Brad woke up as irritated as he was when he went to sleep. Paige and Bre were both upset...with him.
Fuck.
Paige had every right to have gotten upset. Brad mis-spoke and now she thought he was going to leave her for Bre. Even though he had considered it, he didn't mean to directly tell her that. He was in love with her still, and wanted to marry her, and didn't want to hurt her unnecessarily. Make her jealous, yes. Give her a panic attack, no.
She was also now holed up in their cottage, their special place, with that fucking maniac. They might not be having sex there, especially with the condition Paige was currently in...but that man was still in his bed, and whichever band members were there now knew it, which was a blow to his ego.
Bre shouldn't have gotten upset about Paige. There was no need for her to be, but Bre was kind-hearted and tended to take on responsibility that wasn't necessary for her to take, so she felt like she was the one who had hurt Paige. She was quiet, sad, and distant from him the rest of the evening. He felt like she was being extra sensitive from having an overly emotional day, but he let it be and gave her space. He wasn't going to push her. The only thing he wasn't going to compromise on was sleeping next to her. She hadn't said a thing about it, but if she had, he was prepared to insist upon it.
Bre was currently facing away from him and not touching him. He quietly checked the time on his phone. She needed to be awake in about twenty minutes. He snuggled up against her and started kissing her neck. She stirred and he slid his hand down into her pajama pants. After a couple minutes of coaxing she stretched and rolled over onto her back. He started kissing her then trailed his kisses all the way down to between her legs, finishing her within minutes, then climbing on top of her.
When he finished, he held her until her alarm went off, then he reached over and switched it off, kissed her temple, and said, "Morning, beautiful".
She kissed his neck and said nothing. He suspected she was still upset.
After they were ready for work, Brad asked her how she was going to handle communicating to Steve about Christmas.
"I'll text him", she replied.
"Make sure you set some boundaries in that text, baby, unless you want a repeat of Sunday".
Her brow furrowed and she nodded.
"I can help", he offered but she shook her head.
"I'll do it on my lunch break", she told him.
Brad still hadn't heard from Paige about when she was coming home so he texted her before he left for work- You get a flight yet?
...........................................................................
The rest of my evening was less than ideal. Jake welcomed Rev with open arms...literally...he gave him a hug, but Clay was barely cordial.
I explained that while Brad and I were still together, he was currently with someone else, leaving Bre's name out of it...and that he gave me permission to be back with Rev.
Jake was all for it. "You two are so progressive!", he exclaimed with sparkling eyes.
"If you're okay with this situation, why are you having a panic attack?", Clay asked suspiciously.
I sighed. "Because apparently Brad isn't giving her up. I thought this was a short term thing so we were even...but he doesn't see it that way, which is why he said okay to Rev. I'd really prefer not to advertise this. I don't think my brother or Steve would understand".
"I don't think I understand", Clay said coldly, "and you might want to double check that you do, too".
Ugh.
Rev pulled his phone out and called Brad back on speaker.
"What now?", Brad asked, sounding exasperated.
"You're on speaker. Can you tell Clay I have permission to be in the cottage so he doesn't try to kill me in my sleep?", Rev asked. "He's finding a hard time believing us".
"Clay, it's okay", Brad said. "He can stay tonight. Paige needs him, and he has my permission to see her going forward. I appreciate your loyalty though, man. That means a lot".
"You sure about this?", Clay asked Brad, meeting my eyes. "Paige does not look happy".
"She just had a panic attack", Brad said. "She needs rest. She'll be okay tomorrow. Call me if she's not. I'll come there if I need to".
"I will", Clay said, continuing to stare at me.
"Okay?", Rev asked him and Clay nodded. Rev hung up the phone.
"Can I use the car?", Clay asked me and I nodded.
"Take the truck", Rev offered instead. "I'm behind the car. It's a rental. Keys are in it".
Clay left without a backward glance.
"He'll be fine", Jake said, waving his hand in the direction of the front door. "He's very black and white. Sam will be even less fine than him. I'm not sure his little mind will be able to handle it!"
He grabbed Rev's arm. "I told Paigie she shoulda kept you both from the beginning. I totally support you and I'm glad you are here".
He turned to me. "Paigie, what do you need? I made chicken and potatoes".
I nodded. "And whiskey and ibuprofen".
"Where's the ibuprofen?", Rev asked, steering me into a kitchen chair as Jake grabbed out my fire whiskey.
I told him and he came back with the bottle.
I ate only enough to know my stomach could handle the ibuprofen and whiskey. I wasn't hungry in the least.
Clay came back as we were still at the table drinking. Jake popped up and got him a plate of food and a glass of whiskey. Clay sat and ate silently.
