Back to You: A Hudson Family Series- Book 1- Synclair and Reece (18 page)

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“Jesus Synclair, are you sure you can make it to the house? I can get Reece.” Matt offered.

I smiled weakly at him, I had one hand on my stomach and the other was gripping the door handle in a death grip. I had spent the last few hours emptying the contents of, an already empty stomach, and when that was done, I was dry heaving. This stomach flu was kicking my ass, and I regretted not coming home hours ago when I didn’t feel well.

“Its fine, I am just going to go in, grab some crackers, snuggle up to your brother and let him baby me.” I laughed softly. I opened the car door and when I stepped out of the car, I suddenly felt like the world was spinning.

“Whoa sis, okay no more walking.” Matt scooped me up in his arms, a worried look on his handsome face. I brushed his dark chestnut hair out of his face.

“You’re a good brother Matt,” I told him, truly meaning it. I sighed and let my head rest on his shoulder, I just needed some sleep and a cracker and I would be fine, I told myself.

Matt carried me up the walk, he kicked the already ajar door open with his foot.

“Well, too tired from fucking my brother to walk, Synclair?” Came Reece’s angry voice.

I froze in Matt’s arms and felt him immediately stiffen. Standing in the living room, her arm on Reece, was freaking Amber. Reece looked unsteady on his feet and I noticed the whiskey bottle on the table and the empty glass on the floor.

I squirmed until Matt placed me on my meet. He held on to my arm to help support my wobbly legs.

“Reece, what the hell is the matter with you, Bro? You know I would never do that, neither would Synclair. And what the hell is Amber doing here?” Matt asked in shock. It was obvious from his face he thought Reece had gone off the rails.

“Yeah, what he fucking said,” I shouted. Did Reece really just accuse me of sleeping with his brother? The brother that was almost ten years younger than me? Ewwww. I had always been a quick thinker, able to analyze a situation quickly. It was more of a survival technique that I had perfected when I was a kid.

My eyes narrowed on Amber, I rounded the couch, praying my legs wouldn’t give out. Amber let go of Reece and backed up. I stalked her like she was a rabbit being hunted by a wolf. “What did you do Barbie?” I demanded to know, throwing out the nickname I know she hated.

“She didn’t do anything, it was you FUCKING my brother, why didn’t you tell me you knew each other?” Reece demanded. I could hear the hurt in his voice. I could understand if he was mad that Amber had somehow found out that I had met Matt before, but why would he think I slept with him?

“Reece, I can explain. Yes, Matt and I met in Vegas, he asked me not to tell you.” I looked over at Matt. He looked as sick as I felt. I didn’t want to out his secret, especially in front of Amber. “Let’s go to our room and I’ll explain everything,” I told him, my head feeling heavy.

“Explain?” Reece shouted at me. “Explain? Explain you fucking my brother, yeah I saw it, I saw the video. Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t fucking stay in Vegas.” Reece shouted and swayed on his feet.

I reached out to steady him and he pulled back so fast he almost fell. The look of hurt and disgust on his face broke my heart.

“You disgust me, you really are a street rat.” He sneered. I reared back like I’d been slapped. The hurt was so palpable, I could almost feel it in every breath that I was struggling to take. My heart started to pound, and I felt my breathing get more labored.

“You’re drunk Reece, you don’t mean this and you’re going to feel like an ass in the morning, go sleep it off.” Matt’s tone was hard. In the time, I’d known him I had never heard him sound so angry.

“Hey, what’d we miss?” Dalton asked with a confused looking Rachel. They were standing in the entry way both looking worried.

Reece waved them in, “Come on, it’s family movie night and it’s starring Synclair and our brother Matt.” He announced with a sweeping motion toward Matt. Matt just stood there and glared at him.

“Reece you’re really scaring me,” Rachel told him, her voice barely a whisper. I wanted to go over and hug her, I wanted to tell her he didn’t mean it, but one look at him told me he did.

Waving everyone around his phone, he pulled up a video. Whoever shot it had a hard time keeping it steady because it jumped up and down. Shocked, I recognized myself sitting at the bar. It showed Ridge approach and then Matt. Then it cut away and when it cut back again it was Matt picking me up from the bar, my legs wrapped around his waist walking to the hotel elevator while he kissed me.

“What the ever loving fuck is that?” I said out loud. How had Matt’s face gotten transposed over Ridge’s? Confused, I looked up at Matt who’s face mirrored mine.

“It’s you, Synclair, taking my baby brother upstairs to fuck his brains out. Damn you fooled me, I chased you thinking you were worth it, little did I know you weren’t even worth my time.”

“Reece that’s not what happened, where did you get that?” I asked, still dumbstruck by what I had seen. I looked around the room at Dalton, who looked shocked, Rachel was crying and Matt looked like he wanted to punch someone. I looked around for Amber but it seemed she had slipped out, I guess her bitch work was done.

