Chapter 69 Consumed by Jealousy
POV Scarlett:
I am jealous. In fact, I am boiling with jealousy. With all the emotion I felt when I first saw and held my daughter, I didn’t think too much about Damian’s son-of-a-bitch attitude. And now, lying in my bed—where Noah took care to help me—I’m thinking about a lot of things, and one of them is fucking those men. We have a daughter, and before the accident I believe we must have been fine, so why not vent all my frustration and anger at once?
That raises a question I didn’t have the courage to go into with any of them. Did they wait for me? Didn’t they stay with another woman all this time? Is that possible? Do I really want to know the answer? No, I don’t. I sigh, lost inside myself. Everything is a mess, and maybe it’s time to put things in order. The bedroom door opens and Liam steps in; I let my smile show him the dirtiest ideas possible.
“Scarlett, why do you have that look like you’re about to get into trouble?” he asks as he comes closer. He holds the back of my neck, and soon I feel his lips claiming mine. I don’t fight it; I accept his domineering kiss willingly.
“Because… I am,” I breathe deeply—Liam’s kiss always leaves me breathless. “I want to teach Damian a lesson, and I want you, Ethan, and Noah to help me.” Liam frowns.
“What kind of lesson?”
“A lesson that will teach him never to set me aside to go with that woman again.” I smile to the side. “And, of course, it will serve as a warning so you don’t do the same.”
“I’m listening.”
I start telling him what I’m planning, and Liam’s complicit smile makes me realize he’s going to love every minute of the older brother’s martyrdom.
...
Damian’s eyes are living flames of pure hatred, and that only excites me even more. I moan, unable to take Ethan’s and Liam’s combined thrusts anymore; they’re taking me to an orgasm I don’t remember ever having felt before. Noah takes my mouth for himself, swallowing my moans. I roll my eyes, unable to hold back, I tighten my inner muscles, tearing hoarse groans from Ethan and Liam. I force my eyes open; Damian’s furious expression makes me reach orgasm, screaming with pleasure.
“Hold on, Scarlett, I’m close,” Ethan whispers in my ear.
“Help me lift her. Let’s fuck her hard,” Liam orders, and a glimpse of his commanding voice invades my thoughts, and several flashes cauScarlett me tremendous pain, making me scream. Everything around me loses focus, giving me certainties instead of doubts.
I don’t have a relationship with them.
They were only helping me because my… my father kicked me out of the house.
Why would he kick me out of the house? An image of a coffin being lowered makes the pain spread through my whole body.
NO! PLEASE, NO!
My mother… My mother died.
...
Wearing the mask of indifference, I approach the waterfall, which was so often the stage for our meetings, our moments of love and passion. Standing there, looking at me, are the Four reasons I once thought about running away without looking back—but they are also the Four reasons that would pull me away from the person I love most in life, and I cannot allow that. Even if it hurts me to my soul, even if I suffer every day, this is what must be done.
“Scarlett, are you okay? You disappeared, you left us worried,” Asher asks, and my insides revolt at what I’m about to do.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“Then why did you disappear?” Cole questions; all of them wear serious expressions, waiting for my answer.
“I can’t… do this anymore.” The words burn my throat like fire.
“Can’t do what anymore?” Logan asks in his deep voice. Determined to get it over with, I say what I rehearsed all night long.
“Be with all of you.” Emotional exhaustion is killing me.
“I can’t go on with this madness anymore.” My words catch them all by surprise; their expressions confirm they didn’t expect to hear this, not from me.
“Scarlett, what are you talking about?” Asher takes a step closer, and I take two steps back. “A week ago, in this same place, you said you loved us. What changed?” It hurts—his question hurts so much.
“I lied.” Now he’s the one who takes two steps back. “The truth is, I love only one of you; the others were just a pastime. A means to an end. I know that if I want to be with one, I’m forced to be with all of you.”
A sound of laughter draws my attention. I look at Cole, who is smiling off to the side—this is his cruel smile. I know how to recognize it; I saw him give that same smile many times to Preston Burt, the guy he and his brothers hate the most.
“I knew it,” he says rudely. What?
“Knew what?” I ask, confused. What is Cole talking about?
“You starting out dating Asher first, and then getting it into your little head that you wanted each one of us, only proved to me that you don’t love us. In fact, you don’t love anyone.” The weight of Cole’s words is destroying me and he doesn’t even notice—how can he say I don’t love them? I have always shown it with my kisses, with my touches. “It’s a good thing you wanted to have this conversation; now everything is out in the open.”
“Cole, what are you talking about?” Asher asks his brother, who doesn’t care about breaking my heart a little more.