"This place is great", Rev commented. "It suits you".
"I love it", I agreed.
After I finished my whiskey, Rev had me get ready for bed and I went willingly. He was nowhere near ready for bed, I knew, but regardless, he held me until I fell asleep.
...........................................................................
Once Paige was asleep long enough to not stir, Rev snuck out from underneath her and dug through her purse. In her wallet was a hundred dollar bill, a twenty, a ten, and two ones. He stealthily added two twenties. He grabbed her lightweight jacket off the chair and checked the pockets. One pocket had a folded up five, so he opened it up, added a twenty, and folded the bills back up the same way with the five on the outside. Then he booked her a flight home for Friday evening, the day before Christmas Eve, and paid for it himself.
It wasn't even nine yet so he decided to go back out to the kitchen. Clay obviously preferred Brad's company to his, but Jake was friendly enough. Both men looked up as he walked out.
"She's asleep", he said quietly. "She gets those sometimes. She'll be sore tomorrow but she'll be okay. What're you blokes up to?"
"We were thinking about heading to a distillery tomorrow", Jake told him brightly. "We're both here until Friday so we have time to explore!"
"Same for Paige", Rev said.
"Come with us!", Jake said enthusiastically. Rev checked Clay's face. He didn't look pleased but he nodded his agreement.
"Thanks. She'll like that", Rev said genuinely.
Rev sat and grabbed the fire whiskey bottle. "This hers?", he asked.
Jake laughed. "Obviously!", he said.
Rev poured himself some.
After a few more rounds, Clay loosened up a bit, and then Rev talked the two of them into learning some fighting techniques in the back yard for another hour until they were sufficiently tired enough to try going to sleep.
Paige got up to use the bathroom at some point during the night, which woke him, and when she returned, she grabbed his hand and tugged on it gently instead of getting back in bed. He got up and she guided him toward the little decorative upholstered chair in the room. He understood and willingly pulled his pants off, sitting in the chair. She took off every piece of clothing she had on, sat in his lap, and kissed him in the moonlight until they were ready.
She was nearly as beautiful in the moonlight as she was in the firelight. She slid down onto him and he easily rocked her by moving her hips. She was tiny and he was strong.
She leaned back slightly and he nearly lost control. He caught one of her breasts in his mouth and she dug her nails into his back, causing enough pain to distract him away from finishing. Then she bent toward him again, shoving her mouth into his and finishing as quietly as she could, moaning softly into his mouth, her nails raking across his upper back.
He dug his fingers hard into her hips and finished himself, biting down on her shoulder to mask any noises he wanted to make.
They sat together for a long moment, then she pulled her clothes back on and went back to the bathroom. He went when she came back into the room, then he laid down next to her again and wrapped her in his arms. He felt immensely better about her emotional state than he had a few hours ago.
"Love you", he whispered in her ear.
"I love you, Rev", she said, trailing her fingertips through the scruff along his cheek, causing his stomach to flutter.
...........................................................................
I knew it was late when I got up but I still felt tired. Rev was not in my room and I smelled bacon. I got up and winced. My chest, back, abdomen, and arms ached, but my chest was the worst. Taking breaths was even painful. I checked my phone. It was nine. I had slept about twelve hours.
I had a text from Brad asking about a flight, which I had forgotten to take care of. I would need to do that right away. I also had an appointment reminder for therapy today...at TEN!
Ugggggghhhh!
I went to the bathroom then popped into the kitchen where Jake and Rev were, feeling chaotic and near tears.
"I have a video chat appointment with my therapist in an hour", I told them, "and I forgot to book a flight and Brad is asking". I sounded slightly hysterical.
"I booked you a flight after you fell asleep, love", Rev said gently. "There wasn't much left so I grabbed one and figured I'd suffer your wrath. I'll send him the details".
He held out his hand and I dropped my phone into it.
"Bless your heart", I said, feeling grateful, bending and kissing the top of his bald head.
"What do you want, sister?", Jake asked, standing. "I gotcha covered".
"Oatmeal packet and coffee please!", I said, heading back to get dressed.
...........................................................................
Therapists can't tell you what to do, and they avoid giving opinions. What they try to do is get you to correct your own thinking by asking the right questions. Following the trail of bread crumbs, so to speak.
Well, today my therapist gave me some pretty direct opinions about my current relationship status. She understood postponing our wedding, and agreed that was a good step at this time, but she wanted me to seriously reconsider rekindling my relationship with Rev, and rethink allowing Brad to continue on with Bre. She said she saw nothing but heartache coming out of this for the four of us, plus poor unsuspecting Steve, as well.
