Page 54 of My Ex-Best Friends

Finn held up his hands and shook his head. “I’m not here for her.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?” I sat forward. “Can’t imagine we have a lot to talk about.”

He crossed his arms and stopped with one foot on the first step of my porch. “I have something you might want to know.”

“I have something for you, too,Finn Love, and if you don’t scurry away, you’ll get it.” Colt took a step closer.

“I’m not here for Brooke. There are other ways to get what I want. I’m here to help you guys. I know a few things that I think you should know.” Finn licked his lips nervously and rushed on. “I came here because she was messaging me. She was thinking of leaving town again and she needed a place to stay.”

I stood up then. “Alright. You’re done. You can go.”

“I can show you.” He braved coming up a few more steps with his phone held out. “Things got a little heated but I was going to marry her so I’m not sorry for that. She thought she could keep me hanging on but when I needed her yesterday, she humiliated me.”

I snatched the phone and scrolled through pages of messages. The shit on there made my stomach churn. “They’re fake.Brooke isn’t interested in leaving, or in you, Finn. Whatever game you’re trying to play to get back at her, save your breath. And your teeth.”

Colt growled. “Or don’t.”

“That’s not all!” His face burned red. “She was pregnant.”

“That’s not our business.”

“It is. It was your kid. One of you got her pregnant.” He watched wariness and anger flood our faces and I could see the hunger on his face grow as he saw he’d gotten our attention. “She slept with you three before she left town, right? She was pregnant. She ran and got rid of the kid.”

Colt stormed around me and Noah to grab Finn around the throat. He marched him down the steps and shoved him towards his car. “You’re done.”

“She told me that she didn’t want to have a kid with you guys. She never told anyone here, not even her crazy mom or aunt. She might be back for now but she’s not the type to settle in this little shit hole town.” He flinched when Colt turned on him again. “I just thought you should know. Before you let her in again.”

“You’re so full of shit.” Noah shook his head. “This whole thing is pathetic. Just accept your loss, asshole.”

“It was a little girl.” He opened his car door and hesitated. “Whatever she’s been telling you…it’s bullshit. You saw the messages. She was sexting me just two nights ago.”

I stood until he drove away and then I sank back into my chair. My chest was rising and falling like I’d been running. “What was she doing with that asshole? How did she ever consider marrying him?”

Colt turned on me. “Maybe we don’t know her as well as we think we do.”

“Shut the fuck up, Colt. None of that’s true. You know better.” I had a bitter taste in my mouth. “Noah?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s crazy. She wouldn’t keep something like that from us.”

“We’ll find out tonight when she gets home.” Colt let the screen door slam behind him as he went inside. All the shit he’d gotten past since Brooke returned was back. The anger was firmly back in place.

I looked at Noah. “No way is any of it true.”

“I need a drink.”

43

***Brooke***

Iwas frustrated when I got home that evening. I was stuck on the mural. I was close to finishing it and like always, I was frozen at the end. I’d stared at the stupid wall for hours and hours, unable to lift my paintbrush a single time. I’d been hoping the curse of not being able to finish anything had lifted. Apparently, it hadn’t.

I walked into the house, expecting to have one of the guys hug me and ask me why I was pouting. Instead, I heard nothing. Their vehicles were all there, though, so I knew they were home. “Hello? Where is everyone?”

“In here.” Logan’s voice was flat. A weird sense of foreboding hit me as I followed the sound to the living room.

The three of them were sitting on one couch, their energy dark. I wanted to make a joke but I didn’t get the impression that they were in a laughing mood. I stood across from them, my nerves skyrocketing. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Colt’s eyes were cold as he looked at me. “Were you pregnant ten years ago, Brooke?”

---