Chapter 56 : Are You Insane?
Allison rested her chin in her hand and, with a small, subtle movement, slipped an earbud into her ear, letting her hair fall to cover it.
She had planted a bug on Nigel before they left. So even though he went into Maplecrest Villa without her, she would not miss a single word of what happened inside.
Nigel did not bother knocking. He stormed straight into Ronan’s room and, without a word, threw a punch at his jaw.
Caught off guard, Ronan crashed backward onto the couch.
He jumped to his feet, furious, and grabbed at Nigel. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouted, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Shit, I’m bleeding!”
Nigel did not even flinch. “That was just the beginning.” He swung again, this time landing a punch on the other side of Ronan’s face. “You laid a hand on Sherrie? Beating the crap out of you would still be going easy.”
Ronan slammed back onto the couch, letting out a groan. “Fuck!” he spat, but this time he did not fight back. “Are you insane? What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped. “I’m dating Sherrie. What, I’m not allowed to touch her now?”
Nigel’s voice turned low and threatening. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Ronan was stunned. At first, he had not thought much of it. Now, under Nigel’s stare, something shifted in his expression. Guilt flickered across his face.
Nigel saw it. He lunged forward, grabbed Ronan by the collar, and pulled him closer. “What did you promise me? Huh? What did you swear to me?”
Ronan’s face darkened. He did not say a word.
But Nigel had no intention of letting him go easy. “You slept with Allison. I let it slide, but I warned you. If you ever touched Sherrie, I would come for you. You said she was the one you cared about most. The one you could not bring yourself to hurt. And now? You have messed around with both of my sisters.”
Ronan’s jaw tightened, the vein in his neck pulsing visibly. He looked like he wanted to fight back, but the words stuck in his throat. After a long pause, he finally muttered, “It wasn’t like that. Sherrie and I care about each other. It just happened. I didn’t force her.”
Nigel did not believe him. He punched him again. “Bullshit. You really expect me to believe that? You have always been like this. You probably pushed her into it. And she still covered for you all this time. If she hadn’t, I would have been here long ago.”
Ronan spat blood to the side and glared at him. “Wait. Did Sherrie tell you I forced her?”
“Spare me the excuses,” Nigel growled as he clenched his teeth. “You touched her. Now you take responsibility.”
Then he released Ronan’s shirt and pointed toward the door. His voice was bitter, as if he did not care how ugly this became. “I brought Allison with me. She’s outside right now.”
Ronan’s eyes darted past him, through the open doors.
Under the canopy of red maples, Allison sat silently, and perfectly still. Her black hair fell softly over her shoulders as she sat in the pavilion, poised like a painting. She looked elegant, distant, and untouchable.
“You hooked up with both of my sisters,” Nigel said coldly. “Now be a man and make a choice. Take responsibility.”
Ronan’s temper flared up. He stood up abruptly. “Are you serious right now? You think this is some kind of game show where I point and pick a prize?”
Nigel fired back instantly. “So you were planning to keep both of them?”
Of course not. Even the Lopez family had a public image to protect. They would never let something this humiliating slide.
Nigel moved closer, forcing him to decide. “Then what is this? If you will not choose, was Sherrie just a fling? Something you could toss aside after getting what you wanted?”
“Hell no!” Ronan retorted. He and Nigel had grown up together. Putting Allison aside is a better option, as they were close and had once been engaged. Fooling around was one thing, but not with Nigel’s sister. That was a line he never meant to cross.
“Then choose,” Nigel said through gritted teeth. He stepped aside and pointed toward the courtyard. “Look at Allison. Say it to her face. Let’s see if you can live with your choice.”
Ronan could not say a word. The truth was, he still felt too young to be tied down. He did care about Sherrie, but getting married now was never part of his plan.
After what happened, Nigel was not letting this slide. He wanted a clear answer immediately.
Ronan’s eyes drifted toward the courtyard. Allison sat silently beneath the trees, calm and unreadable. Suddenly, the pain stung his chest.
Sherrie or Allison?
Nigel’s eyes narrowed. “You’re hesitating. Unbelievable. That tells me everything. If Sherrie really mattered to you, you wouldn’t have paused for even a second.”
Ronan clenched his fists. Nigel's words stung, and he shot back, “You think I’m like you? Picking and choosing like it means nothing? Remember, a few years ago, you left your own sister to burn and walked away like it didn’t matter.”
Nigel was shocked by Ronan’s words. It hit hard when the scene flashed back in his mind.
Ronan saw his reaction, and he refused to back off. “You act like some protective big brother, but let’s be honest. You never really cared about Allison. You brought her here to use her. To corner me. You know she’s not ‘good enough’ anymore. Her name is ruined. Her face is scarred. And you made her sit outside in front of the staff just to humiliate her. Just to make sure, I would be too ashamed to choose her over Sherrie. How ridiculous!”
Nigel’s eyes flickered for a split second. Ronan was satisfied when Nigel went silent.
He let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t play dumb, Nigel. We both know how this works. I see right through you.”
Nigel clenched his jaw. This time, he was the one who couldn't defend himself.
“It’s not like I’m trying to back out,” Ronan said. “I’ll marry Sherrie. The only problem is my dad. He still has concerns.”
Nigel narrowed his eyes. “What kind of concerns?”
Ronan scoffed. “The same old issue. That loser is still in the way. My dad won’t let me get married until he’s dealt with.”
Nigel’s expression changed. “You mean Jareth?”