Page 24 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
“You’d rather face charges than let me talk to my girlfriend?” Brad scoffed.
“Ex-girlfriend,” a voice spoke from behind us.
I cringed as I turned around, catching a glimpse of Elise as she walked toward Brad, her chin held out defiantly, her back stiff, and a look of grim determination in her eyes.
“Elle, come on, baby,” Brad said.
“Don’t call me baby,” she said. “I always hated it when you called me that, but now, it makes my skin crawl.”
Nolan stepped up beside me, and I glared at him. He should have gotten her out the back or found a way to keep her back there, not let her come up here to confront this asshole. He looked back at me, and shrugged and mouthing the words, “Her choice,” to me.
Her choice, my ass. We were supposed to protect her from him. Nolan shouldn’t have let her in here. Gently, Trevor took her arm, but she pulled away sharply, and glared at him. The heat between the two of them was obvious. There was more than just anger in that look, however. Something deeper. Something I couldn’t define but was curious about all the same.
“Brad, please,” Elise said, turning her attention back to her ex, “All I ask is you be a decent person, and let us stay here until the weather lets up. We’ll pay for our stay, you know I’m good for it, and we’ll be on our way as soon as the roads are clear enough to drive. I want out of here as much as you want us out of here.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said, but then his voice took a more aggressive turn when he nodded toward the men. “I just want them gone. You and I can work things out, Elle.”
“No, we can’t,” she said with a sigh, then rubbed her temples, the tightness obvious in her shoulders and neck. “We’ve had problems before, and I’m just tired, Brad. I don’t want to hash it out here, in front of an audience. Just let us stay here for a day or two longer in peace, please? I’ve never asked you for anything, and I’m asking you for just this one thing.”
“I’ll agree to this, only if you’ll talk to me once this is all over and done with,” Brad said.
I piped up, “She doesn’t owe you shit, man.”
Elise shot me a look, that made me fall silent. She then cast a dark look and held her hand up to stop Trevor from saying anything too.
“Guys, I’ve got this. Please, let me handle my own problems,” she said. “I’m a big girl now. I appreciate your help, but you’re not making this situation any easier.”
Yes she was. She was a big girl now. A grown woman. It was sometimes difficult for me to remember it, but it was a very true statement. Still, she was Aaron’s baby sister, and that was something none of us could forget. We’d promised him – and their parents – that we’d look after her. That we’d protect her and keep her safe.
Of course, that meant sometimes sitting back and letting her work out her own issues – as tough a pill to swallow as that might be.
“Brad, we can talk once we’re back in Greenville,” she said. “I can’t promise you anything more than that, but we’ll talk. I give you my word. Just give me some space for now.”
Brad’s jaw clenched tightly, and he furrowed his brow as he looked over at the four of us. He wanted to say something snarky or aggressive but thought better of it for once.
Then he turned to Elise, and his face softened. I saw something in his eyes – it was almost like he loved her. Hell, maybe he did, in his own way. She was an easy woman to love. I didn’t believe for a second though, that a man like Brad was genuinely capable of loving anybody but himself. To a man like Brad, somebody like Elise was a possession, something he owned. Something that was his, by right – and in his mind, he didn’t like us interfering with what rightfully belonged to him.
“Fine,” he said. “Do what you want. I just need to grab a few things and then I’ll leave the five of you alone to do your thing.”
His voice dripped with sarcasm. He was clearly not happy, and he wanted Elise to know. Judging by the way he scowled at her as he pushed his way past the four of us, it was clear he was beyond pissed off and jealous. “Ready?” Chase asked, stepping up to Elise.
Elise nodded, not looking at any of us. “Yes, let’s pay and get the hell out of here.”
“Back to the cabin then,” I said.
“Right,” she said. “Back to the cabin.”
