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

56. Jackson

56

***Jackson***

M y heart thumped painfully in my chest. We’d found her but that was only the beginning of our fight. We hadn’t practiced what we were going to say but I felt like we were doing okay. At least we weren’t blowing it completely. When I could tear my gaze away from Maggie, I could see that her mom was smiling. I needed that to be a good sign. I needed Maggie to forgive us.

Maggie’s face went red and she took a deep breath just to open her mouth and lose her shit on us. “You’re telling me that I love you. It took you almost three weeks to come here and you tell me that I love you? Are you nuts? That’s your big redemption speech? Do you love me? I guess I’ll never know, but at least we’re all clear about me loving you!”

Beth snickered and shook her head. “She only rages once every few years but here we go. Good job, guys.”

“I dove into this thing head first. I gave you whatever I had, as freely as I could. I did love you. I think I always loved you because you were always kind and gentle with me. You made me laugh and you always showed up if I was going to be around your awful father and stepmother. But you wait until you fuck me to take it all away?” She tossed a look at her mom. “Sorry, but it’s true. You introduce me to this fairytale romance where you all spoil me and give me amazing orgasms and then you just ghost me?”

I felt myself blushing at the amount of sex talk she was doing in front of her mom. “Maybe we should-”

“I can’t believe you thought I was sleeping with Brad . You freaking idiots. First of all, been there and got the shirt. No, thanks. Second of all, when do you think I was sleeping with Brad? When I was with you all during every spare hour of the day? When I was with Brad in the dining hall with Gregor watching over us? When I was asleep in between you? It pisses me off that you trusted me so little that it made you stupid!”

“Pissed is better than crushed, baby. Yell as much as you want. It doesn’t change how we feel about you.” Luke chanced his life and limb by getting closer to her. “We love you. I love you. I want to marry you and have a massive family. So, get it all out. Scream at us. Do what you have to do to feel better because we’re not going anywhere.”

“I…” Maggie’s next words died on the tip of her tongue. She stopped and looked back at her mom. When she looked back at us, tears filled her eyes and spilled over. “How do I know you’re not going to leave me again? How can I trust you? It hurt too much this time. I don’t think I could go through it again.”

I threw caution to the wind and grabbed her arms, pulling her into my chest. I locked my arms around her and held her tight. “We’re never going anywhere. I’m so fucking sorry, Bubbles. I love you. Fuck, I love you so much it’s a physical ache. I can’t be without you.”

Ryan knelt in front of Ruth and gently grasped her hands. “We love your daughter. I promise you that we’ll never leave her. We’re going to cherish her for the rest of our lives.”

Maggie went slack against me. Her tears wet my chest but eventually I felt her hands clutch my shirt. She whimpered until I picked her up and she was able to wrap herself around me.

“That one promised me a trip to Paris. I’ve been waiting for you dummies to show up and win her over.” Pointing at Luke, her mom sighed. “If you make her cry again, I’m going to make you wish you’d never been born. Got it?”

Luke held up his hands and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Take her home already. I know a thing or two about making up and you can’t do any of it here.” Winking at me, Beth nodded towards the exit. “Go.”

I hesitated. “About your apartment…”

Maggie lifted her head and sniffed. “What about my apartment?”

I winced. “We’re going to find you a safer space, somewhere big enough for all of us.”

Gregor chose that moment to appear. “Ms. Maggie! Gregor miss you.”

Beth wheeled closer. “Oh, my. Hello, handsome.”

Maggie made me put her down and gave Gregor a hug. “I missed you, too, Gregor. This is my mom, Beth Lately. Watch out for her. She’s already beat one sexual assault charge today.”

Beth lightly slapped Maggie’s leg. “She’s kidding.”

Gregor seemed instantly smitten by the older woman so I pulled Maggie away and cupped her face. “Come with us?”

She searched my face and then leaned forward to rest her forehead on my chest. “No.”

Luke and Ryan had followed us and Luke reacted the same way I felt when he heard her answer. “No?”

She took a step away from us and wiped her eyes. “No. It’s not going to be that easy. I can’t go all in until you three prove that you’re serious.”

Relief nearly made my knees buckle. “That’s all? That’s not going to be a problem, baby. Whatever you need, we’ll do it.”

“I already have someone looking to close on a property here that’ll work for us. Until then you can stay in our hotel with us. Where you go, we go. We’re ready to marry you. If you want to go right now, we’ll go down to city hall and do it. We’re all in. We want forever, Maggie.”

She blinked away tears and swallowed. “I want my mom to walk me down the aisle.”

Ryan looked back at Beth. “Doesn’t seem like that’ll be too long now.”

A shy smile lifted her lips. “I’m still a little mad.”

Luke gripped the back of her neck and pulled her close. “Good. We deserve it. Be mad. Be pissed. Just be ours and I can accept the rest.”

“Okay.”

That one word sealed our fates. She was ours. Luke wrapped his arms around her and I watched him breathe in her scent and shudder. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.”

“Don’t think you’re leaving without taking your shirts off, boys.” Beth rolled over and gripped Maggie’s hand. “You did good, honey. It’s okay to forgive and forget faster than some might expect. Go home with your men and live a little. And eat something.”

I scanned Maggie’s body and frowned. She had lost enough weight since we’d last seen her that it showed in how her clothes fit. “Bubbles?”

Maggie took a step backwards and swayed. “I’m fine. I don’t know why everyone’s looking at me like…”

Luke caught her just before she passed out and shot me a worried look before staring back at her. “What’s wrong?”

The older woman with Beth jumped into action. She checked Maggie’s pulse and frowned. “She’s been sick a few times. She’s losing weight and isn’t taking care of herself. It’s probably just exhaustion but she needs to see a doctor.”

Maggie groaned. “I’m okay. I’m just tired.”

A new wave of guilt washed over me as I realized just what she’d been going through while we waited to get the nerve to come for her. I swore and scooped her out of Luke’s arms. “We’re going to a doctor. Now.”

Luke already had his phone out, tapping away. Ryan went into action taking care of Beth, exchanging numbers, and comforting her. Gregor leaned down and said something to her and then nodded at me.

“We’ll call as soon as we hear what the doctor has to say. We’ll take better care of her starting now, Beth.” I blew out a deep sigh. “This won’t happen again.”