Page 49 of Break: Vol. 2

Cody nodded, casting his parents a look. “I’m the same. I love Jamie and she loves me. None of us could force her to choose and we wouldn’t even if we wanted to. Jamie doesn’t deserve to be treated like an object passed between us or a prize awarded to the victor. She has a choice in all of this.”

“And she chose all of us,” Taylor added. “So, this is it. We love her and we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Tears pricked at my eyes, and I squeezed Dare’s hand at Taylor’s words. I really didn’t want to cry in front of my parents—or the guys' families. I didn’t want to show any kind of weakness or anything that could cause them to think I was uncertain about this. It was, quite possibly, the most sure I’d ever been in my life.

“We ask,” Dex went on, “that even if you don’t like our decision that you at the very least respect it. But for now, I think it’s best if we head home so you have time to think about it.”

Dex and Dare helped me up from the table, Cody and Taylor stood as well.

“Think about it?” my dad repeated. “The wedding is tomorrow! You don’t seriously think that I’m going to show up and watch my daughter marry four men, do you? I will not sit back and watch her be passed around like a toy for you to play with.”

Dare dropped my hand and rounded the table at once. I gasped and went after him, only stopping when Taylor stepped in front of me, halting my movement. I had to watch with wide, fearful eyes as Dare pulled my father from his seat and held him up by the lapels of his coat jacket.

“We would never disrespect Jamie like that,” Dare growled.

“Yes! How dare you!” Giselle snapped. “It’s a bit strange, I’ll give you that, but my brother would never hurt a woman.”

“My daughter deserves better!”

“What is that supposed to mean?” My head whipped to the side as Taylor’s mother stood up from the table. “Are you saying that she deserves better than my son too? Donovan is—”

“Enough!” Dex’s low shout startled me and I jerked against Taylor, moving closer as Dex strode around the table and grabbed Darren’s arm, saying something to him in a tone I couldn’t discern. Whatever he said, though, it made Dare release my father. “We’re leaving,” Dex announced again. “No more fighting. If you want to come tomorrow, you’re all welcome. But just know, the wedding will go on as planned. It’s far too late to stop this.” He shot them all with a silencing look, as if daring anyone to say anything to the contrary. They heeded his unspoken warning and remained quiet. “We wanted you all to know beforehand, and now that you know, you can make the decision for yourself. What I will not tolerate, however, is standing here and having you fight amongst yourselves in front of my wife.”

“Come on, Jamie.” I jumped as Cody came up behind me and helped to usher me out of the room. Dex remained a moment more as Taylor and Cody urged me towards the staircase, but after a moment of complete and utter silence, he and Darren joined us.

It wasn’t until they’d filed out with me and we were all in a car heading back to our new suite apartment that I felt like I’d been slammed by a freight train. I found myself curling up in my seat as fresh tears assaulted my eyes and Cody pulled me to his chest while Taylor stroked my hair. I hadn’t exactly expected immediate acceptance, but at the same time … I hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly either.

I just knew I would go to sleep tonight with the image of my parents’ shocked and horrified expressions imprinted on my mind, and if that wasn’t the most tragic part of this evening, I didn’t know what was.

Chapter 7

Isniffed hard and rubbed my face against the impossibly soft pillow that lined the headboard of my new bed. When we got home, the guys had brought me inside and left me alone. Every once in a while, one of them would sneak into the master bedroom where I currently resided and they’d cuddle me close. Then they’d kiss me and tell me things would get better before disappearing once again out the door.

I didn’t know what they were doing, and to be honest, after the dinner fiasco, I kind of didn’t want to. I just wanted to wallow. My phone went off several times—text messages and phone calls from both of my parents. I refused to answer. I didn’t feel like being judged right now. Nothing would change my mind about the guys. It would only serve to make me feel worse.

Be careful what you wished for …I thought to myself.I wanted to be the one to make a sacrifice for the guys instead of it just being Dex and it looked like I was going to get my wish.Unfortunately, it affected all of them too…

“Maybe we should’ve just kept it quiet,” I muttered.

“What, and never told them anything?” I looked up as Taylor came into the room. He pressed the door open wider when I noticed him and strode inside. “Come on, pumpkin, do you really think that would’ve worked?” I sat up as he moved to lean on the edge of the bed.

“No.” I sniffed again. “Probably not.”

His hand came up and a thumb brushed gently under my eyes. “Then no more tears. We did what we could. We were honest. We’re not hurting anybody. Let them make their decision.”

I looked up at him. “How can you be so okay with this?” I asked. “What if your parents don’t want to talk to you again?”

He laughed. “My parents will get over it. My dad always liked you. He’ll eventually just be happy with the fact that Ididend up getting you.” He rolled his eyes in playful frustration. “You have no clue the kinda bullshit I had to put up with when he thought you were marrying another man. And Mom’s … well, she was a teenage hippy. They both live in California. Believe me when I say if anyone’s going to be okay with it, they are.”

I chuckled at that. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

He turned his head and pounced on me, pushing me back against the mattress as he rose over me. “Maybe?” he repeated with a wicked grin. “I’m always right.”

I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn’t say that…”

“Oh no?” He lifted a brow as he brought both of his hands down on my sides and began to squeeze and release, curling his fingers into my ribs. I screamed.

“Stop!” I laughed as he did it faster.

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