Page 69
“He hit you?”
I shake my head. “No, he just grabbed my face when we were arguing.”
“You are not marrying him.” The command in his voice leaves no room for argument. Tucker thinks his word is law but I won’t give in. I love my brothers to pieces but they don’t get to dictate my life and control me.
“I love him and you can’t stop me.”
A look of total desperation crosses my brother’s face as he frantically tries to come up with something, anything to stop this from happening. I wish that he could just be happy for me.
“If you marry him, I’m not going to be around to see it.”
What?
The tears start pouring down my face.
“You won’t come to my wedding?” I ask, my voice quivering but this has to be some mistake because Tucker would never do that to me. My big brother, my protector, would never intentionally cause me any pain.
He shakes his head, his mouth in a thin line. “I won’t be a part of your life at all. It’s him or us.”
No.
A sob rips through me and Tucker’s face softens for just a moment before he finds his resolve again. Yeah, he’s not going to give in and he doesn’t seem to care that he’s just gutted me. Trey looks like he’s going to be sick.
“Please don’t do this,” I plead. Maybe I can make him see reason before he does something that will change our relationship forever.
Neither one says anything. I remain silent also, making my decision. I can’t believe my brothers would do this to me. It hurts more than I could ever describe.
“You choose him then?” Tucker asks.
I nod and whisper, “Yes.”
Tucker grunts and Trey releases a stuttered breath. When I look at him, there is so much pain and sadness swimming in his eyes. Tucker turns and grabs Trey’s arm, pushing him along with him. Just when I think that’s it, Tucker turns back to me.
“Bye, baby girl,” he says and I sob harder.
As they walk away, I can hear Trey arguing with him but they don’t turn back to me again. I fall to my knees, the gravel tearing up my skin, and cry. Fat tears spill out of my eyes as I lean my back against the building and sob for the loss of my brothers.
I’m in shock over what just happened. It feels surreal, like I dreamed it or something, but the pain in my heart lets me know it really happened. I always thought my brothers were the two men who would never abandon me. I guess I was wrong.
“Emma? Baby, what’s wrong?” Ryan yells after coming around the side of the building to find me crying in the dirt. He kneels down next to me and runs his hands over my face.
“M-m-my brothers,” I say but can’t get any more out before another sob racks my body.
“What about your brothers, sweetheart?” He looks more and more concerned with every passing moment.
“They m-made me ch-choose. Them or you.”
Shock registers on his face and he scrubs a hand over his face before wrapping his arms around me.
“Who did you choose?”
“You.”
“Oh, baby. I love you,” he replies, squeezing me tighter. “What can I do for you?”
“Just take me home, Ryan.” He nods, scoops me up in his arms, and carries me to the car.
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