Page 51 of Theirs

Chapter 15

“There’s our girl,” Mac says as I hang up the keys to the Porsche. He’s sitting in Colin and Ben’s living room with the guys while they watch the game. Ben mutes the TV as I join them, sitting on Mac’s lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“I missed you,” I tell Mac, even though it’s only been a day. It feels like it’s been weeks.

“I missed you too, Kitten,” he says, placing a kiss on my forehead. “How was breakfast with your brother?”

“It was fine. I told him,” I say. “I feel like a boulder has been lifted off my chest.”

“Good girl,” he says, nuzzling my neck. I’m still wearing the necklace that he had me wear to the wedding. He gently places kisses where the jewelry meets my skin.

“What happened?” Alex asks softly.

“I didn’t tell them a thing,” Mac whispers in my ear. “That’s for you to tell when you feel comfortable.”

I nod, and take a deep breath in, and let it out, pulling back from Mac. “I think I should tell them now. And then I want to do something fun, I don’t want to think about that asshole again today—or ever again.”

I sit up straight on Mac’s lap, and look at the three other guys. They patiently wait for me to tell them why I went out to brunch with my brother. Ben is leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. Colin sits back in the arm chair, his legs propped up on the coffee table, crossed at the ankles. Alex sits right next to us, gripping a pint glass in his hands, he looks like I’m about to break his heart.

I tell them what happened. Starting with the wedding Friday night, and taking care of Gisele only to find out that history was repeating itself and that I couldn’t let that happen. I tell the guys about Matthew Barnes and what he did to me, I watch as they each appear to know his name already. I guess Matthew had a bigger reputation in Chicago than I thought. Alex looks like he’s going to go on a man hunt. I tell the guys that I’m okay, that I finally told my brother, and I just want to bury the past.

“Matthew Barnes,” Alex growls through gritted teeth. “I’ll fucking kill him.”

I give Alex a sad smile. “I don’t think that will be good for your career, Alex. Pretty sure you’ll get disbarred for that.”

“Fuck my career!” Alex says, slamming his glass down and standing up to pace back and forth. He runs a hand through his hair, and I stand up, blocking his path.

“Alex,” I whisper, grabbing his hands, and holding them in front of my chest, he won’t meet my eyes. “Look at me, I’m okay. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger, right?”

Alex looks at me, but his jaw is still clenched. I reach a hand up and run my fingers over his cheek until he relaxes and closes his eyes.

“I’m fine,” I whisper to him when he presses his forehead to mine. “I’m fine.”

He leans in and places a soft kiss to my lips, and then wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me against him.

“You’re so strong, Teagan,” he tells me. “So strong.”

“Let’s go day-drink like heathens,” I say, pulling back from Alex. “Let’s see how many White Claws I can have before Mac cuts me off.”

“I heard that, young lady,” Mac says from behind me.

Grabbing Alex’s hand, I pull him to the kitchen and grab some drinks out of the fridge. He grabs some beer for the guys and follows me out of the house to the patio. Alex doesn’t take his eyes off of me for the rest of the evening.

***

Colin drops me off at Alex’s office the following Friday for my date with Alex. I follow his directions and take the elevator up to the twentieth floor, and walk down the hall where I’m greeted by the front desk receptionist. She looks me up and down, in my ripped jeans, white tee, and leather jacket.

“Can I help you, hun?” she asks.

I clear my throat. “I’m here to see Alexander White. He’s expecting me. I’m Teagan”

She dials a number on her phone after not finding me on Alex’s schedule. “Mr. White, you have a Teagan here, she says you’re expecting her,” says the woman, who begins to stutter over her words. “Oh, okay, yes. I’ll send her back.”

I smile smugly at the woman, who looks disappointed that she didn’t get to send me away.

“It’s the very last door at the end of the hall,” she says, typing something into her computer.

“Thank you so much, hun,” I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I head in the direction she told me.

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