I sat in stunned silence on my bed after the call, thinking. All of us were already hurt. That's what led us to turn to others in the first place. Brad and I, Steve and I, Rev and I, Brad and Bre.
I had no idea what to do.
I went out to the living room and Jake said, "Hey, we're thinking about heading to a distillery today. It's three hours away but they have whiskey and moonshine-".
"FUCK. YES. Let's go right now", I said, heading back in my room to get my purse and a pair of white converse. When I came back out, all three guys started laughing.
"She wasn't kidding!", Jake said.
"All right then, love", Rev said, laughing. "Grab a hat and let me move the truck".
...........................................................................
Rev was concerned with how Paige looked when she got up. Her face was pale and there were dark circles underneath her eyes. After she put on makeup and ate, she perked up, but those circles were still there.
She had on high waisted light colored acid washed skinny jeans with frayed hems, and a v-neck blood red clingy tank top covered with a long light gray chunky sweater that was open in the front. Her curly hair was simply in a ponytail. He really found her attractive in anything, makeup or not, hair done or not.
He was amused by her wanting to drink before noon but he understood why and was going to let her do what she needed to get back on track today. They had no responsibilities today or tomorrow so there was no reason to hold her back.
Rev drove the rental car with Clay riding shotgun because he needed the leg room. Paige was mostly quiet and appeared to be texting anytime he checked her in the rearview mirror.
They stopped around noon and ate at a restaurant where Rev noted that Paige got another coffee with lunch. She didn't typically drink coffee throughout the day.
She did liven up after that, though. The rest of the way, her and Jake were singing along to the radio in the backseat and being silly with each other. Rev smiled to himself. He loved her enthusiasm and her spontaneousness.
At the distillery, they each got to pick eight samples to try from all of the whiskeys and moonshines available.
Rev did select a bottle of moonshine to bring back for Tim's team to try, but he preferred his normal brand of whiskey, so didn't feel inclined to get anything else. He paid for it and waited for Paige to make some decisions.
"I really want this coffee moonshine for myself", she said, hesitating.
"I'll get it for you, love", he offered but she shook her head.
"You buy me way too much already", she protested stubbornly.
"I wouldn't protest if you wanted to buy me a bottle!", Jake laughed.
"Which one?", Rev asked.
Jake's eyes widened so much Rev thought they were going to fall out of his head.
He chuckled.
"Are you serious?", Jake asked.
"Yeah, love", Rev said chuckling. "Pick one". He turned to Clay. "You also. Pick one".
Jake picked a blueberry moonshine and Clay picked a whiskey.
Paige ended up getting a salted caramel whiskey for her brother and Kendra, the coffee moonshine for herself, and a regular whiskey for Brad to try.
"I need to go to the bathroom before we leave", she said, leaving her purse on the counter next to the box of bottles.
As soon as the bathroom door shut, Rev opened her purse, quickly found her wallet, and slipped a couple more twenties in it, closing it and sliding it back in.
"Whaaaaattttt?!?", Jake squealed, laughing.
Clay shook his head but he was smiling.
"She's stubborn", Rev explained. "She doesn't like help so it's easier if she doesn't realize she's getting it".
"You really love her", Jake said in awe.
Rev decided to forthright with Jake, not only because he had been kind to him, and because he got a kick out of him, but for Clay's benefit to overhear what he had to say.
"She's currently the only person I love, and I haven't loved anyone for fifteen years. Not since my sister was murdered and my girlfriend left me because she didn't understand my obsession for proving my sister's boyfriend was the murderer".
Jake's mouth dropped open but he continued talking. He saw he had peaked Clay's interest.
"Paige is all I care about besides the work I do". He looked directly at Clay as he said his next bit. "That's why I will take her any way I can get her. Even a day a month is worth it. When you've got nothing, anything is better than nothing".
Clay slowly nodded and Jake was clutching his heart. He actually had tears in his eyes. "Oh, honey", he said, sounding choked.
"It's all right, love", he said, squeezing the small man's shoulder. "I'm tough".
Jake was short but he was compact and muscular. However, as they had practiced fighting the previous night, Rev saw very clearly his muscles were for decoration rather than for strength.
Paige came back out.
"Jakey, what's wrong?", she asked, looking startled and grabbing his arm.
"Rev was telling us about his sister", Jake said.
Her large emerald eyes turned to his, sympathetic but not pitying.
"Yeah", she said. "That's why we met. Andy asked him to help with my case against Jay, and it was similar enough to hers that he wanted to".
Rev stared into those eyes remembering the first time they met.
