
Brittanya waved a dismissive hand, clearly unfazed. “That’s not new. We’ve heard you two before.”
Whitney’s cheeks flamed hotter. “Sorry,”
she mumbled, for once feeling embarrassed. She exhaled slowly, the fake cigarette tapping against her palm. “Fade’s going to stay in my room until I take them home.”
Both girls waited, sensing she wasn’t done. She sighed. “So… Orion slept with Fade’s ex-fiancée. Fade beat the crap out of him, and that’s why he went to prison.”
The words tumbled out, quiet but heavy.
Juniper’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. And Fade didn’t want anyone knowing he went to prison or that he was on parole when he left. So please… don’t tell anyone.”
She glanced between them. “Except June, can you update Wolfie on that?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Juniper reached out and gave Whitney’s arm a gentle, reassuring graze.
Whitney forced a smile, even though her insides still felt twisted. “Alright. I have some catching up to do with my brothers.”
She turned back toward the house, but halfway across the lawn, she spun around. “Brittanya, do not let them talk you into dating them. Please.”
Brittanya just laughed, clearly amused. “Okay, okay.”
********
Whitney sat outside after dinner, her plate pushed aside as she let the cool night air settle her mind. Zeppelin lay stretched between her legs, the dog soaking up every ounce of her attention. The quiet was soothing, until the back door creaked open and clicked shut.
She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Wolfgang approaching. “Hey,”
he said softly, slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. “Rough day.”
She leaned into him just a little, his easy warmth comforting. But the storm inside her hadn’t settled yet. “Wolfgang,”
she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I want to kill them. What would you do in this situation?”
He pulled back slightly, his brow arching in suspicion. “What?”
His mouth twitched. “Did June tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Whitney’s stomach flipped, her mind racing to connect the dots. And then it clicked. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him, her voice dropping to a shocked whisper. “You… killed her ex-boyfriend? You killed Ben?”
Wolfgang’s face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and something darker. “Whitney, I thought you knew.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing toward the house. “Swear to keep this to yourself.”
Her hand slowly fell from her mouth. “No one else knows? Except June?”
“Exactly. And… look, if you want to talk to her about it, that’s up to her. But please, I don’t need this getting back to my mom, Margaret, Brittanya, or Amy. Hell, I didn’t even want you to know.”
“Can I tell Fade?”
she asked, her voice still breathless with disbelief.
He let out a long, weary sigh. “Do you think it would help? Now that everyone already knows he went to prison?”
“Oh, no. This would be more for me.”
Her lips quirked in the hint of a smile.
Wolfgang stared at her, clearly baffled. “Whitney—”
“I’m weirdly getting turned on by this. Let’s go.”
She was already on her feet, heading toward the house.
“Wait, what?!”
He followed after her, his confusion only deepening.
When they stepped inside, the room had thinned out. Max and Shianne were gone, and Juniper sat alone on the couch. Aldous lingered at the kitchen table, his gaze locked on Orion, who had Brittanya cornered by the counter, his voice low and charming. Whitney’s blood boiled. “Ab-so-fucking-lutely not.”
She stormed into the kitchen and stepped directly between them, planting herself like a human shield. “No,”
she said, glaring up at her brother.
Orion arched a brow, clearly amused. “Why not? We’re both willing.”
He glanced past her with a grin.
“She’s too good for you,”
Whitney snapped. “And if you’re anything like you were in high school, you’ll sleep with her and dump her the next day.”
He shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “I stopped doing that after I got out of the military.”
From the table, Aldous chimed in lazily. “Yeah and that’s when you had your shortest girlfriend. What was it? -three minutes?”
Orion shot him a glare, but Whitney was already moving on. She turned toward Aldous. “I have to go talk to Fade. Will you please keep him away from her?”
“I’ll try.”
Aldous’s tone made it sound like she was asking him to stop a natural disaster.
Whitney didn’t wait for more. She nodded to Wolfgang, and the two of them headed down the hall toward her room.
When she pushed open the door, Fade was exactly where she’d left him, shirtless, lounging under the covers like he owned the place. The soft glow of the TV flashed against his skin.
“Hey, babe.”
He turned the volume down, his brows drawing together when he saw Wolfgang behind her. “What’s going on?”
Whitney paced to the edge of the bed, her nerves buzzing with anticipation. “I learned something,”
she said slowly, her eyes bright. “I’m not sure it’s gonna make you feel better but it made me feel better, and I wanna be the one to tell you.”
Fade sat up a little straighter. “Okay?”
Her face broke into a slow, almost mischievous smile. “Wolfgang killed Juniper’s ex.”
Fade’s mouth dropped open. “What?!”
He turned to Wolfgang. “When? How?”
“I didn’t ask,”
Whitney said breezily, tossing a glance back at Wolfgang like it was no big deal.
Wolfgang shifted on his feet, his voice calm but with a hint of pride. “When you witness everything he did to her… it’s pretty easy to do it with your bare hands.”
“Nice.”
Fade looked genuinely impressed. “But how exactly is this supposed to help me?”
Whitney grinned. “Well, I know you didn’t love everyone knowing you went to prison. So I figured it might help knowing someone else in the group has a felony-level secret.”
She shrugged. “Is it helping?”
Fade looked between them, then finally smirked. “It’s a fun fact, I guess. But Whitney’s still the one you gotta worry about.”
She dropped onto the edge of the bed with a dramatic sigh. “I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone,”
she teased. Then she glanced back at Wolfgang. “Would you mind taking my brothers home?”
“Not a problem. They live two doors down from Fade’s place.”
Whitney froze. Her smile twitched, her eye doing the same. “Great,”
she said, the word a little too cheerful.