AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What made you think that would work? If they had a contract for your hand in marriage in exchange for supporting the company, why would they let you go because you got knocked up?” Andrew asked, his voice edged in anger.
I clenched and unclenched my fists. I didn’t know how this conversation was about to go, but I wasn’t liking it at all.
“We would be more than happy to fill you with our seed and plant a baby in you, but because you want it with us,” Drew continued. “Because you love us and want to stay with us and start a family. Not because you need to get out of something. To get back at your mother.”
His jaw was clenched and too many emotions flashed across his face. I saw the anger, the sadness, the hurt, the longing, and even the understanding. We’d both fallen in love with this woman, and it made it all the worse knowing she’d lied to us. That was something unforgivable at this moment.If we didn’t have trust in our relationship, then we didn’t have anything.
“We love you, Tori. I could honestly say probably from the first time you kissed me.”
Tori’s mouth open and closed, like she was trying to find the words but couldn’t.
I held up my hand to stop her. “But you don’t love us in return. Because if you did, you would’ve told us everything. If you really loved us, you wouldn’t have kept a secret from us. That’s what love and trust is about. Holding nothing back and giving everything to the other person. But since you don’t care enough about us to let us try to help you, you should just go. No point in keeping up this charade of yours. You got what you wanted from us. We showed you what it could be like to have a normal life, a normal relationship. Now it’s time for you to return to your real life.”
Tears flowed freely down Tori’s cheeks. It tugged at my heart to go comfort her, but I couldn’t. We needed to accept the reality of the situation. Tori didn’t love us, and she wasn’t moving to the ranch for the long run anyway. It was time we all accepted it and moved on with our lives.
I turned away from the woman I thought I could spend forever with—the woman who Ithought was my forever.
* * *
I madeit to my room, shut the door, and leaned against it before I gave up, holding my tears in. Pride didn’t let me break down in front of her. She didn’t deserve it and likely didn’t care.
I scrubbed away my day in the shower and packed a bag for my trip to Miami. I still needed to tell Drew I was going and confirm my flight had been booked. I’d let him know in the morning before I headed to the airport.
I knew he was just as hurt as I was, but I couldn’t face him when I had no doubt he blamed me for what was happening. He was always the more levelheaded of the two of us. He probably would have wanted to sit down and talk it through, figure out how it all went so wrong, but I was done talking.
The knife twisted in my gut even more as I crawled into my bed—a bed that smelled like her. Like Sex. Like a life I wish I could’ve had. I’d have to wash everything when I got home from Miami, except even doing the laundry was going to remind me of her.
Sleep was hard to come by, and when I opened my eyes in the morning, the reality of what Tori had done hit me all over again.
I rolled over and grabbed my phone. Thomas had texted me to give me my flight itinerary and when he’d take me to the private plane. He also mentioned he’d come with me so we could get a feel for what was needed at the horse shows together. It was probably a good thing, since my head wasn’t fully with it today, and it was likely I’d miss stuff.
The only words I spoke to Drew were to tell him where I was going and that I’d be back in a few days. He just grunted and left the kitchen to barricade himself in the confines of his own room. It was best that way. He didn’t say it, but I knew he was angry at me. Hell, I was angry at myself.
Not able to sit still, I grabbed my bag and headed to the main house, only to stop short when Tori walked out the front door behind Thomas. She and Alex walked toward the car and the ranch’s driver, Martin, opened the door for the two of them.
I forced myself to swallow. It was like I had a boulder sitting in the middle of throat. My chest hurt as I watched her walk to the car. She stopped to say something to Alex and my eyes were glued to her. She looked so damn sexy in a red and black business dress. Tori always seemed to dress well for any occasion and right now, seeing her was killing me.
My fucking dick stirred at the sight of her. I hated it hadn’t gotten the memo that we were angry with Tori, that she wasn’t ours any longer, that she’d never really loved either of us. I stayed out of sight until the car took off.
This trip was coming at the best time. Maybe a few days away would do me good.
VICTORIA
Even this beautiful, calming bedroom didn’t soothe me. I hadn’t slept here in weeks, but when I had, I’d find peace. Not that it mattered now. With a deep breath, I strode to the closet and retrieved my Louis Vuitton bag and threw what I needed into it. It’s not like I needed much, and whatever I left behind, the other women were welcome to it.
Really, all I needed were my chargers, my computer, and work files. Everything else was laid out exactly as I left it in Cosland. All my belongings here were of no use there. The weather was different, and so was the way I was expected to dress and behave. My mother would drop dead if she caught me wearing a sundress and cowboy boots around town. It would be considered a scandal, or at least be the beginnings of juicy gossip. I was a Lady, after all, and I was expected to act and look the part.
Once the meeting was over, I planned to head straight to the airport and fly home. I’d handle the last of the negotiations for the software programs from abroad. I had a good feeling about the meeting today. This was the Goldilocks program the Kingstons were hoping for. I knew it.
Even if I felt like shit, my pencil dress hugged my figure and made me feel a tiny bit better. I’d learned at an early age that the right clothes and a healthy dose of denial was an excellent way to get through the day. This dress in particular had a zipper at the neck that I lowered just enough that it threatened to show cleavage but didn’t. It was one of my favorite dresses to work with, and while it hinted at sexy, it was all professional. The red and the black combo made me feel strong and powerful, and it meant business—something I could use right now when everything around me was falling apart.
If the twins didn’t want me, then there was no reason to stay any longer. They were the only reason I’d stayed in the first place. Thomas had plenty of people on speed dial who he could have used to handle his project instead of me, but I knew why he’d done it.
It was time to go home and face the music.
It was time to get married.
When I’d snuck into my room at the main house last night, no one had said anything, but they all knew. They gave me my space and didn’t pry. Just one more thing I loved about my pseudo brothers.
