Sin City Baby

then. But I was in shock, and I had no idea what I was going to do or how I was going to tell them. I needed time to process and think.”

“Time to think about how you were going to tell me that you whored yourself to all four of my brothers? At the same time?” she snapped.

Her words stung, but I couldn’t exactly blame her.

“Lauren, I get why you’re upset. But you need to back off. Now. And don’t ever let me hear you refer to her like that again,” Luke said from behind me.

She scoffed and shook her head before her hand landed on the doorknob.

“Lauren, please don’t go,” I said.

“I need to leave for my honeymoon.”

“Please. We need to talk about this.”

I reached out for her to try and stop her, but she pulled away and looked at me like I was disgusting. Like I was someone she didn’t recognize.

Like my father had when I admitted that I was, in fact, pregnant.

She slid out the door and closed it behind her without a second glance.

I felt the rest of my life slowly crumble at my feet. My parents had turned me away. My best friend couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me. My career was suffering because I could no longer travel for work because of my morning sickness, and I was missing deadlines for articles. Everything was on the line. My life as I knew it was slowly fading from my vision.

I felt lost.

Alone.

“Sam.”

Luke’s hand landed on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off.

“It’s going to be okay. You know you’ve always got us.”

“Get out,” I said without raising my voice.

I felt Luke stiffen behind me as I turned my head to look at him.

“Get out,” I said again.

“Sam, you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Please leave.”

“No.”

“Get the fuck out,” I said.

I picked Luke’s clothes up off the floor and threw them at him. I stalked behind him and pushed against him, forcing him toward the door. He turned around in my grasp and tried to hold me. Tried to wrap his arms around me and keep me close. But I couldn’t let him do that. I couldn’t give into his touch. Because if he got his arms wrapped around me, I’d never let him go.

And I needed to be alone.

When he got dressed, I shoved him out the door before I locked it behind him. I watched his shadow underneath the door before I heard a thunderous crash on the other side of the wall. I pressed my forehead against the wall and listened as Luke cussed to himself all the way down the hallway.

I forced my tears back.

I was done crying over all this.

I ran around the hotel room and packed everything up as quickly as I could. I knew Luke would tell his brothers what had happened. They all talked when it came to me. That much I was beginning to realize. And I needed to check out of my hotel room if I had any shot at some time to myself. I stuffed things into my bag and slipped on my sandals, then grabbed my chargers and held them in my hands. I called a cab and ran down to the front desk to check out.