One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

Chase had to fight to stop his curiosity from getting the better of him. He thought of asking Felicity, Mackenzie’s friend, about Mackenzie’s daughter when he saw her, but he quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

If there was anything he needed to know, Mackenzie was the one who could tell him.

He bid Felicity goodbye, and made his way to the hospital’s garage. As he walked, he busied himself with taking in the sight of everything around him, from posters to colorful chairs, and happy families. Anything to stop him from thinking.

He found his security details and driver in the hospital’s parking lot. Without hesitation, Chase climbed into his black Cadillac, and allowed himself to sink into the luxury leather seat.

He had thought his major problem would be what his father thought about his relationship with Mackenzie, but that had been debunked by the news of Mackenzie’s child.

Tightening his fists on top of his thighs, he frowned at the road. The more he thought about it, the more confused he was.

Why did she have to lie to him about the child? He had asked her, and she lied to his face. Chase heaved a sigh and raised his right hand to his forehead.

The child belonged to someone else.

Jeffery. It was definitely Jefferys’.

That was why she had been avoiding him.

Bile rose from Chase’s stomach to his throat. His anger began to boil in the pit of his stomach. The thought that Mackenzie was pregnant for a man like his step-brother made him sick to his fucking stomach.

“Are you okay, sir?” The driver asked, watching him from the rearview mirror.

Chase waved absentmindedly and nodded.

“Of course.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Lies. He wasn’t.

He thought about the time he had asked about the children he saw, and he remembered how she had tactfully evaded the question. And how happy she was when she stepped into her house? The child must have been the reason she was so excited that day. How had he been so blind not to see it?

He reclined farther into his seat and heaved an exasperated sigh. He was tired, her reason for lying still didn’t make any sense to him.

Chase started to search in his side pockets for phone. He needed to call West. His cousin was just the person he needed to speak to.

No matter what, Mackenzie should never had lied to him. She had more than enough opportunities to tell him the truth, but she had chosen not to.

“Chase! Never thought I’ll hear from you at this time of the day, what’s up?”

Chase rolled his eyes. He loved his ever eager cousin, but West could be far too much sometimes.

“Yeah. Meet me at Slauson’s in ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes? Bro, I…”

“Ten minutes, West. Don’t be late.” He breathed in.

“Please.”

Just as he had expected, West was fifteen minutes late, but it didn’t matter. Chase was three shots down by the time he arrived.

West was surprised to find Chase in that state. It was rare to find Chase in a bar during the day, seemingly drunk at that.

West started to order his drinks, but Chase cut him off halfway, a stern glare in his eyes.

“You’re not allowed to drink too much, or at all. You’ll be… you’ll be driving me home.”

West pouted and frowned at Chase.

“How is that even fair? Can’t believe you called me here just to watch you enjoy yourself.”

Chase chuckled, and West frowned.

“It’s not funny man.”

But he wasn’t laughing because of Chase, not at all. Something more ironic was on his mind.

“You know, I wonder if you’re drinking by this time of the day because your home is empty and bare. You really should have someone at home to open her arms and welcome you whenever you return home. Someone to make your day colorful. You’re getting old, you know.” West taunted him, and he did it on purpose. Chase was drunk, so he could not give one of his usual sarcastic replies.

Chase coughed, almost choking on his vodka, before he sat up straight and stared into his cousin’s bright eyes.

“How would you feel, West, if you were ever lied to by someone you love? Someone you would do anything for? And get this straight… the lie was completely unnecessary.”

West narrowed his gaze on his cousin. Something wasn’t right with him. He had known from the beginning, but he had never thought it would be emotional.

“Yeah, you see, the thing is I don’t exactly get attached, so I’ve never put myself in the position to feel like that.” He leaned into his chair, before he continued to speak.

“By the way, last I checked, I learnt my art of detachment from you. So what’s with the mushy feelings all of a sudden. And please, Chase, please tell me it’s not what I am thinking.” West had a feeling this had to do with Mackenzie. He hoped, more than anything, that Chase would prove him wrong.

His cousin’s silence did otherwise. Chase did not speak. There was nothing to deny, because it was the truth.