"She doesn't remember the first time we met", he said, "because she was unconscious. She had lost so much blood, she was near death, and they didn't have enough of her blood type in the hospital. She needed emergency surgery and she wouldn't have made it through if her brother hadn't been there with the same blood type and been able to donate it to her. They wouldn't have been able to get it in from another hospital in time".
"That's what made Andy question if we were related and why he ordered the DNA test to find out we were half siblings", she said, "and all of the coincidences around that time are why I believe in God. Stuff like that isn't an accident".
"Damn right", Clay breathed.
"Wow", Jake said. "It's so crazy it's like a soap opera!"
"I was still in the hospital the first time I remember talking to you, though", she added. "I had only woken up that day. I was in a lot of pain".
Rev chuckled. "She wasn't laying there all weak and timid, though", he said. "She was all kinds of pissed off. Right away she snapped at me".
"Ooooh, I'm still sorry about that", she said, flushing. "I thought he was another cop. They kept asking me the same questions and I couldn't understand why they couldn't filter the information to each other or why they were still talking to me instead of hunting down Jay".
Rev continued, "She said, 'You better be here to tell me you found him or you can turn around and walk right back out', and I started chuckling, which made her more mad".
Jake snickered.
"He had, actually, been arrested, which was good for me, but then we had to spend a long time talking about details so I could help build a case, which was all in vain".
Paige shook her head. "We know why and we know it wasn't your fault", she said, all humor gone out of her face. "It's over now, at least. That chapter of my life has finally closed".
She looked at the three of them. "Let's not dwell. I saw a brewery next door. You boys interested in sampling beer?"
They hauled their purchases to the trunk and went into the brewery, where the three guys had multiple beers and Paige had water. They also purchased some specialty beers there and loaded up the trunk.
She drove on their way back to Nashville. Rev was doing some searching on his phone from the passenger seat. He intended to improve her mood as much as possible and make today fun. He turned down the radio so they could all hear.
"Anyone interested in some hiking or zip-lining?"
"Sure!", Clay said.
"Yes!!!", Jake said.
"I love hiking but I've never done zip-lining", Paige said. "I love heights, though, and I'm assuming you won't let me get hurt".
"'Course", Rev said.
"Let's do it then", she said, grinning.
Rev booked them tickets online and gave her directions. It was only about thirty minutes away and on their way back to the cottage.
...........................................................................
Bre called Steve on her lunch break, and he answered right away.
"Honey, hi! Are you okay?", he asked breathlessly.
"I'm okay. Are you?"
"Not without you, but I'm doin' all right", he said.
Bre felt a pang in her heart and tried to ignore it. She was still mad at him.
"I talked to my dad about Christmas. I've decided you can come but I don't want you hanging on me like you did at church. This doesn't mean I've forgiven you, but I know the kids want to see you, I'm sure we'll get gifts for the baby, and it feels mean to exclude you from that".
"Thank you, honey", he said, sounding so grateful, she teared up. "I won't touch you, I promise".
"Okay", she replied.
"What about church on Christmas?", he asked.
"I can't tell you not to go to church", she answered.
"I mean, is it okay if I sit with you all?"
"Yes. It would be really strange for you to sit anywhere else", she replied.
"Thank you, honey. Can I pick you up, or is that pushing my luck?"
She hesitated and he quickly added, "You probably need help with all the presents. I don't want you lifting all that or getting cold".
There were a lot of presents under the tree to be brought over for her nine nieces and nephews.
"That would be helpful, actually", she agreed.
"I'll be there", he said enthusiastically. "Thank you, honey. I love you. You don't have to say anything. I just want you to know. Anything else you need?"
She felt her heart giving him some ground. He was hurting and he was still being considerate.
He should be hurting, she reminded herself.
"No. I'll see you on Christmas then", she replied.
"See ya, hun. Thank you".
She hung up feeling mean and guilty. Why? Steve was the one in the wrong.
...........................................................................
I wasn't necessarily dressed for hiking or zip-lining but I wasn't that far off base, either. I tied my sweater around my waist and did okay.
Rev had already paid for everything before we got there, which of course we didn't know. The guys were overwhelmed, and Clay insisted on paying him back, which Rev wouldn't hear of.
"No worries, mate", he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Just have fun". I gave him a kiss and thanked him. His face told me that was payment enough.
Zip-lining was the best! We had to hike to the top of a steep hill to get to the zip-line. We were in the upper canopy of a huge copse of trees, zip-lining downhill, though the trees! It was a huge thrill!
"That was incredible!!!!", I gushed to Rev after we were all done. "Have you ever done that before?"
"Not officially, no", he said, chuckling.
