Chapter 96 - Their Cursed

Remi

I sat against the end of the bed as tears just flowed freely. I don’t know how long I sat here; my legs and butt were numb, and I didn’t care. I just stared absentmindedly at the door, too numb to think about when they would eventually walk through it. Gentry had tried knocking and calling for me earlier, then Carson as well. I just couldn’t bring myself to open the door. I held it together and got through dinner. I was at my limit after dessert, feeling like I was going to burst from the pressure in my chest. I excused myself, ignoring the looks of pity. I hate those looks—pity for the girl who can’t keep anything.

I wondered if things would have been different if I had told them instead of surprising them. Maybe they wouldn’t have scheduled anything this morning and showed up. I dragged my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead on them. I was so anxious waiting for them to arrive. I had barely been able to pay attention to the conversation between Carson, Elias, Pip, Ryker, and I while I kept looking at the door, willing them to walk through it. When Gentry finally did, my heart fell seeing they weren’t right behind him. When he came over and whispered his apology in my ear, probably so he didn’t have to embarrass me in front of everyone, I felt my heart shattering into pieces.

Carson was right, and I hadn’t been able to make eye contact with him the whole time. If this was how Cassius was with Nicole, I wondered how she ever managed to be so smiley and pleasant. I don’t think I could bear to pretend anymore. All I wanted was one afternoon, this afternoon, with the men I love with all my heart. I mean nothing to Ryker and Elias, but even they came.

My mind moved to the meticulously wrapped presents hidden in my dresser drawers in the closet. I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. I could ask Pip to return them for me tomorrow. I would have her open hers, though, for all the help she had given me in planning this.

My whole body felt heavy, and I was tired, but the tears continued. I didn’t have the energy to get out of the dress and clean up. I didn’t even think I had the energy to get off the floor.

Cullen

When we burst through the front doors, Mom was waiting for us. Her face was full of rage. “Nice of you to finally show up,” she spat at us.

“Mom, please. Give us the third degree tomorrow. Just let us go to her,” Calder tried.

“No. You will stand there and listen to what I have to say!” Suddenly, we were children again. “You boys have an incredible work ethic just like your father. But what I hoped you wouldn’t inherit is the tendency to push aside everything for work. When you brought her here, I thought that I had done it for a second and taught you to value your mate properly. So I begged you two to take a day off. Do you understand how worried we have all been? That poor girl has been absorbing every bit of knowledge about this Realm that I could give her to prove to the Elder Council that she is worthy of being your mate. When she and Pip returned last week from their girls’ day, it was the first time I saw her smile in weeks. A real smile. I raised you better than this. Maybe you Carlisle Alphas are just doomed to repeat the same patterns.” When she finished, her face was full of disappointment, and that was almost as bad as how much we let Remi down.

“We can’t fix it if you don’t let us go to her,” I said quietly. She gave me a small nod and stepped aside. I bolted past her, Calder right behind me. We ran all the way upstairs and to our room, stopping outside the door. I pulled the key out of my pocket and quickly unlocked the door but hesitated before opening it. I looked at Calder, who was just as scared as I was about what we were going to find inside.

I slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. When it was all the way open, Calder and I could both see Remi sitting on the floor by the bed. She had her knees pulled up, her head laying on them, and her arms wrapped around them, hiding her from us. She was wearing a red dress with a gold pattern on it and a pair of black tights. Her black heels were deposited next to her. The suffocating feeling inside my chest only worsened. She had planned every detail, including what we would wear today. She was trying to surprise us with her own holiday celebration, and we ignored it.

We slowly stepped into the room, but Remi didn’t move. I listened closely to her breathing, but I couldn’t tell if she was asleep or not. We approached her carefully, but she remained sitting still. Calder and I looked at each other. “What do we do?” I asked him.

“I’m not sure….”

The guilt in my chest was eating me alive. It was selfish, but I needed to see her face. I would never have missed this if I knew it was so important to her. It was true that we were prioritizing pack and business work over her for a couple of weeks now, but I had never felt anything through our bond that told me she wasn’t okay. On the mornings that I got to stay in bed with her rather than run off to training, she would cling tightly to me, not wanting to get up for the day or go to breakfast. I felt the same way but knew we had to get up eventually.

“Remi?” I whispered softly. My heart squeezed as her arms tightened around herself. The motion made her hair fall over her shoulder, and I could see the broach Samantha sent her clipped into her hair.

“Baby, please look up. We can’t tell you how sorry we are,” Calder said. He knelt on the floor next to her; I followed. Remi still didn’t move.

