217

I glanced at my watch and exhaled heavily. Midnight had passed, and Margot still wasn’t home. I could feel the tension building, glancing over at Jaxon who was nervously tapping his fingers on his leg. We were all getting worried—and frustrated—by how late she was working. She was wearing herself thin trying to perfect everything for the wedding. Braxton didn’t deserve that kind of effort.

Ryder was pacing behind me, his agitation setting me on edge. For the hundredth time, I shot him a look. “Sit down.”

“I think I’m going to go find her. She can’t keep pushing herself like this. We kept her up late last night, and she’s got to be up early to do this all over again tomorrow. She’s going to burn out.” Ryder laced his hands behind his head and let out a long sigh. “What the hell could she possibly be doing this late?”

Jaxon’s eyes flicked to the door, his impatience growing. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to go drag her back here.”

“No.” I hated myself for saying it, but I knew we couldn’t interfere any more than I already had. “If she thinks we don’t trust her, it’ll just hurt her.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust her. It’s everyone else I don’t trust.” Jaxon rubbed his face, frustration clear, and then sprang to his feet when the cabin door creaked open. “Margot?”

But it wasn’t Margot. It was Braxton, holding Constance in his arms, both of them looking like they’d been through hell. My stomach twisted in fear, and the three of us moved toward them, instinctively bracing ourselves.

“What’s going on? What happened?” I demanded, my gaze hard on Braxton. “Where’s Margot?”

Constance looked up, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. “She’s not who you think she is. She’s not who any of us think she is.”

Jaxon let out a low, threatening growl. “What do you mean?”

Braxton flinched, his voice shaky. “I think this was a mistake, Constance. I thought it was the right thing to do, but it’s wrong. We should go.”

“She kissed him!” Constance’s voice cracked as she pulled away from Braxton, wrapping her arms around herself. “She was my friend, but she kissed him. I saw it. She was on top of him, kissing him.”

Braxton quickly raised his hands in defense. “I swear to god, I didn’t kiss her back. I didn’t want this. I didn’t do anything. I pushed her off as soon as I could.”

“I saw it. I saw her.” Constance’s sobs were heartbreaking. “I trusted her. You trusted her. She lied to all of us.”

A cold wave washed over me, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at my brothers. I didn’t want to see the doubt or disbelief in their eyes. “No.”

“I’m leaving,” Constance said through her tears. “Believe me or not, I fired her. She’s gone. She betrayed me. Two days until my wedding, and all I can do is cry. Why would she do this?”

Braxton wrapped his arm around Constance protectively. “We’re not going to let her ruin this wedding, baby.”

Constance looked away, overwhelmed, and turned to leave. “I just need to be alone. I’m sorry. This is too much.” With that, she fled the cabin, leaving the four of us standing in stunned silence.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Jaxon grabbed Braxton by the shirt, lifting him off his feet. “What the fuck really happened?”

Braxton pushed himself away from Jaxon, running his hands down his face in frustration. “I fucked up.”

Bitterness surged in my chest. “What do you mean by that?”

Braxton’s eyes met mine, his expression twisted in confusion. “I want to marry Constance. She’s perfect for me.” His words didn’t sound like the brother I knew. I felt a chill. “I messed up. A few months ago, I ran into Margot, and… it just happened. She didn’t know I was engaged to Constance, and I didn’t tell her. I don’t know why I did it, but Margot… she’s always been special. I couldn’t stop.”

The crawling sensation spread over my skin like ants. “You couldn’t stop?”

“I’ve been sleeping with Margot for months. She acted like everything was fine when she found out about Constance. I was stupid. When she said she wanted to help with the wedding, I agreed. But she’s been making it harder. She keeps pushing me, cornering me. I know I’ve been a jerk, but I’ve been trying to make her understand that I’m done with her, without her blowing up my wedding.” Braxton tugged at his hair, his voice cracking with emotion. “I don’t want to hurt Constance. I’m drowning in this, and I don’t know how to get out.”

Before anyone could react, Jaxon’s fist collided with Braxton’s face. Braxton collapsed, and Jaxon was on him in an instant, grabbing him by the shirt. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not! I wish I was! I’ve made a mess of everything. If Constance finds out, I’ll lose her for good.” Braxton held his bloody nose, spitting blood onto the floor. “I tried to push Margot away tonight. I didn’t want her to touch me. I was trying to do the right thing. When Constance walked in, it looked bad. I just went along with it to make Margot look worse, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Jaxon shoved Braxton away and stormed across the cabin. “Jesus Christ.”

Ryder’s voice broke through the tension. “You should go.” The words hung in the air, heavy and final. Braxton sighed and nodded, the weight of it all sinking in.

“I don’t know why I thought you’d help me now. You three always stuck together. You never cared about me.” Braxton shot us one last look and left without another word.

Once the door closed, I collapsed onto the couch, pressing my fist to my mouth. My chest felt like it was collapsing under the pressure.

“I’m leaving,” Ryder muttered, shaking his head. “I don’t want any part of this.”

“Do you believe him?” Jaxon’s voice was raw, full of the same pain we were all feeling.

“No.” Ryder’s bitter laugh cut through the tension. “That little shit could tell me the sky was blue, and I’d still question it. I believe Constance. What she saw broke her. That kind of pain can’t be faked.”

I forced myself to stand, exhaustion weighing down on me. “I can’t stay here, either. I can’t think straight with all I smell in this room.”

“Is your helicopter still ready?” Jaxon came closer, his frustration boiling over. “I need to leave, too. I’m about to hunt Braxton down and strangle him. Get us out of here.”

I made the call, threw my things into a suitcase, and packed quickly. I wanted to leave before we had to face Margot. The thought of seeing her was unbearable. I needed to escape, to hold onto whatever shred of dignity I had left.