"I don't think I even want to know what that means", I said, squirming at the possibilities floating through my mind.
He chuckled. "No, love, you probably don't", he said, swinging one massive arm around my shoulders.
It was supper time when we finished there but we all agreed we would rather get back to town before eating so we could have drinks with our supper. We were still a couple hours away. Clay volunteered to drive this time and I let him. Rev sat up front.
I had been texting Steve and Brad on our way out in the morning and I checked for replies now.
Steve was good to go with Christmas at Bre's parents', and while he was trying not to get his hopes too high, he was really happy about that.
Did you get her anything?, I asked.
No, he immediately replied.
A new ring would probably be appreciated.
I'm not going to pick without her.
You did perfect on your own last time. The only mistake was trying to give it to me. It was perfect for her. You can do it again. Try. You gotta fight for her. Don't push her, don't make her uncomfortable, but show her how you feel. Sweep her off her feet. Again.
How?, he asked.
Get her alone. Tell her how you feel and hand her the box. It should be wrapped. Then walk away. She can decide what to do from there.
I felt confident that would work. That would be the best approach for me if I were Bre.
Thanks, Paigie. Love the shit outta you.
You too. Praying for you.
And I was. And for myself, Brad, Bre, and Rev, and the fucked situation I had put us all in.
Rev had texted Brad the plane itinerary and I saw I wasn't leaving here until Friday.
Brad had texted back, I had hoped you would be back Wednesday.
Wednesday was our wedding date, which wasn't going to be happening now. He must have been feeling sentimental about that. I wasn't until he said something, and now I felt sad, too.
I really needed a drink. I could have used one this morning but the samples didn't even amount to one shot, so those didn't really help. I would be drinking during supper and I felt like I wanted to drink a lot.
I replied to Brad- My therapist thinks we're all making bad decisions so I felt bad about that and now I'm sad about Wednesday. I miss you and I love you.
He replied right away- Want to talk?
I'm in a car with the guys. We went to a distillery and zip-lining. Heading back to town.
He replied- Sounds fun, babe. Sorry I missed it. Rev gone?
No, I meant him too when I said the guys. Jake, Clay, Rev.
Call if you get a chance. Love you.
Love you, too.
I sighed. My heart was aching. I missed Brad but I was oh, so thankful for Rev. It was ridiculously confusing.
...........................................................................
Brad arrived back to Bre's to find her quiet and distant still. He definitely did not prefer her that way. He focused on showering her with attention and she started coming around.
Paige finally replied to him after supper. He had to admit, he was worried about her, missed her, and felt jealous about Rev hanging out with her, even though he was the one who had allowed it.
He was disappointed she wasn't coming back until Friday. He had thought she might try to return on Wednesday, which is what was intended to be their wedding day, but no. Assumedly she would be spending that day with Rev instead, and that hurt him.
The panic attack had scared him, especially since she was so far away when it happened. He had felt completely helpless, and in desperation had to call for help from the man he hated most in the world.
Now all he could think about was getting his arms back around her and never letting go.
...........................................................................
Steve decided to act on Paige's advice. He went to the jewelry store that had offered him a decent trade in value on the first ring, and decided to take a look, picturing his wife in his mind. He thought about Bre's personality, her tastes, and what she normally wore. He carefully scoured all of the gold rings, and then asked to see a few. Only one felt right, and it felt completely right. It was very different from the first ring but he felt like this one fit her style even better.
The engagement band consisted of a square light yellow diamond, almost a carat, in a raised gold setting. The band was yellow gold and wide, and had a row of small circular brown diamonds running the length of it. The wedding band was exactly the same yellow gold with small circular brown diamonds running across it. These were fall colors, which were her favorite colors to wear, and her favorite season was fall, which was also the season they got married in.
The manager executed the trade, he paid the difference, and asked if they could have it soldered and sized by Friday. They could.
Steve walked out of there feeling a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. He felt like this was the right decision. He just hoped he knew his wife as well as he thought he did.
...........................................................................
Bre did let Brad shower with her but she tactfully shied away from any advances. He guessed she was feeling guilty and decided he would talk to her when they were out.
He cornered her in the bedroom with his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to me", he said.
Her kind brown eyes searched his.
"I feel bad", she finally told him.
He waited.
"I'm sad that Paige got hurt by us and that she had a panic attack, and I'm starting to feel guilty about being so mean to Steve. Yes, he deserves it and yes, I'm still mad at him, but he's really suffering and I do feel bad for him".