Mackenzie was the one who had him wasted.

“Fuck no! It is what I’m thinking!” West banged his palms on the table, and raised his right hand to cover his mouth. His eyes widened in shock, threatening to pop out of his sockets.

“I cannot believe this, man. Mackenzie? Mackenzie! You’re really serious with her?”

“For a long time, man. You have no idea.” Chase replied, reclining into his seat. West could not close his mouth. Of all the women in the world? West was sure Chase Axford was the wet dream of every woman in Greenville. Then why Mackenzie, for fuck’s sake!

Chase was crazy if he thought this was not going to blow up in both he and Mackenzie’s face. And here he was, thinking he was the Axford that made the worst decisions!

“Let me guess, she’s the one who lied to you. About what, exactly?” He pressed, but Chase did not reply.

“I just need to go home, man.” Was all Chase said. West said nothing more. It was certainly not in his place to do so.

Chase returned home to his empty and cold house, as West had called it. He had never felt as lonely as he did when he walked through the huge front doors, and made his way to his minibar, where he picked out his favorite bottle of whiskey. No glass, he was going to drink it from the bottle and drown his confusion and anger along with the strong liquid.

All he could think about, as he slumped into his couch, was Mackenzie’s lie.

He would have done anything for her. He would have done anything for her and her child. He would have protected them, taken care of them, and even adopted them if that was what she wanted.

Tired at midnight, Chase dragged himself up from his couch and forced himself into his room. He quickly took a shower and went to sleep, hoping he could put thoughts of Mackenzie away from his mind when he woke up.

~~

A FEW DAYS LATER

~~

Just as the doctor instructed, Mackenzie made sure Calista was never left alone. And to do that, she got her baby girl the puppy she had wanted. The dog became Calista’s number two companion after her twin brother, and Mackenzie was pleased to see her baby happy.

There was still one thing that bothered her, and that was the fact that she had barely seen Chase since the last time at the hospital. She could not say he was ignoring her, she just never saw him at the office.

When she inquired from Nora, she was told he had traveled for a few days to attend a business meeting. Yet, Mackenzie was not settled. Something was wrong, and she could feel it.

At lunch break, on the fifth day of his absense, Mackenzie spotted Nora in the cafeteria, and held her meal tray in her hands as she walked to her.

She stood beside the table, and Nora looked up at her. A smile formed on the woman’s face, and it helped put Mackenzie at ease. She smiled back, and settled into the bench, beside Nora.

She had some questions to ask, and Nora was the one in the position to answer them.

“So,” Mackenzie started, fiddling with her fork.

“Do you know what’s wrong with CEO. He is barely in the office these days, and when he is, he is quite distant from everyone.”

By “everyone” she meant herself, and Nora knew this.

The lady hid her smile, then turned to look at Mackenzie.

“It seems like you’re really worried about him. In that case, you are in the best position to ask him.” She replied.

The statement threw Mackenzie off guard by how direct she was. Nora was asking her to talk to Chase, she knew what was going on between them.

“Oh. You… you know.” It was meant to be a whisper, but Nora heard it.

She dropped her spoon and turned her focus away from her food, to Mackenzie.

“I am not one to judge, okay? But what I can say for a fact, is that Mr. Axford never lets anyone or anything get close to him, not even his own father. So, if something happened between you two, and it’s affected him this way, you should really speak to him yourself.” She didn’t even bother to beat around the bush. She looked like a straightforward person so Mackenzie wasn’t surprised.

Mackenzie buried her gaze into her plate of pasta.

“I can’t.” She blurted out. How could she face him? What would she say? She thought back to the look in his eyes when he found out. He had never looked at her that way before.

“Well, you have a lot of time to cook up your morale. He would not be around for a couple of days, perhaps a week.”

Mackenzie turned sharply in Nora’s direction.

“Why?”

“It’s the anniversary of his mother’s death next week. He normally takes one week off for it. So, do what you need to do with the time.” She smiled.

“I’m rooting for you.” She continued.

Mackenzie sank into the bench, thoughtful. She needed to see Chase, they needed to talk. She would go to his home to meet him if that was what it took.

Yes. She decided she would look for him.