Page 5 of My Ex’s Billionaire Brothers (Forbidden Hearts #5)

ANYA

I wake up feeling like my head is stuffed with cotton. For a moment, I lie there, disoriented, in the guest room Calvin set up for me months ago. He wasn’t around to ask about where I’d gone last night. I doubt he even noticed I’d left.

I sit up slowly, pushing aside the comforter. The pounding in my temples intensifies as reality sets in. I check my phone, and there’s a text from a number I don’t know. Be there in twenty—Theo.

That was sent fifteen minutes ago. Shit. I get up and hurry around the room to get packed for the trip.

My memories of last night seem so surreal.

Their steady eyes, their sincere promise, the way I felt an almost physical wave of relief at the notion that I would not be facing Calvin—and the immediate future—alone.

The entire situation feels like a twisted dream.

Like Calvin, Gage, Hunter, and Theo are polite and confident.

But they have none of his forced veneer.

I drag my suitcase from the corner of the room and pop it open on the bed. It’s odd. I’m almost more upset about leaving Boston than I am about being dumped. I love it here. The city was the fresh start I always thought I needed, a place to spread my wings. Leaving feels wrong.

Castle Beach is hot this time of year, so I toss in a pair of sandals as well as the rest of a summer wardrobe. The suitcase grows more full by the minute, and so does my sense of finality. When the weight of it threatens to overwhelm me, I pause, pressing my hands against the comforter.

This is really happening.

A quiet knock on the door startles me. Before I can answer, the door cracks open and Calvin steps in.

He’s dressed as though he has a meeting to attend—crisp white shirt, navy slacks, his blond hair carefully styled.

He glances at my open suitcase with a furrow forming between his brows.

“Anya,” he says, voice hard. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think?”

“I gave you until the end of the month to move out.” His words clang around my head like a mocking echo.

Yes, he “gave” me until the end of the month to uproot my entire life.

I draw in a slow breath. “Your plans changed. Mine haven’t.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m going to Castle Beach for the holiday.”

He opens his mouth as though to argue, but stops short. There’s an undercurrent of resentment in his eyes, as if I’m the one inconveniencing him. “And you think you can just…take one of my cars?”

“No.”

“I’m sure you expect me to foot the bill for your travel.”

“Also no.” I snap the suitcase lock shut, turning to face him. “I don’t need your car. I have a ride.”

“A ride? With who? You don’t have friends.” The jab is precise, designed to remind me that I left my old life behind and let him orchestrate my every move.

For a moment, I consider lying or simply refusing to answer. But that won’t get me anywhere. “I’m going with Gage, Hunter, and Theo,” I say, gripping the handle of my suitcase. “They offered to take me.”

“My brothers ?” A harsh bark of laughter escapes him. “Are you kidding me?”

“Again, no.”

His face reddens. “This is ridiculous. They’re only doing it to spite me.”

“Does it matter?” It does to me. A little bit, anyway.

The brothers have an animosity between them that runs deep.

But if they’re using me to piss Calvin off, and I get a free trip to Castle Beach out of it, that’s win-win.

“They’ve shown me more kindness in a single evening than you have in months. So yes, Calvin. I’m going with them.”

He stares at me, eyes narrowed, as though searching for some last shred of control over me. With a glare, he steps aside, letting me move past him into the hallway. The thick carpeting muffles my steps, but my pulse thrums loudly in my ears.

We make our way downstairs. My hands clench around the suitcase handle, bracing for what, I don’t know. Calvin marches behind me, practically on my heels, muttering under his breath.

The antique furnishings—oil paintings, polished wood tables, vases of fresh flowers—once impressed me with their elegance. After the breakup, they seem like theatrical props for a play brought to tepid life.

“Do you really think you’re going to waltz out the door with them?” he hisses as we reach the foyer.

“Do you plan to try to stop me?”

He huffs. “They’re just stirring the pot. You’ll regret trusting them. Everyone does.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” A wave of relief washes over me the moment I open the front door. There, in the driveway, is a large white SUV, gleaming in the early daylight. I pause, breath catching in my chest.

Gage sits in the passenger seat, his silver undercut glinting in the sun.