"Paige is hurt because of her own decisions, not yours. You gotta let that go", Brad insisted. "She hurt you first and worse. She gave us permission to do this, so if she's hurt by that it's her own fault, not yours". And his fault, too, but he wasn't going to tell Bre that he accidentally told Paige he would choose Bre over her if there was no baby, and that was the exact reason for the panic attack.
Bre slowly nodded but didn't look convinced.
"As for Steve", he continued, "you still love him and you have a kind heart, so you're going to feel bad for him. That doesn't mean you give in before you're ready. You need to hold your ground, set your boundaries and expectations, and decide if you can forgive him before you move forward".
"I know", she readily agreed. "The feelings are still there, though, regardless of me knowing that".
Brad nodded and kissed her forehead, then held her. He resigned himself to the knowledge that he wouldn't be doing anything other than holding her tonight.
Bre had drifted off but Brad wasn't yet asleep when his phone rang.
Clay?
Immediately he felt panicked that something had happened to Paige. He sat up and answered.
...........................................................................
Paige had two doubles with supper then asked if they could go dancing. Rev was pretty much going to let her do whatever she wanted tonight, but he didn't dance. Thankfully Jake wanted to.
They found a dance club that actually wasn't playing country, and Paige and Jake were very excited about the bass pumping music. Clay and Rev not so much.
It was busy for what Rev would have expected on a Monday but definitely not packed. Clay offered to get drinks as Paige bolted for the dance floor with Jake right behind her.
"Please", Rev said. "Thanks, mate", and he followed his girl. He was able to get a table close enough to the dance floor to keep an eye on her and step in quickly if needed.
After about an hour, Paige had finished another double and was getting wild, but she was smiling so Rev didn't mind. He did intervene once when Paige was up on a ledge at the edge of the dance floor, which Jake affectionately referred to as the 'whore box', and was drawing too much unwanted male attention.
He simply went over there and hauled her down, whispering in her ear. "Sorry, love, I'm going to have to hurt people if you stay up there".
She nodded, grabbed his face, and kissed him once on the mouth, then resumed dancing with Jake.
In the next hour she had two more drinks, and Rev had just told Clay she needed water instead of the next drink she asked for, when she came over and started giving him a lap dance with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Rev was a little taken off guard but he let her do it. Jake was squealing and laughing. Of course she left her clothes on but it was pretty dang realistic. Rev had certainly had a fair amount of real lap dances in strip clubs but had never been all that turned on by them.
This, however, was Paige. His Paige, and this turned him on so much, he had to consciously refrain from picking her up and taking her to the bathroom. He actually had to gently grab her arms and sit her in his lap to stop her for two reasons. First, it was getting to be too much for him, and second, it was drawing way too much attention.
"Where'd you learn to do that?", Jake shrieked.
"Strip clubs", she answered.
"You were not a stripper?!?", Jake asked, his mouth dropping open.
"No", she laughed. "But Jay hung out in places like that all the time, so if I was with when he decided to stop, that's where I was, too".
She shrugged. "I got bored. I talked to people. The girls showed me things. I made it fun and it took my mind off what he was doing in the private rooms".
Rev knew Clay was uncomfortable with the conversation and with Paige's behavior. He was squirming and looking angry.
Paige grabbed her drink off the table and slammed it, then reached for her purse. Rev gently grabbed her wrist.
"Water now, love".
She wrinkled up her petite little nose and scowled at him.
He laughed out loud, which was apparently not the right course of action. Her eyes narrowed and she stood up, grabbing Jake's arm and steering him off with her.
Rev chuckled, watching them walk back out to the dance floor.
"I'm feeling like it might be time to go", Clay said.
"Soon", Rev agreed. "She's not quite ready and I prefer not to haul her out of here because that'll make her mad, but I will if I need to. Don't worry".
About five minutes later Rev realized he no longer had eyes on her.
"Shit", he said, standing. "Guaranteed they're at the bar", he said, motioning to Clay to follow, and grabbing her purse and sweater.
Sure enough, Jake and Paige were at the bar with shots lined up and several enthusiastic young guys hanging around them. Paige had already had three of the four shots in front of her, and he could tell they were whiskey, not only because he knew her but also because of how they looked.
He walked up behind her and growled at the men to take a hike. They backed off but didn't leave.
Rev handed her purse and sweater to a very guilty looking Jake and reached around her to snag the other shot, downing it himself before she could get her hands on it.
"Rev, what the fuck?", she asked, turning and swaying.
"You're all done, sweetheart", he told her.
"I'm not!", she said, taking a swing at him. He caught her wrist and chuckled. She stumbled against him and he dropped her wrist. She flung her arms around him instead.
"Rev, I looovvveeee you!", she said.
"We're leaving", he told Jake then met Clay's eyes. "Doors, mate", he said, and Clay nodded.
