DEMI
My phone has been ringing off the hook. I dry my eyes, turn it off and chuck it at the far end of the room. Soone raps softly on my door.
"Demi? Are you up?" My uncle asks.
I dry my eyes and pull my duvet over my head.
"No."
He opens the door and lets himself in. I feel the edge of my bed dip as his weight sinks into it. When he tries to pull the duvet off my head, I fight back to keep it on.
"You can’t hide in here forever."
"Watch ."
I’m going to rot in this room. It would be better than facing any of my ties back in Danvarr. I am mortified by how gullible I was. I am ashad that my quest for revenge was never mine to begin with, but a small part of a major sche. How did I never suspect Liam? How did he trick for so long? I thought I was in control of the plan. I thought I was the star player in the ga only to find out I was a pawn the whole ti.
Just when I had co to my senses and wanted to call everything off, Liam and his accomplices already planned to heap hot coals of bla on , bla I can’t defend myself from. He has recordings of all our conversation, pictures of our etings. He could fabricate whatever cri he wanted and peg as the culprit.
And Ashton? He would never believe or forgive . As much as his father deserves to go down, Ashton has shown remorse and willingness to change. I believe he deserves a second chance.
I wish I could sohow convince him that Liam set up but it’s too late now. No one will buy that line, not with the overwhelming evidence stacked against . Maybe I deserve to be frad as a punishnt for the malice I bore in my heart for so long. This is my karma for not listening to my uncle, Mrs. Regan and everyone else who warned along my journey to let bygones be bygones.
"Can you at least eat sothing? You haven’t had anything to eat or drink since you arrived last night."
"I’m not hungry, uncle Marcel. I just want to be left alone." Sniffling, I pull a pillow to my chest and hug it tightly.
"Demi, you can’t run away from your problems by staying cooped up in a room. You won’t even tell what the matter is? You showed up at my ho at midnight with a teary face and cried through the night. What’s really going on? Is this about the accusations of infidelity and your impending divorce?"
"I don’t want to talk about it..."
"You have to say sothing to before my overthinking gets the better of ." He runs a hand over his face and stares intently at for a few seconds. "I know you’re hurting but sohow, I have a hunch that the problem runs deeper than a marital spat."
"Please uncle, just stop."
He sighs heavily before leaving . Alone, I cry even harder. By noon, my uncle returns with my lunch in a tray, only to find my breakfast untouched. My eyes are bloodshot now. He drops the food and attempts to apologize to .
"I’m sorry, Demi. I’m just so worried about you."
"I’ll be fine. I just need a day or two away from Danvarr to collect my thoughts before returning. I’ll sort out my problems thereafter."
"No, I’m sorry that while you were asleep, I ca in and broke into your phone. I needed to contact soone close to you in order to know what’s going on and how best to help you..."
I slowly pull myself up, eyes wide with terror. "You what? Who did you call, uncle?" My eyes track to my phone on the side drawer. I reached for it and dive into my call logs.
"I just thought that..."
"YOU CALLED MY HUSBAND?" I almost cried in shock, seeing Ashley’s na atop the log. "YOU TOLD HIM WHERE TO FIND ?"
"No, Demi. I was only trying to find a close contact to call but once I turned your phone on, a call ca through. I grew conflicted about taking your call so I didn’t pick up. However, I copied out the number and called afterwards. He’s on his way to see you."
My heart is galloping in my chest. "Ashley is coming here?"
How could I have forgotten what it was like to live with relatives and how they tend to get nosy under the guise of being worried? Aunt Elizabeth and Kira always abused my right to privacy by touching my things but I never figured uncle Marcel would do the sa.
I leap to my feet. Danvarr is about eight hours away. If Ashley is already on his way here, then I don’t have a lot of ti to take off. The call was already an hour and the half old. That’s about how long it should take the quads on their private jet to get here and I have no doubt they’d opt for quicker transportation given the fire I am accused of lighting in their lives before absconding.
"Demi, hold on. What’s the hurry? I am here. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of." Uncle says after he finds freshened up and throwing my things in a small bag.
I ignore him and continue packing. Relentlessly, he continues to assure of safety with him. He had no idea what he was saying. While we get into a brief, heated exchange about our differing perspectives on the poor way each of us has handled my sudden appearance in his city, his doorbell rings. My neck whips in the direction of the living room.
Ashley is here already?
"I’ll go get it. You stay here, ok? He’s not taking you back ho if you’re not ready to go. He’s just here to speak with ."
"That’s not his car." I reply, alard. The car parked in front of my uncle’s house is very unfamiliar. "There are no bodyguards either." Though that shouldn’t surprise as much, it still makes the hairs on my forearms tingle. I pull away from the window, pale as a ghost.