It was clear who brought the video to Reece, it was also clearly a doctored video. Why the fuck would Reece believe anything Amber showed him? He had to know I would never do that to him, that Matt would never do that to him?

“Tell me that’s not you, tell me right now that’s not you!” He bellowed his voice cracking with emotion. He dropped his phone and grabbed my arms and lifted me until we were eye to eye.

If I hadn’t been so pissed off, I would have cried at the hurt look in those green eyes. “Yes that is me, it was right after the fire and I was staying in the Bellagio. Yes, I met Matt, and another guy named Ridge.” Reece’s fingers bit into my arms.
Shit that was going to fucking bruise- again.

“However, that is not Matt, who takes me from the bar upstairs. I don’t know how she managed to doctor that video Reece, but it’s not Matt, Ridge is the one I left with.” I gritted out. It was humiliating that I didn’t even get the benefit of the doubt with him, maybe I had been right all along. Maybe he couldn’t get over my past and I had no place in his future. The thought made me want to lay on the floor and cry. I pulled on every defense mechanism I had. I made my face emotionless. I would fall back on what I knew, do not cry, do not run, and don’t let them see you’re scared or hurt.

“Let me go, Reece.” I was proud at how calm my voice sounded.

He pushed me away from him, I would have fallen if Dalton had not leaped forward and caught me. Seeing my red upper arms, he glared at his brother.

“You’re out-of-control Reece, did you even look to see if the video was edited, or did you just blindly believe the bitch that told you she was pregnant when she wasn’t?” Dalton spat at him.

Reece never took his eyes off mine. He moved forward toward me and Dalton pushed me behind him and shoved Reece back.

Reece came back swinging, the booze made him clumsy and Dalton easily avoided his fists. Pissed, he shoved Reece down on the couch. Rachel rushed over and grabbed my hand. I shook it off. I couldn’t let myself be consoled right now, I couldn’t afford to break down.

“You don’t even deny you had known my brother before you came here?” Reece shouted accusingly.

“No, I did know him, I met him for the first time, at the bar in the video.” I watched Matt get ready to open his mouth, and I raised a hand to silent him. This wasn’t about a video, this was about Reece taking Amber at face value and just assuming I was the asshole.

“You fucked him.”

“No.” I felt a coldness creep into my chest. I was starting to feel sick all over again. I hoped I puked on Reece. I was done, with this man, with this town and with this stupid month. If UJ didn’t want to give me the money because I was a few days shy of a month, then fine, I would figure it out. Nothing was worse than being accused of being a lying, whore by the man I thought loved me. Just how many times was I going to get fucked over by this asshole?
Apparently twice.

I walked calmly to the entry way and grabbed my purse. Matt had apparently dropped it when we came in. My keys were inside and my Mustang was still parked on the street outside. Not even glancing back at Reece, I threw open the door and walked into the cold night air.

I needed to get out of there. I would fall apart and cry when I was alone. My head was swimming, and each step seemed to be slow, my limbs heavy. This must be what real heartbreak feels like, I told myself, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

Rough hands grabbed me and whirled me around. Reece’s face was angry but my vision was blurred and I had to stare at him just to make it out.

“No, you’re not walking out Synclair, No, where are you gonna go? Can’t go back to V-Vegas.” His words slurred and his face was so close to mine I could smell the Whiskey on his breath.

“I actually can and I will,” I told him, no emotion in my voice. I was vaguely aware his brothers and Rachel were approaching.

“You can’t cause I bought the land from your uncle, you can never rebuild there because I own the land,” He explained proudly to my stunned face. “That’s right, Jack sold it to me because I told him I needed you to stay in Carson City. It was all so we could build a life here so I could make you happy, I gave Jack more than it was worth so that he could give you enough money to build your dream here, with me. But you didn’t want a dream with me, you wanted it with my brother.” I felt him shake me but I wasn’t really paying attention.

He owned the land to my bar? UJ had sold it to him so I would hopefully stay in Carson City? I was so shocked I couldn’t even be angry. He’d manipulated me again, fucked me over with Amber again, and made me love him only to make me feel like shit AGAIN.
FUCK... Where was my bat?

Reece’s brothers grabbed him trying to get him to release the grip he had on me. I was only vaguely aware of the struggle of them trying to pull him off and him not letting go. I felt them all surge forward, Reece tripped and fell forward. I hit the ground with a thud, my head bouncing off the cement and then a shot of blinding pain pumped through the back of my head and blackness followed.