Rev bent, tossed her over his shoulder and walked out.
"You drive", he told Clay.
Once Paige realized they were leaving she started throwing a fit, trying to kick him and squirming.
"I'm not ready to leave!", she whined. "I want to dance!"
"How you gonna do that when you can't stand?", he chuckled.
He easily got her into the back seat with only getting kicked once, but then she dove for the other door and had her hand on the handle before he got in the back with her and took her hands off the door.
"FUNSUCKER! FUNSUCKER!", she was shrieking at him.
"Sit up front, Jake", he instructed. "She's gonna be difficult".
Rev closed the door she had tried to open and put her seatbelt on, then held her arms down, chuckling as he closed his own door.
Paige pulled her legs up and started kicking the crap out of Clay's seat in front of her as he started driving. Rev was having a hard time not laughing at her but he knew it was making her more mad.
"Love, stop. Clay didn't do anything to you", he said, wrapping one of his arms around her upper body, holding down her arms, and holding her legs down with his other arm.
"Don't crash", he told Clay. "I can't get a seatbelt on".
Paige bit his shoulder.
"Love, you stop biting me right now", he said sternly. "I don't want to sit on you, but I will if I have to".
"I'm so sorry, Rev", Jake apologized, looking guiltily into the back seat.
"No worries, mate", he said, chuckling.
Paige dropped her head against his chest quietly instead and laid it there.
A few blocks down, he suspected she had passed out, and he relaxed his grip. Suddenly, at the next stoplight, she grabbed the door handle and flung the door open before he could stop her. Stop her he did, but he was laughing so hard he barely could.
"You sneaky little shit!", he laughed.
"What's going on?", Clay asked.
"It's fine. Go", Rev said, laughing. "She's using what I taught her back on me. Pretended to be passed out so I'd relax my grip".
"Little shit", he chuckled as she continued to squirm in his grip.
"Rev, I want more whiskeys!!!", she shouted.
"Not tonight, love", he said.
"Ugggghhhh!", she screamed in frustration, trying to kick Clay's seat again. She did get one kick in before he stopped her.
"Sorry, mate", Rev said.
When they got to the cottage, Rev instructed Jake to grab the truck rental key and put Paige's purse in there.
"Wait, where are you taking her?", Clay asked defensively.
"My hotel, mate. She's gonna be difficult and I don't want her keeping you blokes up all night. Plus, I can contain her better there".
"That doesn't make sense. All her stuff is here".
Clay looked really unsettled. Rev knew he didn't fully trust him. He had undone Paige's seatbelt and was now trying to extract her from the vehicle as she held onto the driver's seat back and tried to kick him.
"If you're bothered by how I'm handling her, call Brad and talk to him about it", Rev advised him, narrowly dodging a kick to the face. "I'm not offended. I appreciate you caring. I guarantee you I treat her better than he does and I can handle her better than anyone", he said, finally restraining both of her legs. He met Clay's eyes. "Eventually you'll see that but if it'll give you peace of mind, call him".
"We don't have your number, either", Clay added as another protest.
"Brad can give it to you", Rev said, hauling a shouting Paige out of the backseat and tossing her over his shoulder as Jake started the truck for him.
"Love, grab her coffee moonshine from the trunk and let's let her hold it so she cooperates for me, yeah?", he asked Jake, giving him a wink.
Jake nodded, understanding, as Rev plopped Paige into the truck and climbed in, snagging her jeans by the waist as she was trying to get out the other door. Jake opened the other door and handed her the unopened moonshine bottle.
"Here you go, Paigie!", he said. "Rev will let you drink this at the hotel if you behave for him".
She snatched it from him and stopped struggling. It was corked and there was no way for her to open it so he wasn't worried about her chugging it on the way.
"Thanks, mate", Rev said, relieved. He got her in a seatbelt next to him and took off.
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"Clay? What happened?", Brad asked, sounding panicked as Bre rolled over next to him.
"We went out and Paige got really drunk. Rev just took off with her to his hotel and he said I could call you and let you know if I didn't like it. It made me unsettled. I don't know if I should be worried. I just didn't understand why he couldn't stay here with her again. He said because he could contain her better there".
"What do you mean contain her?", Brad asked, feeling his defenses raise.
"Well...he told her she had to have water, and a little while later we realized her and Jake had snuck off. She was doing actual shots at the bar and got aggressive about leaving. She was trying to hit him and kick him and jump out of the car, kicking my seat as I drove and biting him and shit. She actually got the door open at one point".
