Their Goddess - The Roses, Book 3 (Completed)

Part 2. Jericho

Fuck, we had spent all night working out what we should do next, I leave Eli heading towards Mandy's house and Noah at the office trying to delete the social media links, Mandy's little show yesterday had gone viral and the comments coming in from Mandy's little group were adding fuel to the fire. Gabe had given us access to some programmes that would help but only after he had told us how stupid we were.
Eli was going to show her parents what she had done and tell them we were looking into making a formal complaint against their daughter. I knew Mandy's dad did some work with ours and hoped they would deal with her. If we got hold of her i'm not sure she would walk away unscathed.
I had come after Evie, I was hoping she would be home, I had already checked everywhere else I could think of.

Mandy, bloody Mandy, what had she done, I knocked again at the cottage door but there was no answer. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the cool wood and swore "Fuck", I could see again the hurt in Evie's eyes as Mandy had spread her lies, I felt the anger in me that she had believed everything that bitch had said.
"She's not here" I jumped at the sound of Mr Thorn's voice behind me and turned slowly, his gaze looking me up and down "She's in London for an meeting with a college in the states that has offered her a two year scholarship" he told me and I sagged back against the porch "is she going to take it?" I asked roughly, not wanting her to leave. Her dad stepped back clearing the pathway "yesterday I would have said no, she'd stay but not today, now I think you need to leave, I don't know what happened but I know you boys had something to do with why my daughter now wants to move halfway around the world" he growled, his arm indicating I should leave.
"It was a mistake, she doesn't understand, if I can see her I can make it right" I tell him but I can see he doesn't want to listen to me "please" I ask again.
He looked me up and down "What do you want with my daughter?"
"Sorry?" I asked confused, what did he mean.
"Long term, short term, is it just you or your brothers, how do you see yourself with my daughter" he pushed.
I grimace, the question that had plagued us all "We want her in our lives, yes, we want what our parents and brothers have, and we are willing to wait for her, we want long term, we just don't know yet how to get there." I tell him watching the expressions chase across his face.
"Then give her time, let her go and give her the chance to come back to you, if that's what she wants" he tells me before turning away and around the side of the cottage, leaving me on the doorstep thinking about what he said.

xx
"She's going where?' Eli groans as I tell them what happened at the cottage. "America for two years" I tell them again.
"When?" Noah adds.
"In two weeks time" Moms voice tells us angrily from the doorway, making us all turn and watch her come in. "I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in you boys, what on earth did you do to her?" Mom questions sitting down watching us.
"How do you know about America?"
"That doesn't matter, what does is what's happened" she snaps at us.
We looked at each other and I cleared my throat before replying, "There's a girl in our group at college, I don't know why but she hates Evie and since the party she has gone out of her way to get in Evie's face, maybe because she jealous of her, We ignored her threats of making us, making Noah pay for ignoring her advances, and she set us up in the common room in front of all our friends and hers. She then told Evie she had slept with us all together and made it sound like it would happen again, and that Evie was a bet and Evie had to s... do sexual things for us to keep her family employed and her job as our servant." I gripped my hair and pulled "To try to save Evie from being hurt and ridiculed, we just laughed at Mandy's words but she did this to her in front of everyone and we chickened out of arguing with her, we should have shouted she was lying but we were in public and tried to laugh it off, thinking it would go away quicker that way but Evie misunderstood and thought we were backing Mandy, now she won't talk to us and she's leaving, I don't want her to leave" I finish and hang my head.
"You need to let her go, she's hurting right now and I don't see anyway you can make her feel better. I helped arrange the America opportunity but until yesterday I didn't think she'd take it, I had reached out to some contacts and they loved her work, and right now she needs building up, I'm glad it's not too late for her to accept the place" Mom tells us, shaking her head as we try to talk "Quiet!" she stands and puts her hands on her hips. "What you've allowed to happen to her, I'm not sure you boys deserve her, you should fight for the ones you love, regardless of the risk to yourselves, remember that, now start packing, your fathers are taking you camping for the next two weeks"
"But that's means we won't see her before she leaves" Eli growled jumping to his feet.
Mom nods, "yes that's right, when you return she will be gone, now pack, your fathers will be here in an hour to collect you".
"But.." I start but Mom glares at us "No! she deserves this time to get ready to leave, spend time with her family and friends without worrying you are all around" and with that she storms out of the room, leaving us watching her guilt written across all our faces.
"I will wait for her, I don't care how long it takes" I vow and feel relief when my brothers both agree.