Chapter 317

With the stress of my quickly approaching birthday weighing down on me, I decide what I need is to get out of the pyramid for a while and clear my head. So I load up Mia into her stroller and start to head outside.

Before I can even reach the back entrance – the one that doesn’t have stairs – I’m waylaid by Archer and Beau both. They appear out of nowhere, like they were hiding around a corner or something. Or, like they followed me.

“Where are you going, Nanny?” Beau asks.

I motion toward the stroller while giving him a flat look. “I’m taking Mia for a walk.” It should be obvious.

“There are reporters lingering outside,” Archer says.

The bulk of the reporters have eased off since I gave my exclusive interview with Angela, but there are still a few lurking around. They’ve triggered Steven’s security a few times when they tried to get too close.

I have a sinking feeling that, given my recent rise in popularity, the sneaky paparazzi might be a norm for me now. I can do my best to avoid them, but I’m not going to hide for the rest of my life.

“I can handle a couple of reporters,” I say.

Archer’s frown deepens. “Not alone.”

Rolling my eyes, I want to ask them what they think will happen when we eventually go our separate ways. They won’t be around to protect me forever. Someday, I’m going to need to know how to deal with these situations on my own.

I don’t really want to bring that up, though.

Besides, the person they really could be concerned with is Mia. I suppose, having a pair of bodyguards around for her sake wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

“Fine,” I say at last.

“See how pleasant things can be when we all work together?” Beau says brightly.

Archer and I both ignore him.

The walk doesn’t last long before I veer 180 degrees back to the house. When we are back inside the walls of the Pyramid, I turn on the pair of bodyguards.

“What the hell was that?”

“We protected you,” Archer says.

Their idea of protection was walking so close to me we were practically attached at the hip, Beau on my left, Archer on my right. Archer had his arm around my waist. Beau kept his hand over mine on the stroller. They glared at any and everyone who came within a 9 foot radius of me and Mia.

“If you were referring to those pair of guys, you should have seen the way they leered at you when you weren’t looking,” Beau says. “I was well within my rights to growl at them.”

“They weren’t looking at me until you started growling,” I say.

“You just didn’t notice,” Beau says. “You don’t pay enough attention to these strange men. You are too trusting.”

“They were literally just walking, Beau. There was no threat.”

“I agree with Beau’s assessment of the situation,” Archer says.

I swivel on my heel, facing him now. “Don’t get me started on you. Those guys were playing Frisbee.”

“He purposefully threw that Frisbee toward you so that his friend could get close,” Archer says.

I throw my hands up. “This is ridiculous. You guys are out of your minds.”

“We were protecting you,” Beau says, determined.

I point my finger at him. “You were not. What you were doing is being territorial and possessive, and for no reason!”

“What do you mean, no reason?!” Beau demands, raising his voice as I did mine.

“You act like you want to keep me,” I snap. “But neither of you actually want to commit. You puff out your chest and try to keep other guys away, but you are perfectly happy to pass me off to my mate, whoever he is.”

At the mention of my mate, Beau and Archer both begin to growl, as if in reflex.

“This is exactly what I’m talking about!” I’m at the end of my rope. My heart can’t take much more of this back and forth. Either they want me or they don’t, I’m so tired of the games. “If you want to keep me, then say so! Else, butt out!”

Beau and Archer both close their mouths. Neither of them say a single thing more, but the rejection is loud and clear in their silence.

“That’s what I fucking thought,” I hiss, angry and hurt.

Grabbing the handlebars of the stroller, I steer Mia out of the room and don’t look back.

Much, much later, after Mia is down for the night, I change into my pajamas and get ready for the night. Teeth brushed and face washed, I rest in my bed with my back up against the headboard and open a book to read.

It’s a romance novel with a traditional plot. The two leads are going through some trouble, but there’s no doubt they will overcome it and end up together. Stories like these always make things seem so simple.

Nothing about my love life is simple.

A knock on the door makes me lose my place. I slide the bookmark to mark my page then call out, “Who is it?”

The door opens and Steven appears. I wave him inside. He closes the door behind him as he enters, then joins me by standing at my bedside.

“Can we talk?” he asks.

With a sigh, I bring my legs up, giving him enough room to sit down on the bed, which he does.

After a moment of silence, I prompt, “What do you want to talk about?”

Steven inhales a great breath, as if he is preparing himself for a tough conversation. I brace myself, not sure what to expect.

“My brothers are idiots,” he says at last, and I laugh in surprise.

“I already knew that,” I tease.

Steven shakes his head lightly. He’s smiling but it’s a soft little thing, not the toothy grin I want.

“I’m serious, Chloe.” His face straightens some as he talks. “We just keep hurting you.”

My good mood dims somewhat, confronted with that. He’s right, they do. “None of you can help how you feel. I can’t be mad about the rejection –”

“That’s just it, don’t you see?” He turns to me on the bed, pulling up his knee onto the mattress. “It’s difficult for us to… express emotion, especially the idea of wanting or needing someone. Our parents claimed they loved each other, but neither was true to the other. Love only ever seemed to be a burden.”

As role models, their parents failed miserably. It was truly a miracle that the brothers developed any morale code or awareness at all. They certainly wouldn’t know what love even looks like, if they only learned it from their mom and dad.

I can be sympathetic to that. Even so, I don’t understand what this has to do with them rejecting me. Maybe this is Steven’s way for apologizing for his brothers’ actions. Or a way of explaining why a relationship between her and any of them wouldn’t work out.

“I know it’s not personal,” I say. “I understand that you guys just don’t feel that kind of love for me. Maybe you aren’t capable? Is that what you are trying to say? It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to explain it.”

“Chloe –”

“I really don’t want to be rejected again, Steven, okay? So if you are here to give me all these reasons, then you can just –”

Steven moves in a flash. Cupping my face in his hands, he kisses me silent.

“You don’t understand at all,” he says, voice deep and breath hot on my lips. “If you did, you would know that I’m trying to tell you something very important…”

I lick my lips. My heart hammers so loudly, it pounds in my ears. “What?” I whisper.

His reply is just as soft, barely a breath. “I love you.”