"Jesus", Brad breathed. "Yeah, man, I appreciate you calling. I'll talk to him and make sure she's okay. I fucking hate that man but I actually understand his thought process. It hurts my pride to admit but he takes really good care of her. I don't want you to worry".
"All right", Clay said, sounding relieved. "I'm sorry about this", he said. "She was okay until she did those shots".
"She's sneaky", Brad said. "Don't worry about it".
"Also, neither Jake nor I have his number, which was another thing that bugged me about this. He said you could give it to me".
"Good man", Brad agreed. "I'll forward it to you right away. Thanks for calling".
Brad hung up, forwarded Rev's number to Clay, then called Rev.
"What's going on?", Bre asked, now sitting upright.
"Paige is wasted and combative", Brad said.
Bre pulled her knees up and rested her elbows on them, holding her head in her hands.
...........................................................................
Rev had pulled into the hotel parking lot and was parking as Brad called. He answered on the third ring.
"Yep".
Paige was fastidiously trying to remove the little piece of plastic around the cork at the top of the bottle neck on the moonshine.
"Why exactly do you want her alone?", Brad snapped.
"She's being a handful and I can keep better track of her in a hotel room. Plus, she's gonna be disruptive to those guys all night".
"I hope it's not because you want to have sex with her and you don't want those guys to hear".
"I'm not having sex with her tonight!", Rev snapped angrily, offended. He did NOT take advantage of drunk women.
"What? Why not?", Paige piped up as he undid her seatbelt.
"Because you're drunk, love", he said gently. "I don't take advantage of that".
"What the fuck?!?!", she shrieked. "You asshole! Brad would do it!", she said, trying to hit him. He caught her wrist.
"I hope you heard that", he said to Brad.
"Unfortunately", Brad mumbled.
"Can I go now? She's trying to hit me again".
"Why did you let her get like that?", Brad asked.
"She needed to blow off steam and you know why", he snapped. "I cut her off and she snuck off to do shots. She would have been fine otherwise. She'll be fine. I've got it".
"I'll call her tomorrow", Brad said.
"Who are you talking to?!?", Paige shrieked. "Get off the phone and open my moonshine!"
"Stop, love, you're gonna break it", he said calmly, as she thrust the bottle at him and it fell on the floor.
"Gotta go", Rev said and hung up on him.
...........................................................................
Bre was concerned about what she had just heard, and she could tell Brad was upset, though he said nothing. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment. Bre felt her heart go out to him. He was worried about Paige, and she was miles away from him being able to do anything about it, so he needed to trust Rev to take care of her, when he didn't trust him.
She scooted over and ran her hand up his tribal tattooed arm, kissing him gently on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against that shoulder.
He exhaled and she felt him relax slightly. He rubbed her forearm lightly with his fingertips.
She said nothing. She already knew he knew everything she might be able to point out that would improve his outlook, because she had heard him say those things to Clay.
So, she simply held him until he felt calmer. He finally laid back down and she decided to help him get his mind off of it, as she pressed her mouth against his.
...........................................................................
Rev had to bring in the moonshine in order to get Paige to stop fighting him. He didn't care if she hit him but he didn't want the front desk calling the police thinking he was kidnapping her. He refused to let her carry it, though. It was going to get dropped if she did.
So he had to show her he had it, help her out of the truck, lock it, and then allow her to stumble-walk to the room. He half carried her up against his side but at least it appeared to anyone watching that she was upright.
Once he got her into the hotel room, he helped her sit on the toilet, and deftly hid the moonshine in the closet. He returned to her pulling her pants completely off while sitting on the toilet still. He helped her and then she started taking off her shirt and bra, too. He allowed that and then took his own shirt off, slipping it over her head.
He held her upright as she brushed her teeth, then carried her to the bed and laid her in it. She didn't try to escape and had stopped fighting. She simply laid down and let him cover her up, thank goodness. He got himself ready for bed, keeping an ear on her but he didn't hear anything. He guessed she had passed out. He turned off the lights and climbed in next to her. She immediately reached for his penis and turned her face to his. He kissed her back but gently took her hand away.
"Love, go to sleep", he whispered. "You're tired".
"No, I'm not", she insisted. "Why did you say you're not having sex with me? Don't you love me?"
"You know that's not true", he said. "It's because I'm not taking advantage of you".
"That would only be the case if we had never done it before", she insisted. "We do it all the time so that doesn't make sense".
She grabbed his hand and pressed it between her legs. She was warm and wet and ready, and he found it really difficult to pull his hand away.
"I need you", she insisted, nudging his nose with hers. She sounded calmer and more coherent than she had fifteen minutes ago.
He couldn't resist her logic or the way she felt, so he gave in.
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