Page 29 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
The guys and I already know what a piece of work Helen is. What a saboteur Crystal can be. I’m worried they’re not done tormenting her. That the worst is yet to come and it revolves around her twenty-fifth birthday and her right to the twenty-five percent stake in Baldwin Enterprises.
But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
My comfort on the soft sand is short-lived as my phone buzzes.
“Seriously?” I mutter at the sight of a video message from Matthew. “What the fuck does he want?”
Only one way to find out, so I half-heartedly open it and press play.
Matthew comes into focus, sitting at his kitchen table. I recognize the black and white backsplash behind him, along with his fancy espresso machine. We actually got that as a gift for him and Phoebe, for their new home as a married couple, knowing how much she loves specialty coffee.
The prick.
“Hey, Dom. It made more sense to record this than to write a long message,” he says. “I wanted to start off by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got dragged into this mess between Phoebe and me. It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”
I hit pause and curse under my breath before I let the video play again. Every word coming out of his mouth makes my blood boil.
“I should’ve ended things differently with Phoebe, I see that now. There’s been enough public backlash for me to see the error of my ways.”
It took public backlash for him to realize he’s a piece of shit. Wow.
“I am truly sorry for hurting her, but I think the truth is, I panicked. I got cold feet and I needed a reason to break things off, so I picked an easy and hurtful way out. Then you guys got involved, and well, here we are. I’d like to make it up to her, to make it up to the three of you, as well, so why don’t you all just come back to New York as soon as possible so we can talk about it. I’m sure we can find a way forward. I miss her. And I miss you, my best friends.”
“You’re joking,” I say aloud, then almost laugh, shocked by the sudden turn he just took.
Is he out of his fucking mind? Has he been snorting bad coke at Studio 87? No, this can’t be real. I reject it. He humiliated Phoebe. In public. More than once. He posted himself with another woman and called her an upgrade. He’s playing at something here. And what really grinds my gears is that Matthew thinks I might actually buy into it.
I take a deep breath and hit record, preparing a video message of my own. I start off with a clear shot of Phoebe splashing in the water, laughing and having the time of her life, gorgeous in her black bathing suit beneath the silver light of the moon.
I then turn the camera on myself and smile.
“Hey, Matthew. So, there’s your ex-fiancée, happier than she ever was with you,” I begin. “Don’t think for a second that I can’t see straight through this bullshit remorseful act of yours. I should’ve taken the red flags more seriously over the years, but it’s never too late to right a wrong. Here’s where we stand right now.
“You fucked up. And for all the hurt you’ve caused, for all your selfishness and emotional damage, the guys and I plan on spending the rest of our lives making sure Phoebe is treated like the queen she is. And you’re going to watch us spoil her, claim her, and bring out the best parts of her. You’re going to watch as she falls in love with us, as she goes on to live her best life, as far away from you as possible, you miserable sack of shit. You don’t deserve her,” I add. “You never did.”
I send it, breathing a sigh of relief.
The process was almost therapeutic. Cathartic, even, as I laugh and shift my focus to my beautiful Phoebe. She’s having the timeof her life swimming toward the deeper water and letting the waves carry her back.
“Just don’t go too far,” I warn her. “There’s still an undercurrent.”
“I’m okay. I make sure I can feel the bottom wherever I am,” she reassures me, then dives headfirst into an incoming wave.
I watch as the foam splits open and she disappears into the water, only to emerge a couple of feet further ahead, stretching her arms out and giggling with delight.
“My God, the water is absolutely perfect at this hour,” she says. “Best decision I made tonight.”
“Thisis your best decision?” I chuckle softly.
“Right after I let you do that thing with your fingers and tongue.”
“I look forward to doing it again, then.”
My cock stirs as the memory from earlier tonight comes into focus. Phoebe was made for us, there’s no doubt about it. I love the way she opens up to us, the way she loses herself altogether when she’s in my arms.
Soon enough, we’ll take this to the next level. And she’ll see what it’s like to truly be adored.
My phone pings again.
