Not Us: Briggs & Jacqueline

Chapter 8

Jacqueline's POV

What was I doing? Get on a flight to the Maldives with my two best friends. Josey, Ruth's friend, contacted me to see if I was serious about blasting them all over social media if they tried to contact me because Ruth and I had been friends for years. Almost sixteen of them.

"That's more than half your lives together. I can't imagine not being friends with someone who'd been in my life that long," she was trying very hard to guilt trip me as we were waiting for them to call our flight information.

"That's exactly why. How can you claim to be best friends with someone for more than half your life, just to turn around and stab them in the back like she did?"

Silence. Good. Fucking think about that.

"So, yes. I am serious. Also, while I'm out of town, my parent's house is under surveillance. If anything happens to that property, lawsuits will be filed naming the people responsible," I tried to sound as bored as I could, even going so far as to check my nails. "Oh. They're calling my flight. Listen, give her a heads up that the lawsuits will be coming for both her and Chase."

"Lawsuits?! For what?!" She sounded horrified that I'd be suing either of them.

"Hers, for ruining my dress. I tried to return it, but they said that the, um," I cleared my throat, trying to come off as embarrassed and not livid, "love stains, and um, missing beading was enough that they wouldn't take it. And if I have to get it cleaned to try to sell it, that financial burden is also listed."

"Woah. Wait. What are you suing her for?"

"Emotional distress, the cost of cleaning my dress, if it can be sold, and the difference. Or, if it's easier," which of course option 2 is always easier, "the full cost of my dress. Since I won't be wearing it."

Silence. Perfect.

"Well, I've got to go. I'll talk to you all soon! Have a great day, Josey!"

I hung up and got up walking to board the plane. Odette in front of me, and Briggs behind me. As I walked on, the attendant at the gate stopped Briggs.

"Sorry sir, you're only allowed one carry-on." He nodded, knowingly. He'd showed everyone the matching cross-body purse I was wearing with the carry-on. The TSA agents seemed to pick up on it right away. This lady seemed to be a Karen. I started to walk back up to him, and he held his hand out to me.

I reached out and he gripped my hand and kissed my palm looking at me with some kind of heat before looking back at the lady who was now two shades of red darker.

"My wife is newly pregnant. I'm just trying to pamper her so she doesn't have to do more work than she already is." My hands flew to my belly. He wants to protect little Bean? Wait. Did he just call me his wife?!

I blushed from my head to my toes. I swear every part of me was red. He took his ticket back from her and put his arm around me, walking us down the ramp to board our flight. I looked at him the whole way while he kept his head forward. It was like my legs were the only thing that was working on my body. I was completely fucking thrown off.

His wife?!

"Um...Briggs?" He found our seats and got me settled before putting our luggage up in the overhead compartment. "Can we talk about what you just said?"

Odette sitting next to me in this three-seat wide row looked at us with an eyebrow raised. She took an earbud out, whispering, "Keep it down or the whole plane will know whatever you're talking about."

He sat next to me, leaned in, and lowly said, "I called you, my wife."

I nodded; Odette peeked around me to stare at him. I could see her from the corner of her eye. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head! She looked fucking giddy. Why was she giddy?

"Jacqueline," he grabbed my hand in his really big, slightly sweaty hands, "I'm going to tell you something and it's going to change how you see me. It has the potential to be amazing or blow up in my face. I like you. I have liked you since you were seventeen and you came swimming at our house for the first time I'd been home since I enlisted. I couldn't stomach the thought of you marrying someone else, that's why I pulled away. I'm sorry."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, when you're ready, I would like for you to consider me. Please, just try to see me as more than your ex-best friend's older brother." He looked so vulnerable and like he was asking for something he really wanted for the first time in his life. Oh my god. Maybe he was.

"I'm going to put my Beats on and think about what you said on the flight." He nodded and got comfortable in his seat, but he didn't let go of my hand. As much as I wanted space, I wanted the comfort it brought too. He'd always made me safe, comfortable, and heard. Seen. He'd always been the only one to give me all of that. I'd never had it all before.

They say you can't have it all. But what if I could?

Lennon's POV

Holy. Fuck. What was that meeting I just walked out of?

Chase, the only one Daddy dearest claimed, was a fucking moron. He was only just now learning what I'd been around and learning my whole life. Papa created the brand, jwm, when he was just graduating from business school. He loved Nana, Mama, and the business. Until I came along.

My grandparents had always hoped Mama would find a man to love and start a family with. She did. She fell so hard for him that she'd never been right since he pulled the rug out from under her. They'd been together for almost two years when she told him she was pregnant. She thought he'd be elated. They'd had conversations about having children. He'd told her a little girl who looked like her would be perfect.

Thankfully, I'm a carbon copy of her. I look nothing like that worthless brother or sperm donor. That's all he is.

But I'll let him think I'm warming up to him. I asked to meet my stepmom. I emailed her back, asking for help in ruining them if she wanted that too. I haven't heard back and it's been three days. I only heard from her to confirm the brunch time. Maybe if she accepted this, I'd be able to get a definitive yes or no.

It took five days. Longer than I would have liked. I also called and left a message for my brother's ex-fiancé. I feel she and I could be good friends. Whether that extends past destroying him and my deadbeat dad, remains to be seen.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night at seven? I'd love to show you my home and introduce you to your stepmom. She's very excited to meet you," I'm sure! What woman isn't excited to meet one of his seven affair kids?

"I'm looking forward to it. Can I bring anything?"

"Just yourself, dear."

"Alright. See you at seven."

Perfect. Now to plot. I should still show up with a bottle of wine, maybe dessert? I called Nana and talked strategies with her. She wants to see the worthless piece of shit burn for what he did to my Mama. For breaking her as horrifically as he did. Once I became CEO, the first thing I plan on doing is getting him off the board of directors with the knowledge that he had six other children they didn't know about, and his wife is, hopefully, leaving him. After I have him removed, I'll turn the company over within a year after I clean it up to someone who I think fits the role best. But I will become the majority shareholder in that year to still have final say so on everything.

I'd leave them both with nothing.

I just need some help from those two women.