Chapter 72 A Disaster of a Reunion
POV Noah:
“Scarlett? What a shitty nickname.” Damian whispered it just for us to hear.
“Asher, it’s been so long.” Scarlett’s hands went to his face and I saw red. I leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“Scarlett, don’t provoke us, fuck.” Terrible idea—this whole thing was a shitty idea.
“I’m Damian, Scarlett’s husband.” Scarlett’s eyes widened at Damian’s announcement. “These here are my brothers—Ethan, Liam, and Noah—also her husbands.” I offered my hand, just like my brothers did. Asher looked at our faces, then looked at Scarlett.
“Husbands?” He looked at our outstretched hands. “I don’t see any rings.” Son of a bitch.
“Asher, what the hell is going on here?” One of the men stopped beside Asher, drilling us with his stare, while the other two crossed their arms, glaring at us.
“I still don’t know, to be honest.” He answered and pointed at us. “Scarlett came with the husbands.”
“Husbands?” one of them asked, arching an eyebrow. “Tell another one.” He laughed, mocking. “Does she love all of you equally, or does she only love one and use the others as sex toys?”
I didn’t even have time to process the question, because everything happened too fast. Damian lunged at the one who laughed, while Liam and Ethan jumped on the other two who were moving in on Damian. I was about to join the fight when a short redhead showed up in nothing but a bikini, with a huge belly showing her pregnancy.
“What the fuck!” she said, yanking off her pink clog to smack my brothers over the head with it. “You assholes, get your hands off my men!”
“Maya, for fuck’s sake, you’re not wearing clothes?” One of the men stopped the fight and cursed, scooping the little she-devil up into his arms. “You’re pregnant—do you want to put our child at risk, fuck?”
“Don’t yell at me, you caveman!”
The moment the guy mentioned the pregnancy, the chaos died. My brothers’ eyes went wide as they finally noticed the pregnant woman who’d stepped into the middle of the fight, and judging by their looks, they regretted it. We stood there watching the men, visibly worried about the woman, while Scarlett shot daggers at us.
“We’re sorry,” I said, drawing everyone’s attention. “My brothers’ tempers are flaring because you used to date our woman, and they’re a little possessive,” I explained. The redhead’s head snapped so fast it startled me—I thought she might’ve hurt herself. Her green eyes landed on Scarlett.
“Hold on.” The redhead lifted a hand. “You’re Scarlett?”
“Yes,” Scarlett answered, frowning as she looked from the woman to her exes. “And you?” The redhead laughed diabolically, tying her hair up on top of her head.
“I’m Maya, and I’m going to end you.”
She wouldn’t hit a woman in a wheelch— Oh, shit.
(...)
POV Scarlett:
My thoughts are tangled with everything that’s happened since the last time I was at the Hawthorne ranch. I’m living my own personal hell, because for the first time I’m going to look Asher in the eyes, and I don’t know how he’ll react when he hears the truth about why I lied to him, and from the bottom of my heart I hope he can understand me. Having the Blackwells by my side is making me more confident, while also making me afraid. I don’t know what could happen with all these men together, and to be honest, I don’t want to think about it right now.
With Noah’s help, I pick Aria up and kiss her forehead. I didn’t want to have to leave her, but the matter I need to deal with won’t be a good place for her to be, and of course I didn’t have much of a choice about it. Still, Liam is right to not want me to take her. I don’t want my daughter to feel the hatred that will pour out of the Hawthornes in my direction. After reflecting on everything that happened to me, I made some decisions, and after I clear things up with Asher, I’ll put them into action. I can’t—and I don’t want to—give up my happiness anymore.
“I’ll be back soon, and I promise I won’t leave your side again,” I whisper in Aria’s ear, saying goodbye with my heart tight. “If anything happens, call us and I’ll come back as fast as I can,” I tell Noah’s mother, who gives me a smile.
“Aria will be fine.” I nod, giving my daughter one last kiss.
...
When I met Asher, it was on a very difficult day for me. I couldn’t take my father’s demands anymore. The pressure was so immense that, for a minute, I thought about how free I would feel if everything just disappeared. For many hours, I sat in front of my neighbors’ waterfall thinking about things I shouldn’t, and that’s when Asher showed up. He found my presence strange, and in that cute Asher way of being, we became friends. In the days that followed, we made plans to meet at the waterfall, and with each time we grew closer, our friendship made room for something new and stronger. I fell in love with Asher, and he fell in love with me.
What we lived will be marked in me forever. I will always love Asher for who he is; however, my love is different now. I’m no longer in love with him—much less with any of his brothers. My heart is pounding out of control for four men who are at my side without expecting anything in return, who love me even though I forgot them, even though I came to the ranch of my ex-boyfriends. They support me, they protect me, they love me. I still haven’t told them how much I love them, and I’m ready to take that step. It’s time to accept my happiness by their side.
That’s why—and only why—I accept Maya’s punch to my face without reacting, without protesting. Somehow, I know I deserve it. I lift my head, ready to face the fury of each of them. I’m here for a reason, and I won’t leave without doing what I came to do.
“Maya!” Asher roars, and I see the sadness in Maya’s eyes. Now I understand her. She loves him too much, and she only wants to hit me for what I did to him. I smile, happy for him, happy for his brothers. They found what they were searching for so desperately.
“It’s okay, Asher. I’m fine.” I reassure him, but a growl at my side makes me look at Damian—my arrogant, possessive, jealous asshole.
“I’m fine, Damian.” He leans toward me and I touch his face, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. “I’m fine,” I whisper against his mouth.
“She punched you, Scarlett.” He says, stroking the spot where I took the hit. “It’s going to swell. We should leave.” I close my eyes, touching my forehead to his.