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Chapter 25
Cherry
Why does a mermaid wear seashells?
Because she outgrew her B-shells.
My phone rings on the coffee table, and an unknown number is displayed on the screen.
Answering it, I immediately pull it away from my ear when my brother’s voice shouts down at me.
“What the fuck are you thinking, Cherry?” Clark screams.
“I was thinking that you don’t get a say in my dating life after I found you under my boyfriend,” I snark back, my hand tightening at my side in a fist.
“Do you realize what people will be saying? It’s not like you were just on a date with one guy, Cherry. You were out with four! Four men, what are you, a whore?”
“Are you for real right now?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper from the hurt that’s making my chest ache.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, but you have to admit it doesn’t look great,” Clark says, his voice softening. “You remember how I was treated after it all came out about Ronan and me, which was deserved. We should never have hurt you in the process of us both falling in love. Everyone shunned me; I don’t want that for you.”
“Do I not get to make that choice? After everything you and Ronan put me through, should you not support me regardless of my choice?” I ask him, swiping away the tear rolling down my cheek.
Clark sighs, and I can hear the exhaustion in his voice, “I’ll support you.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you, little sis. Just… just be careful, ok?”
“Yeah. I love you too,” I sigh, hanging up the phone before he can say more and flop onto my sofa.
Marco appears at my feet, purring happily, and I scoop him into my arms. “What do I do?”
Marco stares up at me with his brown eyes and blinks before wriggling out of my arms and darting from the room as his feeder dispenses his food. “Yeah, running away feels like a good idea.”
I stay hidden in my living room for a little while longer before returning to the kitchen.
The guys are still where I left them, sitting around my dining table like they belong there, discussing the next steps for my business, and it all becomes too much.
Overwhelming in the worst ways.
“You all need to go,” I say to the room. “I-I just can’t do this right now, and I need space.”
“Cherry?” Braylen asks, his face scrunched like he’s in pain, the others wearing similar expressions.
“Do you know that our photo was taken? That me and you made the front page as well as the rest of you?” I ask the room, but they all shake their heads.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s overwhelming and scary, but we can fix this,” Braylen begs.
Brad stands, his chair scraping against my floor, but I hold my hand up to stop him, “Don’t,” I warn. “My brother called. He called me a whore, and isn’t that the exact word you called me last night? Then my face is all over the front page, and then a brick is thrown through my window, a place where I have always felt safe.”
“It’s a coincidence,” Macon assures. “You’re overthinking this.”
“No, I don’t think I am. You all need to go…” I swipe my hand toward the door, “Now!”
Thankfully, they all listen, shuffling out the door but not before stopping and placing sweet kisses on my forehead.
Brad pauses in front of me, grasping my face in his hands. His piercing blue eyes burrow into my green ones. “This is not over, Cherry. You are ours. We’ll leave right now, and we’ll give you your space, but that’s it.”
Then his lips are on mine, demanding entrance with his wet, meaty tongue, but I bite down, relishing in the squeak of pain that comes from him. “Leave Brad.”
