Wanting The Wilson Brothers

Chapter Five

Violet’s POV

I blinked. Hard and fast. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

"I think you do," Nick said casually, like we were talking about the weather.

“You were five when I noticed. The last time I saw you. My brother was swimming in the estate pool. You sat by the edge, coloring. He brought you a bubble from the water, and you looked at it like it was the finest creation of the earth."

“I was a child, appreciating a bubble.” I never got defensive where Nate was concerned, but for some reason, I felt the need to be that way with Nick. It was there. Something that made me want to be driven to the edge.

“Okay.”

He didn’t believe it. And I knew that he had no plans of letting it go.

“If you want to sell that narrative, then I think you need to stop looking at them like your eyes hold the power to pull them apart.” Nick took a second sip of his drink. Whiskey should burn, yet his eyes didn’t give that away.

“I am not doing that.”

He nodded. “You are, Violet. It’s obvious. And maybe a tad pathetic. It has been years. And it looks like he is obsessed with Beckley, so if you have no intention of ruining that by telling him how you feel, then just let it go.”

I couldn’t hide the disdain from my tone. “You know, that is rich coming from you.”

He corked a brow.

“How so?”

"You were the one who left Chicago without a care in the world. The one who abandoned his baby brother with a demanding father, just so you could leave your best life in London. It was okay doing it for college. He needed his big brother with him."

“But you never showed. Instead, you were comfortable becoming a professor in London. Nate is just a recent graduate, but now, he has to learn the ropes of the company so he fits into the big shoes of being a CEO.”

That smugness in his eyes didn’t even wane. Not one bit. “I don’t hear Nate complaining, Violet. I doubt it’s any of your business.”

"It is my business." My voice had gone up a notch, my drink forgotten on the counter. "Nate has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I hate to see him drown in all of the responsibility. You ran away."

Something ticked in his jaw then. “I didn’t run away.”

“Yes, you did,” I countered. “And you just made it even more obvious by getting married to an English woman no one knows back in Chicago, just to tie your roots here. I bet her name is something like Anita or Desire.”

“Her name is Anna,” he said in a clipped tone, leaning away from the bar. “And you don’t know a thing about what you’re talking about. Enjoy the rest of my engagement party.”

Shit.

I messed up. Big time.

“Nick, I didn’t mean…”

But he was already gone, moving into the main part of the hall. My feet shuffled too with my glass of martini in one hand. It was hard getting the crowd to part for me, but I needed to get through, and nothing was going to stop me.

I heard the sound of cutlery hitting the stem of a wine glass as I finally found my way to Nate. Beckley was on the other side of his arm, and she gave me a look that told me more than I wanted to hear.

Nick was right. I was a pest.

“Violet.” Nate sounded surprised, his eyes suddenly widening just as the rest of the room gathered in one spot. Nick appeared at the centre of the crowd. I couldn’t read his eyes.

“s**t!” Nate whispered beside me. “I totally forgot you were here. Oh my God! I promised to come get you down. And your hair…”

"My hair is the least of my worries right now, Nate," I muttered, clenching the glass harder than I intended. "I might have said something bad to Nick, and now he hates me."

“Nick?”

I nodded.

“Nah,” he waved a hand dismissively in the air. “Nick is always a pain in the ass. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“But I…”

“Whatever you did, he probably deserved it.”

“Nate…”

“Shhh," Beckley whispered, a slender finger pressed against her lips. "Nick is about to address us."

I found his gaze on mine, and I almost choked from how fast I swallowed. I took a long gulp from my martini, and when I brought it down from my face, Nick still had his eyes on me, this time with amusement on his lips.

And then, he turned to face the crowd. “I am honoured to have you all gathered here on a day like this. It means a lot to me. Really.”

"I am particularly grateful to my family, the Wilsons, for not minding my undying love for the Richmond castle. I have always wanted to get married in these halls for as long as I can remember, and even though they knew how much it would cost getting everyone here, my family didn't bat an eyelid."

There were smiles on the faces of everyone present. Everyone except me. I leaned forward, reading into his expression. Damn. His face was a mask. I didn't know if he was about to tell the whole room that I was in love with his baby brother, or that I had insulted him and needed to be walked out.

"I am also thankful to my brother, Nathaniel Wilson, for holding the fort back home and for being here." Nick raised his glass. "I heard it would have been nearly impossible if you didn't have Violet next to you."

Heads turned in my direction, and I blushed a bright red. I could tell Beckley wasn't too pleased with the attention, but Nick soon got the whole room again.

“Anna, can you please come up here?”

A stunning lady who looked just like the one from the bar earlier strutted through the room. She stopped by his side, and I could totally see why he was attracted to her. She looked like she fell out of a magazine. Every inch of her was perfect.

Befitting of a Wilson.

But the next words that followed shattered everything.