Page 53 of Filthy Rich Ex's Brothers

Some sort of excuse that doesn’t throw years of friendship down the drain. Flush it like it meant nothing. A pointless destruction, a record player on the lawn.

For a bewildering moment, I’m actually rooting for her. Bianca is my best friend. The girl who sat with me through the norovirus our sophomore year of college. Who read poetry to me in the car on our way to South Padre so I could finish my mid-terms in a gas station parking lot, just before Spring Break.

Bianca has seen all the worst parts of me. We’ve held each other’s hair back, and been there for the biggest celebrations—graduation, negative pregnancy tests, Bianca getting her internship—so there has to be something. Some logical explanation.

Instead of,Isn’t it obvious? I’m fucking your ex-boyfriend,Bianca says, “I’m—I’m sorry, Serena, it just s-slipped out?—”

Oh.

Bianca skipped right over sleeping with my ex—starting arelationshipwith my ex—and got right to the part where she betrayed my confidence to the one person who would cause the biggest mess by knowing about it. She tattled on me to Alex, and now he’s here, blowing up the best thing I’ve had in forever.

Because what would Alex be doing here without that information? How would he possibly know that I slept with Travis, that he had some feeble ground to stand on, that he could accuse his brothers of betraying him, if Bianca didn’t tell him?

Bianca and I had our fight last night, which I was still reeling from this morning. I was sick enough that I couldn’t eat dinner, then couldn’t eat breakfast. My hands shake now, and my stomach lurches. While I was crying into Lillie’s shoulder, Bianca was running off to tell Alex Oakley about what I’ve been choosing to do with my time. Or, rather,who.

The truth of the entire situation settles down over me. But before I can say anything to her, the rest of the world comes backinto glaring focus, sound and sight rushing in again in the form of Alex in my face, yelling loud enough that my ears ring.

“Andyou,” he spits, looking me up and down with a sort of disgust that should be funny, given the number of times he begged me for sex, only to leave me unsatisfied in the end. “Are nothing but a worthless fuckingslut!”

There’s an instant dark blurring to my left. Travis steps forward, faster than Graham or Ryan, meeting Alex’s nose not with his fist but with his elbow, a quick swing that strikes his brother in the face and sends him sprawling to the ground.

I’m too shocked to really process any of it.

Alex groans, and Travis says, matter-of-factly, voice low, “Talk to her like that again, and I’ll knock out every one of your teeth.”

Graham makes a noise of agreement, and Ryan sidles in closer to us, his hand settling on my lower back. I lean against it immediately. Dots swim in my vision as Alex drags himself up off the ground, swatting away Bianca’s help with impatient slaps.

Once he’s on his feet, he sort of hunches over, clearly trying to keep from getting blood on his nice shirt. “It’s over for all of you,” he spits out. “I’m going to make Dad look like a fuckingsaint.”

And with that, he turns on his heel and stalks out of the office, past the security guards who have finally arrived, looking bewildered, like they’re not sure who they’re supposed to be protecting.

“You’re fired,” Travis barks at them.

Bianca goes sulking out of the office after Alex.

My best friend.

The dots swimming in my vision expand, and darkness takes over. The last thing I feel is hands and arms coming around me, sweeping me up before I can hit the floor.

Chapter 29

Serena

“Ready the jet. We need to get out of the city.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where is that fucking doctor? She should be?—”

“Right here. Is this?—?”

“Yes, her. She just passed out.”

“Alright.” There’s a cool hand on my cheek, the rustling of a bag next to me. The world is fuzzy, but coming back into focus. “Does she have any allergies? Was there any cause for the fainting spell? Have you seen her faint like this before?”

“Dianne, check her?—”

“No allergies listed in her file, sir.”