Four Brothers and a Bride novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: Wedding Night, Owed

Bram came through the door first.

He didn't say anything.

He crossed the office in four strides, took a fistful of Ewan's shirt, and drew back his scarred right hand.

Ewan didn't lift his arms.

"Go on," he said.

I stepped in between them.

Bram's knuckles stopped so close to my cheek that I felt the air move.

I put my hand over his fist and held it.

"Move, Rosalind."

"No."

"He used my face. At my rail. After I told him what you asked me."

"It's his face too," I said. "That's the whole problem. Put it down."

Bram looked at me for a long, hard second.

His fist shook under my palm.

Then he opened it, and let go of Ewan's shirt, and walked to the window with his back to all of us.

Cian whistled through his teeth, very low.

"Don't," I said.

He stopped.

Fenn was still in the doorway with his glasses in his hand.

"Come in," I said. "Shut the door. Nobody leaves this room until I'm finished."

Fenn came in and shut it.

I stood in the middle of Ewan's office in my green dress, with four of the same man around me.

I was so tired my teeth hurt.

"Here's the rule," I said. "There's one."

"No swap on me. Ever again. Not at a party, not for a joke, not to cover a photo."

"Every one of you says his own name in every room I walk into. First thing. Before hello."

"Even if it's the bathroom?" said Cian.

"Especially the bathroom."

Nobody laughed, but Bram's shoulders came down an inch.

"And now each of you says sorry. For the game. Out loud, in front of the others, so I know you all heard it."

Cian went first, because of course he did.

He opened his mouth with a joke ready, and I watched him look at my face and swallow it.

"I'm Cian," he said. "I'm sorry I made your worst night into my favorite party."

"You did make me laugh," I said.

"That's what I'm sorry for. I liked it too much to ask who you thought I was."

Fenn put his glasses back on.

"I'm Fenn," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I sat in the back pew."

"I should have stood up in that chapel. I didn't want to be the one who spoke."

My eyes stung.

I didn't let them do anything else.

Bram turned around from the window.

"Bram," he said. "I'm sorry I played."

"I've played it for eleven years and never once thought about the person on the other side of the table."

He looked at Ewan. "I'm not sorry I walked away. I'm sorry I didn't come back faster."

That left one.

Ewan stood by his desk with his sleeves still rolled up and his watch on his right wrist.

"Ewan," he said.

He looked at his brothers, not at me.

"I told you I went to bed. I let Bram think he'd lost her and Fenn think he'd watched Bram marry her."

← Chapter 12 · All chapters · Chapter 14 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend