~ XANDER ~
I was talking to Aunt Daph's eldest son Mason when he stopped staring at something behind me. "Oh god, Emerald is coming our way looking really pissed." He informed taking a sip from his wine. I was about to turn around when she came barging to the bar and flopped herself in the chair beside me. "Hand me the strongest drink you have." She barked at the bartender, who nodded with frightened wide-eyes.
"Who pissed-" Mason paused putting his hand in surrender when he saw the icy look she threw at him.
"Em? Is everything alright?" I asked, cautiously. She cocked her head to my side and passed me a face splitting smile. At that moment, I regretted asking her the question. "Well, let's see, I was born and then, 28 years later I got hit by an over-possessive piece of shit called Liam fucking Starling. Now that dickwit is hovering around me pouncing on every single man I talk to, like a fucking predator. If that sounds alright? Then I am alright. I am fucking amazing." She cursed her husband.
Mason and my mouth form an O knowing what must have happened. Just then her husband came trailing behind her. "Em, how many times do I have to tell you to stop leaving my side." He sighed, never getting a reply from her. She was ignoring him as usual. "Babe, aren't you gonna talk to me now?" He nudged her side. "Babe, I am sorry, but seeing you again with... HIM. I just lost it." He grits his teeth. "Was I suppose to watch him take you away from me again?" He fumed, clenching his fist.
Em, lets out an exasperated sigh. "He wasn't taking me away, you pig. Besides, it happened years ago Liam, he even apologized for what he did. Why did you have to insult him like that in front of everyone? That poor man had to leave the party, utterly embarrassed."
Liam didn't look a bit guilty, rather scowled at her. "I don't trust that bastard, I nearly lost you because of him. I will rip his little head off before he can touch the tip of your fingernail." He growled.
Her shoulder slumps. "What am I going to do with you, Liam Starling?" She whispered, more like to herself.
"A kiss will do, for now." He suggested with a boyish grin on his face, she rolls her eyes with a small smile forming on her lips. He leans kissing her squarely on her lips which she responded eagerly.
Bipolar much?
"Wow, I can't believe I just wasted my 3 precious minutes watching this sappy shit." I gagged, scrunching up my nose in disgust.
"I should go wash my eyes with alcohol." Mason shook his head shuddering. They pulled away grinning as we watched Mason take his leave.
"You can have this too if you pay a little attention to your dates," Liam smirks at me while snaking his arms around Em's waist, holding her possessively.
"Who said I want this sappy shit?" I scoffed at his suggestion.
"Nobody wants it, brother." Liam started getting a harsh glare from Em, which he ignored and continued. "But this shit hits you in the most unexpected way possible. Trust me, once upon a time I was exactly like you, even worse I presume. I was an asshole, never cared for any woman I bedded. Like you, I didn't care for my dates, never once got jealous or possessive. But then this woman." He stared at his wife loving who was busy chucking the drink down her throat, but paused as she noticed her husband staring at her. "She literally barged into my so-called peaceful life, created havoc, and changed my whole world within the first few minutes of our encounter. I became this insanely jealous/possessive man, that I never thought I was capable of." Emerald rolled her eyes, licking the last drop of her drink, but one can notice the undeniable glee on her face.
"Yeah, he was a well-known fuckboy in Seattle, before he fell head over heels for me." Em agreed smugness dripped from her voice. "This was the only reason we met in the first place, he fucked up my ex-best friend, or so I thought and when I confronted him, he was this rude, a completely arrogant, egoistic pig, well, he is still a pig," Liam grunts at his non-so discreet introduction, but shuts up when his wife wraps her hands around his waist leaning into him. "But, now he is my pig." She completes with a big grin on her face.
I won't say that it didn't pinch my heart a bit. But then it doesn't mean if they had it everyone will want it.
I don't. Not yet.
"I am sure, whatever you have is great." I point to both of them. "But I can promise you, I would never become one of you people," I said, arrogantly.
