Vanilla, Cream and Strawberries (Unedited copy)

Chapter 23 - Unedited

I know its been a while, but i promised i'd get this finished.

The tension between them was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Arabella kept shooting glances at Ashton as he walked around the room unpacking things for the pair of them. Ashton knew what the twins had asked him to do was a deep betrayal of Ari's trust but he knew in the long run it would things to get better. Ashton sighed as he thought about walking out the door and letting the twins clean up their own mess, but he owed them. He knew Ari would never trust him again. But they were the closest thing he had to brothers. He needed to help them even if that meant hurting Ari. Without another thought Ashton stopped what he was doing and headed towards Ari on the bed. Sitting down next to her and looking into her eyes, he couldn't deny how attractive she was and how much he did want her, But she surprised him, opening her mouth first.

"I want you" Watching her eyes fill with tears Ashton couldn't help cursing the twins

"I know"

"But I can't"

"Why not?" He fully wanted to understand why she was denying herself of something she clearly wanted

"I might have walked out on the twins and I want to hurt them, but this it's wrong Ashton. I love them so fucking much it hurts me. My heart actually hurts. And I can't just fuck you. It might be an hour of pain-free piece but the guilt and shit afterwards isn't worth it"

"You can. It can be our dirty little secret" Ari watched as Ashton kneeled before her, flicking the button on her jeans open, and lowering the zipper.

**

Alexander watched as Christian paced the kitchen with his ear to the phone, listening intently to the words being spoken to him. It had been a long time since Alexander had felt hatred towards Christian but what happened with Ari was unforgivable, sure Alex knew he'd played a significant part in micro managing her.

"I don't care, all I want to know is, do you have a location?" Christian's voice was cold as ice. Losing Ari for the second time had killed something inside of him. Watching the only woman that truly love and accepted him walk out of his life was heart breaking and knowing it was his own fault, made it only worse.

"I understand. No I'll be heading up there myself. Email me the details." Although Alexander knew Christian had received good news, he couldn't help wanting to bring Ari back alone. Christian hung the phone up and faced Alexander, speaking to him directly for the first time in days.

"The cabin" Alexander felt like kicking himself, god why hadn't he thought of the cabin in the first place. It Ashton's place to escape from the daily shit of life.

"You should stay here"

"I need to make this right"

"Whatever"

"Alex look I didn't mean..."

"No don't even fucking go there. If you weren't so fucking cold and thoughtless all the time with her, we wouldn't be in this situation. You don't get a free pass for this one bro" and with that Alexander marched down the hallway and got in the lift. He couldn't endure looking at his own reflection is Christian face a second longer.

Standing alone in the kitchen, Christian contemplated the only other real time him and Alexander had argued;

"You see boys, I warned you when I accepted you into my home about Arabella. We had an agreement and you broke that, consequences are inevitable I'm afraid. I don't judge you, you Blake men all had odd tastes in the bedroom. I remember my mother telling me god awful stories about your grandfather, I mean all you need to do is look at your father to know there truth" One glance at Alexander and he knew what I was thinking. There was no way in hell we were ever abandoning Ari.