Hunter, half leaning out the middle seat’s window, waves in our direction, his golden-brown skin catching the light as he smiles at me.

Theo stands outside the vehicle, checking something on his phone.

His neatly styled white-gray hair is combed back in a distinctly formal way, pairing with the lines of his crisp polo shirt.

For a second, I picture them as literal knights on a white horse, come to rescue me from a beastly dragon. Maybe I’m letting my imagination run away, but the metaphor feels almost too perfect.

Calvin steps onto the porch behind me. “Unbelievable,” he mutters under his breath. He raises his voice, calling, “What are you three doing here? This is ridiculous, even for you.”

Theo barely glances up from his phone. “Good morning to you too, Calvin,” he says with measured politeness. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Gage slides out of the SUV, unfolding his tall, hulking frame with quiet confidence.

He stands a good head above Calvin, broad in the shoulders, his green eyes sharp.

Hunter also steps out, tucking his phone into the pocket of his jeans.

I exhale as they converge on the front walk, forming an unexpected line of defense.

“So, you’re taking my fiancée— ex -fiancée—where, exactly?” Calvin snaps.

It’s like he doesn’t believe this is happening. “I already told you.”

Hunter moves around to the rear of the SUV, gesturing for me to hand him my suitcase. “We’re driving her down to Castle Beach.”

“I thought she was exaggerating. I didn’t think the three of you would butt into my business.”

Calvin tries to take a step forward, but Gage blocks him smoothly, standing so near me that I can almost feel the warmth of his body radiating through his all-black attire. “ Your business? She’s not your business anymore. You made that clear enough, didn’t you?”

Calvin’s face turns a dangerous shade of red. “This is absurd.”

Theo tucks his phone away and offers Calvin a cordial nod. “I believe, dear brother, that once you break an engagement and toss someone aside, you lose the moral high ground to decide who helps her next.”

It’s a measured statement, but Calvin bristles. “This is about your stupid club, isn’t it? You’re trying to ruin my political future. You’re all?—”

Gage lifts a brow. “Calvin, what makes you think this has anything to do with you?”

“Why else would you be doing this?”

Hunter snorts a laugh. “Because it’s the right thing to do. Since you have completely lost sight of that, I’m not surprised you don’t recognize it when you see it.”

Calvin’s mouth opens, then shuts. I suspect he realizes how outmaneuvered he is. After a long moment, he waves a dismissive hand at me. “Fine. Go. But don’t come crying to me when this blows up in your face.”

Gage places a reassuring arm around my shoulders, guiding me toward the SUV. The simple gesture sends a cascade of warmth through me. “Don’t worry about Anya, Calvin. We’ll help her celebrate Independence Day our way.”

Before I can process the underlying hint in what he said, I climb into the SUV’s back seat. My hands tremble slightly, but I manage to buckle my seat belt. I got out, and I’m not alone. For now.

We settle in with Theo driving, Hunter in the middle, and Gage joining me in the back. The door closes behind him, muffling Calvin’s final sputtering protests. The SUV pulls away from the townhouse, leaving the big brick facade in the rearview mirror.

I’m free of him. It’s really over.

“Hey,” Theo says softly, glancing at me through the mirror. “You okay back there?”

“Yeah. I’m just…processing, I guess. Thank you all. You didn’t need to do this.”

Hunter turns slightly in his seat, brow furrowing. “We’re happy to help.”

Gage nods, shifting so one broad arm rests on the seat behind me. I try not to pay too much attention to the faint brush of his shirt against my shoulder. “We have the time, and I’d rather spend the week helping someone else than nursing a party hangover. You’re doing me a favor.”

I can’t help but smile at that. “I would have driven myself if I had a car or any money for a rental…but…”

Hunter shakes his head, hazel eyes flicking to mine. “Hey, no need to explain. Let’s just focus on getting you home safe.”

Home? Where is that?

Once we merge onto the highway, Theo fiddles with the radio, finally settling on a station playing mellow rock tunes. Hunter reclines his seat a touch, occasionally checking his phone for messages. Gage angles himself so he can look at me, a curious glint in his green eyes.

“So,” Gage says, “tell us something about yourself, Anya. We only know what we’ve heard from Calvin—and I’d rather hear it from you.”