"Don't make promises you can't keep brother." Em raised her eyebrows in a challenging way.
"They are right you know." I heard a familiar voice beside me. "You can take me for an example." Troy my best friend said. He was my college/dormmate at Harvard, and now a very successful lawyer. "I missed you so much Em," He said hugging her while smirking at Liam.
Liam frowned tugging his wife to his side while scowling at him. "Where is your wife, Mr. Fernandes? Go hug your own wife." Em hit him in his chest asking him to stop behaving like a child.
"I will once she is done talking to Mrs. Crawford," Troy smirked. "Why Mr. Starling, are you afraid that Emerald's ex-fiancee will steal her away?" His eyebrows quirked playfully causing Liam's scowls to deepen.
"Stop teasing my husband, Troy, you weren't even my real fiancee it was just a fake engagement if you remember?" Emerald rolled her eyes.
"Wow, you wounded my feelings, my dear." Troy quipped feigning hurt.
"You guys should stop it before Liam burst." I snickered staring at now a blood-red Liam with clenched jaws, minutes away from throwing hands at Troy.
Chuckling, Troy put his hands in surrender and continued our previous topic. "Yeah, yeah, so as I was saying, take me for example, Xan. You, me, and Andrew vowed to stay single till our next life and you saw my playboy ways, right?." He reminded. Yes, I remember, he was the worst of three of us. He bedded almost the entire female population in the college including few teachers. Yes! Teachers.
"Look at me now, Xan, I can't bear to stay away from my wife, not having her near me makes me restless. One hug or even a simple touch can make all my exhaustion go away. Trust me having someone who loves you, understands you, is the greatest blessing one can ask for." He gloats with a loving smile on his face.
Em nodded agreeing to him. "Absolutely."
"What are you guys talking about?" Andrew showed up out of nowhere, holding a piece of cheesecake.
Where did he get that from? I didn't know they were serving cheesecake and it's my party!
"Just discussing my love life," I shrugged.
He paused eating and looked at me questioningly. "Y-You h-have a love life?" He questioned, astonished making everyone burst out laughing. I gave them my signature stoic face definitely not enjoying what my other best friend has said.
Just then Eva came. "Why don't you take care of your date brother? Mom has been pestering me to keep her company. I have other things to do you know?" She crossed her arms glaring at me. I look at her sheepishly. "Sorry, Eva."
Troy coughs to get her attention. "Did you forget us, Eva? I am hurt."
Her attention was now on the two new guests she didn't notice at first. Her mouth opened in O shape. "Hi, Troy." She greeted. "I haven't seen you in a long time." She was about to go for a hug when I coughed aloud. Troy put her hand in surrender while Eva glared at me.
"Oops, I almost forgot the no hug/touch rule," Drew laughed, effectively gaining Eva's attention.
"An-Andrew?" She shutters, the pale white face getting a tint of red. Even though I don't like it, I know she has a crush on Drew since our college days. I can't blame her, Drew is a really good looking man with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a well-built body. "Hi. Um, I didn't see you coming." She said in a soft tone, pushing her long hair strands behind her ears. I clench my teeth in anger.
As much as I love Andrew and he is one of the few people I actually trust, I can't see my sister with anyone right now. Or ever.
I know Andrew doesn't feel anything for her except for sisterly love, but it can change, people change. That's why I keep them as far away as possible.
She is too delicate and precious. I don't want her to get hurt. Ever.
"Yeah, I just came." He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing at me occasionally.
Sensing the tension, Troy speaks up. "Well, how's the boyfriend?"
At the mention of that Eva's jaws clenched while she threw me a spine-chilling glare. "Well, thanks to some people, he ran away before our second date."
I shrug innocently. "What are you looking at me for? I didn't do anything this time. It was dad." She opened her mouth but I cut in. "Plus, you are too young for dating, little princess. You should be focusing on your career right now."
"My career and my business are doing great brother, thank you very much." Eva grinds her teeth.
