Page 12 of Hidden Truths

“I just got home from classes and am gettin’ ready to study,” I answer him, my voice bland and void of any emotion at all.

“It’s about fuckin’ time you do somethin’ you’re supposed to do,” he shouts as everyone whips their head toward me since they can hear him without me putting the phone on speaker. “I’m calling to let you know that a contract has been signed for your marriage. You will be marrying Collette and taking over The Faction when I deem you worthy of the position. In your place, I will rule The Faction until you’re completely ready.”

“No. I’m not gonna marry Collette or anyone else you try to force on me. Collette is a vile bitch and I won’t tie myself to her despite what you say and order,” I say, knowing the next time I see my father he’ll punish me for going against him.

“You’ll do what I say, Kash. You’re too late to try and stop anything from happening. The contract has been signed by myself and her father. You have until the end of the year to get your head wrapped around this information. Don’t fuck this shit up, Kash, or you’ll suffer even more,” he growls out before hanging up the phone on me.

“Fuck!” I groan out, my voice low and defeated at the thought of being with a skank like Collette.

“Don’t worry, Kash. We’ll make sure this doesn’t happen. One way or another, we’ll all get out of the contracts that have been signed regardin’ our marriages,” Fallon says, determination filling his voice as I shake my head and leave the living room.

Making my way to my room, I close the guys out and make sure the door is locked. They don’t bother me while I’m in here working, but I know today at least one of them will come in to check on me after that phone call from my father. They know I hate dealing with him and the pain that I’ve suffered at his hands. Not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. He’s forcing me into a life I don’t want with Collette because he’s a greedy, power hungry fucker. I will never give into his demands when it comes to this marriage.

Sitting down at my desk, I pull out the bottle of Jack I have hidden in there and unscrew the cap. There’s no reason to bother with a glass since I’m the only one who drinks this. I don’t drink often, and I won’t get sloppy drunk tonight, but I need something to dull the pain and anger coursing through my veins. It feels as if a volcano is simmering beneath my skin and just waiting for the right time to explode into a raging inferno. I know if that happens, I’ll lose complete control of myself and that’s something I try not to ever let happen. I refuse to be anything like my father and he’s always been the one to lash out.

***

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been locked in my room in front of my computer screens. After a few large gulps of the alcohol to numb myself, I put the cap back on and hid it back in my drawer. Though, I’m not really hiding it from anyone because the guys all know where I keep my bottles of alcohol. I might not drink around people I don’t know or around large groups, but I do drink every now and then. Typically because of my father and his fucked-up views of the world and The Faction. He’s so fucking delusional that I’ll never follow or give into what he wants. Not if I can control it and determine what I truly want in my life. I already know what that is. Arabella, my sweet Song Bird, is the only woman I’ll ever fucking marry and have in my life. No one else will ever compare to her and I refuse to settle for anyone beneath her.

Just as I go to get off the computer for the night after not finding anything once again, I strike fucking gold. Buried deep on the computer of Arabella’s grandparents, I find a copy of their will. Pulling it up, I see that we’ve all been duped by our fathers. They put a fake will in place and fooled all of us because of their selfishness and greed. Before I continue reading the will, I pull up a different screen and hack into the server of the lawyer’s office where the will was drawn up. Looking up the file the lawyer has on Arabella’s grandparents, I find the same will in his file that I’ve just found. Pressing a few buttons, I print off the papers so I can read them over and not be stuck sitting in front of my computers the rest of the night or tomorrow to go through all the details.

After reading through the will several times to make sure I’m fully understanding everything that’s been written, I grab all the papers and head out to find the guys. They’re all sitting in the living room. Dash and Braxtyn are playing a video game while Dante and Fallon are studying as they sit in the recliners. Fallon looks up when I enter the room and stumble a little bit after sitting in the chair for so long and with the alcohol still flowing through my body.

“What’s goin’ on, Kash?” Fallon questions, bringing the rest of the guys’ attention to me as I plop into a recliner and don’t move for a second.

“I finally found somethin’,” I answer, excitement filling me. “We can fuckin’ get rid of Collette once and for all.”

“How the fuck do you figure?” Dante questions, slamming his textbook closed as he gives me his full attention with confusion filling his face.