Who the fuck was at the door?
***
"I’ll get the door."
"No!" My uncle stops . "It’s my house and you’re a guest. I’ll get it. Stay here." My fingers turn to ice glaciers as I watch him leave. I almost jump out of my skin when my phone rings. I pick the phone and gasp at Ashley’s call.
"Demi?"
"Ashley?"
"Where have you been? I’ve been calling."
My lips curl in a sneer over his fake concern. How can he act like he’s bothered about when he turned my life into an obstacle course by leaking mine and Liam’s photos to Billion-Err? He hasn’t even apologized to for being yet to debunk the unsavory accusations the dia levied against .
"What do you want?" I ask dryly, glancing towards the door. "Why are you here?"
"Where?"
"Here, at my..."
"DEMI?" My uncle calls loudly. "YOUR FRIEND, ANNA, IS HERE."
"Anna?" I mutter under my breath. How could Anna show up here? She doesn’t have this address.
"Demi? Is Anna with you? Where exactly are you? We really need to talk." Ashley insists before I hang up on him. After a knock, my door swings open and uncle Marcel walks in, smiling brightly.
"Demi, your best friend is here. Ashley thought you’d feel better seeing your friend so he sent her instead."
Chills crawl up my arms when Cree Baxter walks in.
"Hi bestie." She coos before giving a hug. Then she whispers into my ear. "Play along, Demi. You wouldn’t want to upset Liam, trust ." She eases back, the fake smile tugging at her lips. I remain speechless as my heart thuds in my chest.
"I’m mad at you, Demi. How could you just up and leave without telling your friend?"
"Uncle Marcel? Could you give us so privacy?" I politely ask him with a feigned smile. Naïve to the real situation, he beams at before shutting the door behind him. Cree takes a lazy tour of my room, running her fingers over polished surfaces with an uncertain look in her eyes.
"Nice space." She complints.
"How did you all find ?"
"Oh jeez, Demi. It’s Liam for goodness’ sake, the tech wiz you confided in for years until yesterday. Did you think he didn’t keep tabs on you and all your ergency contacts? Be for real."
I did tell Liam about uncle Marcel the mont my aunt called him to Danvarr. Liam must have had my uncle monitored since then.
"You’re part of them too?" I am running out of shocks at this point. Who isn’t in on Liam’s plan? Everyone around appears to be his minions.
"As are you, Demi."
"No. I already told Liam I am out."
Cree chuckles as she sinks on my bed and stretches out on the duvet. "Well, Liam decided he still has use for you. He’s got great plans for the quads’ upcoming birthday and he figured no one but you can spice things up."
The quad’s birthday? Liam wants to use to hurt them?
"What are you talking about?"
"You’d know if you haven’t been ignoring Liam’s calls. Not cool, though. He’s pissed and now he doesn’t plan to be gentle with you anymore. You’re his new muse. He literally rerouted his entire ga plan around you so you co out at the end scathed and barely alive." She sits up and winks at . "I’m here to pass that ssage. Go back to Danvarr. Get ready. Stay close to your phone. When the instructions co, don’t question it. Just do it. Trust , I’ve seen a side of Liam that’s not sunshine and rainbows. You wouldn’t want to cross him by doing anything stupid to fuck with his plans."
I don’t doubt her. Liam turned out to be a viper. I’m sure he’s nothing like the guy he presented to for years.
"What is he planning, Cree? What does he want to do on their birthday?"
"He wants a spectacular show with you at the helm of it. What else could it possibly be?" She lurches to her feet. "I’m done here. Call Liam as soon as you return ho." She walks towards the door. "One last thing. I know sowhere in your mind, you believe you can rewrite your wrongs and save Ashton at the very least. I’d advise you to expunge that thought. The Rollins’ family deserve what’s coming to them and even if they deserve a second chance, you’d be hard pressed to find a way to stop their destruction at this point. The sooner you realize that, the better for you."
"Cree?"
"What?"
"Why did you agree to help Liam? I’m certain it’s not because you’ve been hurt by the Rollins’ family too. If that were the case, your eyes wouldn’t feel so empty while you speak of Liam’s revenge or the fate of the Rollins family; it lacks passion or spirit. You’re nothing more than a ssenger." I edge closer to her as she stills at my words. "What could be driving you to help him? What has Liam got on you?"
She takes a deep breath and scoops her hair out of her eyes.
"Clock’s ticking, Branson. No stupid moves." She pulls the door open and almost collides into uncle Marcel escorting one of the quads to my room.
"Look who showed up after all, Demi. Your husband!"
I tear my eyes away from my dumb uncle and take one look at our newest guest. My throat dries up. That’s not Ashley!
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