“We had no idea. We should not have ignored you….” I tried. Her shoulders shook a bit, and I wondered if she was crying. Why couldn’t I feel her?

“We’re here now….” Calder whispered.

“Can you feel her?” I linked him, worried.

“No, I can’t. Why can’t I feel her?” We looked at our mate, who still refused to look at us. I doubtfully reached forward to stroke her hair, not knowing if she was going to push me away. Instead, she buried her face deeper into her arms as I tenderly stroked her soft hair but didn’t push me away.

“We’ll do anything. Please just look up,” I begged—still, nothing.

“Ahem,” someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Calder and I both looked over to see Carson standing there with his arms crossed. “I think you two should just leave her alone.”

“You don’t get to think anything about our mate,” I spouted.

“From where I am standing, she doesn’t want you.”

“Carson, this doesn’t concern you,” Calder gritted out. It was bad enough that our mate wouldn’t even look at us, but now my little brother was stepping in?

“It does, though, because I was there. I watched you do exactly what Dad does to Mom. Probably worse, though. It makes me sick that I was right about you two,” he spat. My anger was rising. I wasn’t going to argue with Carson about my mate.

“Leave,” I warned him.

“Let me guess: she was always so accepting of you running off from her. She never threw a fit or did anything but smile at you and nod her head. You thought she understood and was okay with it. You didn’t bother to notice that the only meals she eats are when you decide to show up. You didn’t notice that she slowly became quieter and quieter. You didn’t notice the dark circles under her eyes because she stays up as late as she can each night waiting for you. Mom may be able to handle being treated as a convenience to Dad, but she doesn’t deserve it, and Remi shouldn’t be a convenience for you either,” he ranted at us. I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling guilty but not wanting to admit that to Carson. “I think you two have done enough here.”

Calder and I were both silent for a moment. Everyone was right, and the worst part was that Remi was our victim. I didn’t understand how I never felt her sadness or loneliness. Finally, Remi sat up, and our attention all snapped to her. I felt like a knife was plunged into my gut. Her eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles under the puffy pinkness that was her eyelids. Her nose was bright pink, and her cheeks were shiny from her tears. There was smudged makeup on her cheekbones, and she looked dejected. Her gaze was on Carson in the doorway. Her lip quivered, but she didn’t say anything.

Carson strode into the room, stepping past Calder and me to reach down for Remi. She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet while we watched. He gave us a dirty look as he led her over to the closet, closing the door after she entered. I stood to follow her, but Carson put his hand up to stop me.

“Just don’t. She can’t handle it right now. She will hear you out when she is ready,” he said. He glared at us once more before he turned and left the room.

Remi

I needed them all to stop. I couldn’t handle the twins fighting with their brother over what I wanted. I wanted my mates to be here for me, but it was too late for that now. I lifted my head, and all three Carlisle brothers looked at me with concern. I focused on Carson because it would hurt too much to look at Calder and Cullen.

“Carson, help me up, please?” I linked him.

“I will make them go away…” he replied.

“No. I can’t listen to everyone fight. Please?” I asked. I wasn’t sure I could stand properly on my own, and I knew Calder and Cullen would try to help me. Carson came over to me, stepping past my mates and holding out his hand. He helped me up and took me over to the closet. I don’t know if he was here out of pity for me or anger for his brothers, but I was glad.

I stumbled over to the small stool in front of my vanity and sat down. I looked at myself in the mirror and cringed. I reached back and removed the broach from my hair. I had followed Sammy’s directions and been wearing it at all times, even when I went to bed at night. I set it down on the vanity and finished pulling down my hair. I pulled my fingers through the slightly knotted mess it was from sitting there crying so long. I grabbed a scrunchie to pull it up into a bun. I wiped the small amount of makeup Pip had insisted I wear off my face before I got up on shaky legs to remove the dress.

Once I was in a pair of my own pajamas, I went to the closet door and took a deep breath. I wasn’t ready to talk to them or hear their apologies yet. I had no idea how to avoid it, though. I gripped the door handle and turned it slowly. I resolved to go straight to the bed and hide in the covers, hoping they would take the hint. I just needed to make it to the bed. Calli was begging me to fall into their arms, but I just couldn’t do it.

Cullen was sitting on the couch with his elbows braced on his knees when I opened the door. Calder was leaning against the door with his arms crossed. Carson was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he left us. I tried to keep my eyes down as I moved across the room straight to the bed. I didn’t want to look into their eyes.