“Because the will that was presented to The Faction and everyone else is fuckin’ fake. I have the real will for her grandparents in my hands. I’ve hacked into the lawyer’s office to ensure they match. This was buried deep on her grandpa’s computer. They’re an exact match. Collette and her family get absolutely nothin’. Arabella is to inherit everythin’. Includin’ the seat of The Faction. Collette will be nothin’ more than a fuckin’ skank like she is now. Arabella gets the mansion, all the money includin’ what’s already been spent if that’s happened, and everythin’ else they left behind,” I inform the guys as they sit up straighter in their seats and abandon everything that I’m saying instead of what they’ve been doing.

“Are you fuckin’ for real right now?” Braxtyn questions, a smile lighting up his face as Fallon steps up and takes the papers to look over for himself.

The papers I printed out make their rounds between all the guys before I’m handed them once again. None of us say a word in response to what we’ve just discovered. Arabella doesn’t have to live in the poor section of High Point any longer. Once she knows about the will and contacts the lawyer to get everything switched over to her name, Collette will be kicked out of the house and will no longer hold any claim over the assets that rightfully belong to Arabella to use as she sees fit. I know she’s not going to go through the money or anything like what Collette would do. She is very frugal from what I remember and know she’ll do everything in her power to ensure The Faction gets better moving forward. If she accepts her seat at the table and marries one of us.

Personally, I know if I’m the lucky fucker who gets her hand in marriage then I’ll treat her like the fucking queen she is and make sure she sits at the table with me at her side. I won’t ever take that position from her simply because no one has done it in the past. Arabella deserves to have her place in life elevated no matter the cost or what anyone else thinks about the situation. I’ll gut my father in order to make sure he doesn’t hurt her in any way. For the first time in a very long time, I’m ready to fucking step up and claim Arabella as mine. I didn’t do right by her when we were younger and I’ll spend the rest of my days ensuring she doesn’t suffer for a second longer.

“So, there’s really only one thing we need to figure out movin’ forward,” Fallon states, a smirk on his face that I haven’t seen in a very long time. “Which one of us is gonna marry Arabella? None of us will ever deserve her and I know it’s not gonna be easy to get her to go along with us on this, but we’ll make it happen one way or another as long as she doesn’t get hurt.”

“It’s safe to say that we’d all marry her right this fuckin’ second,” Dante speaks up, his mind already moving a million miles an hour with what this new future with Arabella will look like for each of us.

“I can say I fell in love with my sweet Song Bird years ago. I’m sure it’s the same for all of you. However, my father is the one pushin’ the hardest right now. I will marry Arabella and go along with whatever she wants to do. I won’t force her to give up the seat at the table to rule in her place. What I know is the one who doesn’t marry her will have to work with everythin’ in them to get back in her good graces,” I state, knowing the rest of the guys will put in the hard work to ensure they get back in good with Arabella.

“So, Kash is gonna be the one to marry her?” Dash asks, regret filling his face as he looks around the room at each of us.

His shoulders are slumped in defeat with the knowledge that he won’t be the one to marry Arabella. He doesn’t believe she’ll ever forgive him for walking away from her or accept that he’s truly sorry for everything that’s happened to her over the years. When we didn’t speak up to defend her, Arabella was essentially thrown to the wolves by all of us. She’s not going to let any of us back in her life the way we once were for a very long time if ever.

“I think at this point Kash might be the best option. While the rest of us laugh and don’t fuckin’ speak up to protect her, Kash is usually buried in his tablet and not payin’ attention to anythin’ around him. It’s not an excuse, but she once had a soft spot for each of us. We’ll have to work back into her heart and life. Kash is softer spoken than the rest of us and he doesn’t fuck as much as we do,” Braxtyn speaks up, his voice washing over me because none of them know the truth about me at all.

While I spend time with girls every now and then, I’m a virgin. I’ve never had sex with anyone because I knew in my heart and deep down in my soul I’d wait the rest of my life to be with Arabella and she’s the only one I’d want to give that part of myself to. I’ve kissed and had a blowjob here and there, but sex has always been off the table. Even when I’m wasted, I haven’t let that happen.

“Well, um, I haven’t ever been with any girl,” I whisper as the room goes completely silent and still.

“Are you serious?” Dante questions, his voice full of wonder as I look up and face him.

“I’m serious. I’ve made out with girls at parties and gotten a blowjob or two in the past, but that’s it. There’s never been anyone I want to give myself to like that. I’m not like the rest of you,” I say, my voice coming out louder and stronger as I try to defend myself.

“Have you done anythin’ to a girl? Or would you be goin’ into this completely blind?” Fallon asks, sitting back in his chair and steepling his fingers under his chin as he tries to figure out what kind of experience I have with girls.

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