She is right, while my other brothers joined our family business except for Ace, who does something in YouTube and Matt, who, well, no one knows what he does except for sleeping and filling the endless pit he calls his stomach, Eva didn't want to join our business, much to my father's dismay.
When she finished college she wanted to explore the wedding business to everyone's surprise. Our family and friends were very supportive of her decision. Even though she could have used our connections, she didn't, she started from scratch by loaning money from the bank and build her own company.
She worked really hard over all these years, made it on her own. She was now recognized as one of the best wedding planners in America and we cannot be more proud.
"Of course princess, why don't you go stay with Chris or the twins, while I talk with my friends," I asked.
"No, my friends are here." She pouts. "No boys, I suppose?" I inquired.
She glares at me. "Tons of boys have come. I should get going before they start missing me." She turns on her heels and leaves before I can ask further.
I really hope that's a joke and she didn't bring any boy. But she has her rebellious side breaks out from time to time and it scares us, especially dad. She made him lose his sleep and black hair with her crazy rebellion.
I trust dad had checked her friend list before allowing her to bring any friends.
"I pity that girl," Drew says. "We all do," Em says and everyone else nodded in agreement.
"She is being tortured by 5 brothers all her life. If I was her, I would have fled my house by now." He laughs at his own joke which soon dies when he sees my unamused face.
"Yeah dude, cut her some slack, she is already 26? 27? Don't cage her in. She might explode someday." Troy backed up Drew.
"Every man she bought home, is a total wuss. They couldn't even stand straight under our gaze, how will they protect my sister?" I scoffed. "Besides, how can I let her go and meet some guy when I know how men are?" I sigh and they nod agreeing to what I said.
Just thinking of her getting hurt by someone makes me lose my shit.
~~~~
I was bored to death after having talked to everyone I needed to talk, and have reached my limits for today.
Going to the bar I ordered some sparkling champagne. A sigh of relief escapes my mouth when the chilled champagne slides down my dried throat. Good.
"Hey," I heard a voice, without even turning I could tell who was it. I heard it all morning chattering her lungs off. I wasn't in a mood though, so I didn't bother with a reply and just kept looking at my glass of champagne like it was some kind of art.
My back stiffens when I felt her hand on my back. "Why are you sitting here alone?" She whispered near my ear, her hand slides down my body before she takes it off me.
I relax a bit, but not for long.
"You didn't even look for me all through the party. I was trying to get you jealous by being with other guys, but you didn't even notice." She whispers, her hands were now on my thighs gliding up and down. "I am so sad. Shouldn't you make it up to me?" She purred sexily, her tongue licks the sensitive part of my earlobe making me quiver.
My hands clutched the stem of the glass pretty hard. I still didn't say a word.
She may be annoying, but I can not deny that she is incredibly beautiful with an hourglass figure, big boobs, small waist and huge round ass. Just the way I like it.
Only if she wasn't introduced by my mom, she would in my bed now, screaming my name over and over again.
Damn it.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, trying to calm my nerves and my soldier who was in full attention now. She must have liked my reaction because I can feel her hands going up my thigh. "Should we get out of here?" She was too close to my area, brushing the bulge in my pants.
I stood up hastily and smiled as politely as I can muster up. "I am sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Walls, but I don't think this is going to work." My fisted hands in the pockets were itching to drag her to the nearest bedroom. "Enjoy the rest of the party. See you around Ms. Walls." I passed her a clipped smile and nod before walking out of there.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
I sat inside my car and asked Henry, my driver/bodyguard, to take me back to my penthouse. I let out a frustrated sigh and closed my eyes to get rid of dirty thoughts.
Only if they had an award for patience, I might have won it after what I did tonight.
It was worth it in the end though.
The next day, when I told my mom, it's not gonna work with Ms. Walls, she accepted quickly as she didn't like her either.
Finally, I got her off my back, even if it's just for a month. I did it.
Whew.