Cheat [MxM] (Carter Brothers Book 1)

Chapter 25

While I'd been running low on my emotions, still open and raw, Jae had spoken to me that night about seeing a therapist to help me deal with everything, not even just the divorce but how my childhood played a large part in how I'd ended up in this mess. He thought it'd be good for me to have someone to talk to, a professional who could guide me and had a different perspective other than he and Evan. I'd agreed, partly to please him and partly because I really didn't like the way I'd been feeling lately and although being with Jae had slowed the inevitable boiling point I was reaching, I knew that it would approach at some point in the near future.

The next day, I'd been sleeping with Ollie tucked against me and had woken up to Jae standing over me dressed like he was going to war. The black cargo pants and laced up, black timberlands on his feet made for an intimidatingly sexy combination. The matching, tight, black shirt he wore hugged his muscles and I was not entirely surprised to see black eyeliner smudged across his eyelids. "Where are you going?" I rasped in confusion, sitting up after carefully untangling myself from Ollie.

"To hell," he sang, an evil grin spread across his face, like he was about to go and set some shit on fire and fucking enjoy watching it burn. 'Hell' turned out to be my house and he and Evan had planned to go and start moving things out behind my back. I'd been a mixture of worried and pissed off, feeling sick to my stomach at the thought of Renee and Jae in the same room together. Not to mention the rage I'd felt when neither would let me go with them.

"Jae, no. I don't feel okay with this!" I'd protested as I blocked the front door, trapping Evan and him inside the apartment. My brother wasn't so ominously dressed, but his matching khaki cargo pants and boots made him look like a soldier and I was reminded of how strong he was when he picked me up and deposited me off to the side so Jae could make a break for the door. He managed to get outside, his face apologetic, but not totally regretful.

"I'm sorry Ezra, but we need to do this. The quicker it gets done, the better. Don't worry about Renee, I can give as good as I get and I don't want you around them right now either. Trust me?" He asked me, his eyes searching as I struggled my way free from Evan's arms, torn between punching him in the face and making a dash for the door. Ollie woke up, crying in the bedroom and my momentary distraction allowed the both of them to escape.

I couldn't leave Ollie unattended, so instead of following them out to the elevator, I retreated to the bedroom, frustrated and hurt. For the whole day, I'd been in a mood and Ollie had picked up on it of course. He'd been even worse, the two of us sulking indoors like a pair of caged lions. Jae and Evan went back and forth, but I ignored them, locking myself away in Jae's bedroom like a child. The living room quickly filled up and I could hear their muffled conversations as they worked.

Eventually, evening came around and I was still sulking when Evan entered, sweaty and shirtless. He walked over to the bed and sat beside me, raising an eyebrow at the sight of me huddled up on the bed. "You done being difficult?" He asked, his grey eyes amused and serious all at the same time. I almost punched him is smug face. Instead, I turned my back on him but he grabbed me, wrapping his burly arms around my own and pulling my back against his sweaty chest.

"I'm sick and tired of you throwing me around! Get the fuck off me!" I hissed as I struggled, but Evan laughed, squeezing me tighter until I felt like my ribs would crack. Jesus fucking Christ. Ollie sat just a meter away on the bed, watching the two of us struggle with a glower, like all the noise was disrupting his angsty peace. He sucked on his pacifier aggressively, Lambie in his arms as he glared.

"You fucking love it," Evan smirked, burying his face against my neck as he cuddled me against my will. "Everything was fine, honestly. Renee was there and she tried it with Jae, but he shut her right down. Your man's gotta mouth on him, left her speechless. She went into hiding after he called her a 'shit stain in Satan's underwear'. Throw in a few condescending 'sweethearts' and then Jae down right ignoring her as he walked around like he owned the place and she just about stomped off with her tail tucked between her legs."