“I’m not sure there’s much to tell. I was working as an office manager before Calvin suggested I quit and plan our future. Now I have no job, no fiancé, and no immediate plan.” The bitter admission slips out, and I flush.

Hunter glances back again. “What about your life in school, or your interests? You from a big group of friends, hang out with a certain clique?”

The question dislodges a wave of memories—many of them awkward or tinged with longing. “Clique? I guess I was with the quiet kids, if that’s even a clique. I tried to get good grades and avoid trouble. Nothing too exciting.”

He hums thoughtfully, as though not entirely satisfied with that answer. “You must have had something else. Any clubs? Passions?”

My cheeks warm again. “I sang in the choir. And sometimes I wrote short stories. But I never really explored that side of myself. My parents are pretty strict, so I spent a lot of time at home or school events.”

Theo tilts his head. “Last night, you said you love Boston, correct? Because you can just be yourself without anyone’s expectations. How does that differ from Castle Beach?”

I shrug, wrapping my arms around my middle.

“I do love Boston. It was freeing…for a time. It felt like a clean slate. But it also gets lonely when you don’t have close friends or family around.

” I pause, biting my lip. “Truthfully, I don’t think I fit in anywhere.

Castle Beach is my hometown, but I never belonged there either. Everyone is so judgmental.”

Gage’s gaze sharpens in that intense way of his. “What do you feel judged for in Castle Beach?”

I gulp hard. He asked, and he’s doing me a favor, so I dig deep to tell the truth. “I was always seen as the good girl there. And in Boston,” I say, staring at my hands in my lap.

“The good girl?”

“You know, polite, sweet, helpful. The one who never causes problems. My parents loved that about me. Everyone did, Calvin did…but inside, I never felt…right. It’s like wearing a costume for so long, you start to forget whether you chose it or it was forced on you.

And I still don’t really know how to be anything else. I’m not sure if that makes any sense.”

Hunter grins. “So, you’re not quite the perfect angel everyone thinks, huh?”

I manage a half laugh. “I am on the outside…just not on the inside. But I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve spent my whole life being told how to behave and doing just that. Even in Boston, I tried to be what Calvin wanted…”

Thinking about that won’t solve anything. It’s not as if I want him back. I can’t un-hear what he said about me, even if he was just quoting Brenna. I’m not sure I believe that was a quote, though. Calvin’s always been mindful of what I eat, how much I exercise.

Theo speaks from the front seat, his voice clipped yet kind. “Being a ‘good girl’ does not have to conflict with curiosity. It is possible to explore what you want and still be respectful of who you are. Perhaps you only need time and space to figure out where you stand.”

His words strike a chord in me. I sigh, leaning my head against the seat. “Thank you. I appreciate not being judged. I know that must sound silly.”

Gage’s low voice rumbles. “Not at all. When you’re figuring yourself out, what matters is honesty. But it starts with being honest with yourself.”

Honesty, the kind he’s speaking about, has never been on my radar. Not when I had so much to lose. Right now, though, I have nothing to lose.

I swallow, finding my voice again. “I’m sorry if all of that sounds overly dramatic. I’m just so grateful for your help that I’m rambling. I know you’re giving up your holiday for this, and I can’t repay you.”

Hunter laughs softly, his shoulders shifting under his sweater. “Relax. A road trip is a lot more fun than the usual family gatherings.”

Theo clears his throat in gentle admonition, but I see a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. “Indeed, don’t trouble yourself about payment or gratitude. We are doing what any decent person would do.”

“Lots of people consider themselves decent and would not do this for me. Maybe it’s my Southern upbringing, but you say thank you when someone does you a favor. So, thank you.”

They don’t speak after that, which suits me just fine. Gives me some quiet to think about everything. Curling my legs up under me, I watch the miles roll by. The city skyline diminishes behind us, replaced by open roads and wide skies.

My future is a complete unknown, but for the first time in days, I don’t feel suffocated by the uncertainty. I’ve never shared the “good girl mask” thing with anyone before them, and it felt good to get it off my chest. They seem to understand, and it feels good to be understood that way.

Finally.