Page 50 of My Ex-Boyfriend's Brothers

“If you really want us to leave, we’ll go tonight. I didn’t mean to upset you, Maggie. It’s not easy… You know what? We can talk tomorrow.” Luke walked over and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Get some sleep.”

My fury drained out of me with that kiss. I watched them all make their way to the door and I felt a sudden bolt of fear. I didn’t want to send them away like that. I knew from personal experience just how short life could be. I took a deep breath and nearly choked on it when Luke pulled the door open.

“Wait.”

Luke slammed the door closed and stalked back to me. He picked me up and I wrapped myself around him with a sad whimper. “It’s okay, baby. We’re not going anywhere.”

“I don’t want you to. I’m sorry. I want you here. I just… I would never do that! I would never cheat on you guys. Or… betray you.Whatever. You have to know that. That’s not me.” I sucked in a shuddering breath. “Do you really think I’d do that?”

“Get her stuff.” Luke held me tight. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to see you be stolen away by Brad over and over again. We were going to tell him the truth when he asked us what was going on tonight. I’m not a man who feels the need to hide something I’m proud of. You’re right, though. We should’ve known better. We watched you give Brad loyalty that he’d never deserved for three long years. You’re not a woman who’d cheat.”

I sniffed. “Also, what kind of woman has three men and still needs to cheat? I care about you guys. Do you not understand that? Is this just…sex for you?”

Ryan growled. “No. It’s not just sex. We’re fucking stupid, Maggie, but we’re notthatstupid. We know a good thing when we see it.”

“Alright. Ready.” Jackson hefted my suitcase and held my gaze. “We’ll move the rest of your things tomorrow or buy you all new. I just want to get you to a bed.”

Luke sighed. “Jackson. Really?”

I rested my head on his shoulder. “No, Jackson’s right. Bed sounds nice.”

“You’re dead on your feet, baby. You’re going to bed to sleep.” Carrying me out of my room, Luke held me tight. “This isn’t your room anymore. Got it?”

I wanted to fight him carrying me but I didn’t have it in me. I just wanted to be close to them. “Okay.”

“As soon as this shit is over, you’re taking some time off, Bubbles. You need a break and I need you.” Jackson carried my suitcase and a serious frown on his face. “This wedding is wearing you down.”

I sighed. “It’s not the wedding. It’s Brad.”

“Then it seems like our little brother needs a kick to the ass.” Ryan’s random flares of anger were more than a littlesurprising and surprisingly attractive. He’d always been so laid back around me.

Pressing my lips to Luke’s neck, I let out a soft breath. “I’m not too tired.”

Luke walked faster. “We’ll see.”

42

***Maggie***

The next few days were full of wedding things. Even with Devon at my side, I was pulled in a dozen different directions all day long. Guests had started arriving and despite it not being my job, I’d somehow taken over making sure everyone was happy. I barely saw Christina and I only saw the guys at night when I crawled into bed, genuinely too tired to do anything other than kick my shoes off. Brad filled as much of my time as he could, insisting on overseeing even the most mundane tasks.

When I did see the guys at night, they were moody at their brother and everything else. Except for me. They held me tight and turned into teddy bears for me every night. It was the most soothing thing I could’ve wished for. I wanted more time with them but I just had to get through the wedding.

Four days before the wedding, I was lost in the smallest details of the wedding when Luke found me. The company I’d hired to hang drapery around the ceremony space had brought the wrong shade of white and the lodge owners were suddenlynervous about the amount of candles that were going to be present. I was on the phone with the drapery company and focused on rearranging the chairs in the ceremony space when someone wrapped their arms around me.

I’d been so lost in what I was doing that I screamed. I spun around and saw it was Luke frowning down at me. I kept the phone pressed to my ear but I couldn’t hear whatever was being said to me over my racing heart.

Luke slipped the phone from my hand and pressed it to his ear. “You’ll fix your mistake and get it done by tomorrow. I’ll pay for whatever express charges arise, but if you don’t get it done, you won’t like me. You can call me back when you have your answer. Luke Heath.”

When he ended the call and handed the phone to me, I stared at him in shock. It took a few moments to register what he’d done and then the frustration set in. “Luke. I can take care of things myself. This is my job.”

“I know you can.” He stared back at me with such a calm look on his face that I suddenly wanted to push him.

“You’re so heavy-handed. Do you just walk around taking over things for everyone? Do you do this to Ryan and Jackson?”

His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. “No.”

I growled. “Then why do you think you can do it to me?”

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