Page 13 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“Well, if you don’t like it now, you certainly aren’t going to like this next bit of information,” Ethan sighs. “I thought I saw him yesterday with another woman but wasn’t convinced it was him. But today, there was no mistaking it was him walking hand in hand with someone who was not Verity.”

I curse under my breath as I realise what that means. Verity will have her heart broken, and I’m not sure she’ll cope. If today was anything to go by, she is already balancing on the edge of a breakdown.

“We need to tell her tonight when she comes home,” I sigh as I look in the fridge for a beer. I sigh and grab some water when I don't find one.

“She isn’t going to believe us,” Ethan says as he reaches under the counter and pulls out a bottle of Whiskey.

“Probably not, but there is one way to ensure she listens. It’s also one way of guaranteeing that she has the right support when she needs it, too,” I point out as Ethan pours us both a drink. I pick up my glass and head into the lounge, where I left my phone.

I pick it up and check one last time to see if she has read or replied to the messages I have sent, but all are still showing as unread. I have a feeling that they will stay that way until she gets back tonight. Verity has never been reliable with her phone; she often puts it down and forgets about it for hours. She also locks it in her car when she has a production to avoid anything happening to it in the changing rooms.

I check the clock and see it’s five in the evening. She will be getting ready now, so there is no way I can check in with her. But the one person who could help us to get through to her will be free.

I pull up his number and take a deep breath because I know I’m about to have my ass handed to me for upsetting his sweetheart.

I hold the phone to my ear and wait for the call to connect. After it rings five or six times, I decide to try again later when he answers.

“Hey, it’s me. I think you need to get here. Something’s going on with Verity.”

9

Verity

I have no idea how I managed to get through that performance. I think I ran on autopilot the whole time. I smiled and laughed with the other dancers, but I could feel Jaz and Danni watching me the entire time and knew they would pounce the moment we were alone. But I’m not in the mood for them demanding to know what’s going on. I need a stiff drink, and I know just the place to get it.

Sneaking out of the stage door with my bag over my shoulder, I head towards the pub at the end of the road with no plans of returning home tonight. I‘ll sleep in the car if I have to. I don’t want to face either of the Donavon brothers right now. I’m hoping to get hold of Marshall to see if there is a chance to put things right, even if it takes all night. But when I check my phone, I see messages from Ethan and Ryan, which puts me in an even worse mood.

Heading straight for the bar, I order a vodka and coke. I’ve been in here a few times with Marshall and his friends. Hopefully, he’ll turn up at some point so I can corner him and force him to listen to me.

I’m paying for the drink when a laugh rings out from the back. A smile appears on my face as I rush around, regretting it as soon as he comes into view.

There’s Marshall with another woman on his lap as he and his mates laugh. Marshall looks up at the girl and kisses her, causing my heart to shatter.

Rushing away from the scene before me, I grab my drink and neck it before almost running out of the pub. I stand outside for a moment, numb and in agony all at the same time. Spotting an off-licence at the end of the street, I head in there for a bottle of anything that will help me forget the last couple of days.

The man behind the counter must see something’s wrong as he warns me to be careful as I pay for a bottle of vodka. I nod once and leave, keeping my head down, desperate not to see anyone who may try and stop me.

Sitting inside my car the realisation hit me. I have nowhere to go—no one to call. Jaz will be with her daddies, Danielle will be with the girls having a drink or whatever they do, and I’m drinking vodka out of the bottle in a car with no boyfriend, no friends and two stepbrothers at mine who are determined to ruin what's left of my sanctuary. Where the hell did my life go so wrong?

It doesn’t take long before I’m halfway through the bottle, cold, drunk, and wishing I could just go home to sleep. I don’t usually drink, so this vodka’s gone straight to my head. I hear my phone vibrating for the hundredth time in my glove compartment, where I hid it earlier. Opening it, I see Jasmine's name flashing on the screen. My phone has over twenty missed calls, and her name is at the top of the list. She’s not going to stop until I answer.

“Hello.”

“Finally! Where are you?” Jaz yells.

“In my car,” I answer, leaning back into my seat.

“No, you’re not. Your car is in the car park.”

“I know, I’m in it,” I answer. My words slur a little as I realise I’m even more drunk than I thought. Oh well. I pick up the bottle and have another drink out of it, nearly spraying the contents over the steering wheel when the car door flies open next to me.

“Are you serious?” Jaz yells as she reaches in and takes the bottle from my hand.

“Hey, give that back!” I shout, reaching for it. I know I’m past my limit, so I might as well keep drinking. It’s not like I have anything else to do right now.

“What the fuck are you doing drinking in your car?” Danielle shouts as she approaches.

“I would still be in the pub, but I didn’t feel like watching my boyfriend kissing another woman,” I answer, lifting my phone, which is vibrating in my hand. Ethan's name flashes on the screen. He’s the last person I want to speak to. I drop it on the seat beside me, but Danielle is already at the passenger door and picks it up.

---