My Ex-Boyfriend’s Brothers (Ex Marks the Spot)

51. Maggie

51

***Maggie***

I said goodbye to James and stopped outside the cabin. The lights were on inside and I couldn’t remember leaving them on. I checked the cabin number to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. Everything checked out. Deciding that housekeeping must’ve come by, I walked inside, champagne bottle gripped in my hand like a weapon, just in case. It would be my luck that Brad had chosen to hide out in the cabin, or something equally as horrible, like a masked murderer. The thought of Brad jumping out at me had me holding the bottle in the air like a bat.

“Whose jacket is that?”

I swung without thinking and barely missed cracking Jackson across the face. He caught the bottle just before it hit him and tugged it, and me with it, closer.

“Forget me that fast?”

For a few seconds I thought that maybe I was drunker than I really was. I felt like I had to be seeing things. Then Luke spoke from the couch behind me.

“Who was the guy walking you home?” The angry tone in his voice was what finally woke me up.

I jerked free from Jackson and moved away from him. Luke and Ryan were standing by the couches and they were all staring at me. There were at least a dozen bouquets of flowers on the island, more than a few gift-wrapped boxes, and even a big teddy bear. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s my cabin, Maggie.” Luke took a step towards me and I backed into the door. “Will you come sit down so we can talk?”

I gripped the door handle behind me. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Us. We shouldn’t have left. Come sit down. We need to apologize.” Ryan held up his hands and stared at me with the most intense puppy dog eyes.

“No.” I yanked open the door and ran back into the night. The snow had started falling again and James’ jacket did nothing to keep me dry.

Jackson grabbed my upper arm and pulled me to a stop. “It’s freezing out here. Get back inside.”

I fought against his hold. “No. I’d rather freeze than go back into that cabin with you three. Why are you even here?”

“We fucked up, Bubbles.” Pulling me close enough for his body heat to seep into me, he frowned down at me. “You’re pissed. I get it. You deserve to be mad. Be mad in the warmth of the cabin, though.”

Tears blurred my vision. “You think I’m pissed? I’m not pissed. I’m crushed. I’m hurt beyond belief. You three left me. You didn’t even ask me for my side. You just left! You showed what you truly think of me and how much you care. Now you think you can just come back? No. That’s not going to happen. I’ve spent enough of my life being treated like crap by a Heath man. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Luke stared at me with snowflakes catching on his eyelashes. “Maggie, I’m begging you to come inside. Give us a chance to explain.”

I shook my head. “I… I’m only going to say this because I’m drunk. I thought it was love. How stupid was I?”

“It was-”

“I don’t want to hear anything else from you guys! I’ve spent the last few days crying and drinking and…I don’t think I want to open myself up for what else you could do to me. So how I feel about you doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. We had our wedding hookup. Good for us. Leave me alone. It was easy enough for you the first time.”

“Dammit, Maggie!” Ryan brushed Jackson aside and wrapped his arms around me. His scent, his warmth, his grip, they deepened the cavern in my heart. “We got scared. We messed up. We came back, though. Christina called us and we came-”

I stumbled backwards out of his grip. “Christina called you.”

Luke moved towards me like he was approaching a lion. “She told us what happened. We came back as soon as we could. The storm slowed us down or we would’ve been here hours ago.”

“You never would’ve come back for me if someone else hadn’t told you I was innocent. My word, if I’d ever been given a chance to give it, never would’ve been enough. I tried calling you guys. I needed you.” I held up my hands to stop them from saying anything else. “I don’t want to do this. I can’t. You don’t trust me and you didn’t care enough about me to hear me out. This is over.”

“Where are you going, Maggie? Just come inside. You don’t have to talk to us. Just come inside and get into something warmer. Please.” Luke still inched closer to me.

“I’d rather take my chances in the storm.” I turned and walked away as fast as I dared.

I wanted them to try to stop me almost as much as I wanted them to let me go. They let me go.

When I stepped back into the lodge I couldn’t keep myself together. I shook with silent sobs. Everything hurt. I hated myself for walking away but I would’ve hated myself for staying. It was a lose/lose situation. I couldn’t stay with them when they’d so willingly thrown me away. I wanted to, though. God, did I want to.

“Maggie?”

I tried to hide my face from James but he stepped in front of me and gently took me by the shoulders. I lifted my eyes to his and tried to smile. “I’m okay.”

He shook his head and pulled me in for a hug. “Forget about me asking you out earlier. Think of me as your friend and tell me what you need.”

“I just want to go home.”

“Then it’s your lucky day. There’s a break in the storm and flights are going out. If we leave now, you can be home by morning.”

I took a deep, shuddering breath. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not the best driver on a good day.” He smiled and eased me away. “Can you be packed and ready to go in ten minutes?”

“Yes.” I thought of the things I’d left in the cabin and counted them as lost. “I can be ready in five.”

“Even better. Meet me back here as soon as you’re finished. My little brother is coming, too. He wants to get home to his dog.” James pumped his fist when he saw me smile. “I’ll tell you all about him and his dog while we’re getting out of here.”