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I held my throbbing head in my hands. The plastic chair of the emergency room was rigid and uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure what was worse, my pounding headache or the glares from my siblings, who were all sitting on the opposite side of the room. I remembered the argument, I know I chased Synclair outside, I know I fought with my brothers. I don’t remember the moment I fell, but I remember pushing off the ground and seeing Synclair’s pale face. Then I saw the blood. Everything after was a blur, I know I was pulled away while Dalton picked up her limp body and climbed in his truck, he tossed his keys to Matt and they sped off with Synclair, a trail of blood leading from the ground to the truck. Lucas had just pulled up and pulled me off the ground and shoved me in his truck. I know Rachel filled him in while I tried to get my head to clear and get the world to stop spinning. I knew Rachel had my phone, and I was pretty sure she showed Lucas the video before Dalton had asked for it. What I didn’t get was why they all took Synclair’s side? I was the wronged party, I was the one who had been duped.

Yet, despite all that, I was sitting in the emergency room with a pounding headache waiting for word on Synclair’s condition, with my siblings acting like I was the shit you scrape off the bottom of your shoe.

Synclair. I couldn’t even picture her now without seeing her kissing my brother. But I didn’t want her hurt. There had been a lot of blood on the ground and I know she didn’t wake up before they pulled up to the hospital. She had looked so pale, so innocent. Could they be right? Could the video be doctored? I had heard Dalton on the phone with a friend of his. Apparently the guy was a tech genius and Dalton was meeting with the guy in the cafeteria. Since Dalton had my phone, I could only guess he was trying to find out if the video was real.

A tap on my shoulder brought my head up. My baby sister looked at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen. She handed me a cup of black coffee and silently walked back to the other side of the waiting room.

Moments later, my lifelong doctor came out of the double doors and looked right at me.

I leapt from my chair and met him half way. “Doc Williams, is she okay?” I half yelled.

“She has to get about 13 stitches and we are treating her for dehydration, she’s awake and aware of what happened. I was told she has no family here.”

“I nodded.” She was okay, she was going to be okay. I didn’t know what that meant for our future, but at least, she was alive. The throbbing in my head increased.

“Does she know she’s pregnant?” Doc Williams asked.

I whipped my head up in shock. What the fuck?

My attention was diverted by Dalton rushing into the room. “It’s a fake, the video is a fake, someone transposed Matt’s face over the other guy’s, and my friend Greg can prove it.” He came to a halt when he saw my face.

“What? What happened?” I saw the look of concern on his face.

“Synclair’s pregnant with Reece’s baby,” Rachel told him smiling.

I shook my head, “Not possible, I’m sterile.” I almost whispered. Too much was happening.

“Nonsense, I told you it was unlikely, not impossible, and your sperm count could always increase on its own. She’s about three weeks along, we were able to discover it because we ran routine blood tests. Sounds like you’re going to be a father, Reece.” That was the last thing I heard before I hit the floor. My family, damn them, didn’t even try to catch me, in fact, they moved out of the way so my stubborn ass hit the floor, full force.
Assholes.

I came to on the floor of the waiting room with Doc Williams standing over me. My brothers looked grim and Rachel was biting her bottom lip, a worried expression on her face. Then it hit me, Synclair was pregnant? The video was a fake? Holy shit, I was going to be a father. Synclair and I had beat the odds we- OH MY GOD- horror crossed my features when my sobered up brain replayed what had just happened over the last six hours.

“Yep, pay up Lucas, I said it would take about a minute for his, ‘
what the fuck have I done’
moment, I believe it was like thirty seconds,” Dalton said, still grimacing.

I watched Lucas shake his head, “I don’t know, he sat there with a stupid look on his face for a while I think it was over a minute.”

“Naw, forty-seven seconds, I was timing it on my IPhone.” A pissed off looking Matt added.

I pushed off from the floor and flopped into the unyielding plastic chair. I had fucked up, I had let my insecurities and Amber get to me and I had accused my brother and Synclair of fucking behind my back.

Running a ragged hand through my hair, I looked up at Matt, my face full of regret. “Matt, I’m sorry. I know you would never do that me, I got spooked and acted like a jackass.” I told him. For a moment his face didn’t change, he just regarded me with his light eyes, like he was mulling over what I said.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it, his face broke out into a smile. “Its fine Bro, besides it’s not me you need to worry about, we’re family, and we love you no matter how big of an asshole you are!” Then his smile fell as he looked toward the double doors. “It’s Synclair you need to talk to. Doc Williams already told her about the baby but she told him she doesn’t want to see you.”

I looked at my family, I knew I had disappointed them, but I also knew with a new Hudson on the way, they’d help me make this right.

“Doc? Can you look the other way so I can talk to her? I just need two minutes to make this right.” I pleaded. I know it wasn’t the manly thing to do but at this point, I was willing to do whatever it took.

Sighing, Doc Williams pushed his glasses further up on the bridge of his pointed nose. “Well, I’m going to take my lunch right now, so I guess I will advise the nurses of Ms. Patrick’s request to bar you from the room when I get back.” With that, he walked toward the cafeteria.