Wild Nights With My Brother’s Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 132

NICOLE

I find myself inside the room, surrounded by strange faces I’ve never seen before. The Bruiser is standing right beside me, saying a few words to let everyone know who I am.

Nobody looks surprised; it seems they were expecting me.

“Nicole, I’d like to introduce you first to my wife, Amanda,” he says, gesturing at a woman who appears to be in her late fifties like he is. She’s tall, blonde, and elegant. And I’m surprised by the smile she flashes at me, considering I’m someone he had with another woman. “We’ve been together for over forty years—we met our first year of college.”

I gulp and feel uncomfortable as Amanda rises from her seat to wrap her arms around me. I look around the room.

It’s small with an enormous table in the middle. A projector is hanging from the ceiling and there’s even a podium facing the room, with a white screen behind it. I think the hotel uses this room for exclusive meetings or something.

But that’s not the only thing I’m focusing on right now.

Everyone stands up while I’m still hugging Amanda. Their eyes are on me but I can’t seem to look at them. Maybe it would be easier if I focused on one person at a time.”Welcome, Nicole,” Amanda says, all friendly. The worst part is that I don’t detect any sarcasm in her tone at all.

Surely she has to be bothered by the fact that I’m here.

After all, I’m a product of his cheating. “We’re all happy to have you here. I see how that my husband wasn’t exaggerating when he said you looked just like him. I mean that in the best way possible, of course. No girl likes resembling their father, after all.”

The Bruiser laughs at this. The look he and his wife exchange is one filled with love and longing, and it makes my head spin even faster.

Because what the fuck is this? Doesn’t she know what he does, and if so, why doesn’t she care at all?

I wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of cheating.

“Let’s move on, shall we?” Amanda says, taking control of the introductions now. I turn to the rest of the group, which consists of five people. One of them—a man with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a gray suit-is seated on the very end of the table, stroking his hairless chin. The way he’s looking at me sends shivers down my spine and not in a good way.

He doesn’t appear to be happy by the fact that I’m here.

1 realize suddenly that he’s the man who was talking to Roman earlier.

“This is Sandra, your half sister,” Amanda says, gesturing at a blonde woman in her thirties who…looks just like me,now that I’m paying more attention to her. Her eyes are wide as he looks at me, and she immediately steps forward and embraces me.

“It’s so good to meet you,” she whispers in my ear. ”

Welcome, Nicole. Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you,”I say, unable to take my eyes off her. I feel something strong take over me as I stare at her face. I feel like she’s being genuine, too, the same way Amanda was.

It’s so confusing.

Sandra nods genuinely. I stare at her for so long that her face starts to get distorted. It feels like I’m looking into a mirror—if it weren’t for the several years between us, we could pass as twins. This, for some reason, makes everything so real. The Bruiser truly is my father. It’s crazy that he never even mentioned a DNA test. Maybe this was all a coincidence…a morbid curiosity.

But no. Staring at Sandra makes it all so real. So damned real.

My head starts to spin. Their eyes are all on me, probably waiting for me to say something, but I can’t, not about this. Instead, I tell them, “I need some fresh air. Please. I just…”

I trail off, unable to finish the sentence. Amanda places her hand on my arm. Her gold rings feel cold against my skin. “Take the time you need. We’ll be right here when you get back. Okay?”I nod and turn on my heel before heading toward the door I urgently need some fresh air. It feels like I’m drowning even thought I’m nowhere near water. I open the door and step out without looking back at all. Then, I stand with my back against the wall and take deep gulps of air.

– Jesus. What was that?

I wasn’t expecting that at all. They were so friendly that I can’t help but feel like maybe I’m joining a cult or something.

I turn around and hug myself, just thinking things over.

I’m so distracted that I don’t hear someone approaching me until they grab my arm. A scream catches in my throat when the person whirls me around, but I relax right away when I see that it’s Roman.

“What are you doing here?” he asks right away.