One Bride for Five Mountain Men: A Reverse Harem Romance

by Jess Bentley

  As the sight of her childhood home came in her view, her heart started beating audibly. They were not expecting her. They’d probably be shocked that she’d arrived early, but at least they’d be relieved to know that she had arrived well in time for the wedding. Rory crossed her fingers and prayed that her parents were in a good mood. The last thing she could stand was another conflict.

  Chapter 21

  For once, her wish came true. The atmosphere in her parents’ house was not tense as it always was. It was actually rather pleasant. The front door was ajar and as Rory opened it to walk in with her luggage in tow, she realized that there was a party going on.

  There were a whole lot of people in the house, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. She looked around but could not find a familiar face. Clearly, they were friends of her parents and some other younger folk that she had no idea about. Rory could never have imagined that her parents had such an active social life.

  The house was as perfect as it had always been, thanks to her mother’s dictatorial rule. Rory sheepishly walked through the crowd of people, realizing that she was probably the worst-dressed person in the room. I’ll just find one of the family, let them know I’m here and go lock myself upstairs. Rory was in no mood for socializing.

  “Look who’s here.” A high-pitched, condescending voice greeted her.

  “Hello Tara.” Rory grew stern.

  “They weren’t expecting you to arrive until the day before the wedding. I wasn’t even sure if you’d turn up.” Her sister Tara let out a sarcastic grunt.

  “No. Yes... I mean, of course, I would’ve come.” The same old uncomfortable feeling of inadequacy reared its ugly head again.

  “I’m sure Mom and Dad will be relieved that they’ve been able to pry Her Highness away from her castle in Montcove,” Tara chuckled. Rory stayed silent. She knew it was her sister’s way to provoke her.

  “You could’ve at least put on some decent clothes for the party.” Tara eyed her from head to toe. “You look like shit.”

  “Thanks, Tara. Thank you very much,” Rory said sarcastically. Such a punchable face she has, Rory thought. She heard footsteps coming in their direction.

  “Tara, darling, I can’t open this bottle of wine, will you help…” Her mother became still as a statue upon seeing Rory there. Rory smiled, genuinely, as the shock on her mother’s face amused her.

  “Hello, Rory. We weren’t expecting you so soon.” Mary Loughlin’s voice was cold and her demeanor firm.

  “Yes, yes. Look, I’m not here to invade your party. I’ll be upstairs.”

  “There’s a party going on in your parents’ house and you can’t be bothered to attend it? What will our guests think?” Her mother did a great job of getting offended, as always.

  “Mother. I don’t think any of them know who I am.”

  “They would, if you’d bother to visit us and check up on your poor parents once in a while.” Two minutes in this house and I am already on the dart board.

  “Yes, Rory. Why don’t you visit them more often? What is so precious up there on that little island of yours that you can’t leave it for a few days?”

  Rory knew that Tara was playing games, so she left the question unanswered.

  “Go upstairs and get changed. You look ridiculous. And come straight down for dinner. I won’t have you in the house and not socialize with our guests,” Mary Loughlin said firmly. What does she think I am, twelve years old?

  “Mom. I took a flight and I’ve had a hectic day. I don’t have the energy for this. I am going to go get some rest.” Rory started up the stairs to her old bedroom.

  “Rory, don’t you dare walk out on… Rory!” Her mother’s voice disappeared as Rory shut the bedroom door behind her. She knew that she’d have hell to pay in the morning, but for now she just wanted to be alone.

  Her old bedroom was full of stuff. Stuff her parents had acquired over the years and some of the supplies for the wedding. It took her ten minutes of cleaning up before she could make up space to lie on the bed. What a day this has been… and this shit still isn’t over.

  Rory closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Lizzy was somewhere out in the city, getting manipulated by Mickey. Her mother was angry at her. There were debts to be paid and she had no idea where her life was going.

  The first thought that came into Rory’s mind upon waking the next morning was of Lizzy. She’d worried herself to sleep and had woken up with even more anxiety. She checked Mickey’s Instagram, but there were no updates there either. Even if I buy the star map and show up at his house, it’s unlikely he’ll see me.

  The only option was to call the band’s office again and ask for Don. He was pretty much her only hope. But before that, Rory decided to send Lizzy a message telling her that she had come to LA to get her.

  Rory mentioned how worried both Lizzy’s mom and she herself were. She typed out her parents’ home address and pleaded with Lizzy to come meet her there. Lizzy knew that Rory rarely let her feelings show, and after reading this heartfelt message, Lizzy perhaps would come to her senses. At least, that’s what Rory was hoping.

  Rory was thankful that she woke up really early, before anyone else did, because it allowed her to make a quick breakfast for herself. She was famished since she didn’t eat dinner the previous night. She planned to eat a quick meal, then figure out how she could spend most of the day out of the house, away from her folks. Maybe I can call some old friends. But they have their own lives and probably won’t have time to hang out with me.

  Just as Rory finished breakfast and was about to clean the table, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “You’re up early,” her mother said as if she didn’t think Rory was capable of such a thing. She was followed by her father, who as always looked deathly serious.

  Rory often wondered whatever happened to the dad who was so much fun to hang out with when she was a little girl. Over the years her mother had changed Bill Loughlin drastically and made him just like herself. At least he doesn’t make stinging remarks.

  “Hello, Rory.”

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Had a good flight?”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “Good. Let’s have some breakfast.”

  “Thanks, Dad, but I already ate.” She smiled at him. His face remained serious, his eyes looking at her from above his reading glasses.

  “What? Your mother’s cooking is not good enough for you so you had to cook your own breakfast?” Mary Loughlin chided.

  “It’s not like that, Mom.”

  “Then what is it? I’m going to make all of this breakfast for whom?”

  “Give it to Tara when she wakes up.”

  “Tara’s not here. Why would she stay here? She is a grown-up with a real job. Why would she stay with her parents?”

  Rory knew that this was a jibe at her. In no time, her stress levels had reached code red already. Fuck. I wish I had money to stay in a hotel.

  “You’re going to eat this breakfast with us. At least for some time, pretend that you have a family and act your part.” With that parting shot, her mother’s attention went back to cooking. Her dad stayed silent, firmly engrossed in the newspaper.

  Rory pretended to look at the phone, but she was desperately trying to control her emotions. She never understood why her mother had to be so mean to her at all times. Why? Because she thinks I am a failure? Does it make her look bad in her social circles?

  At the same time, Rory knew how crucial it was for her to maintain calm. Upon waking up that morning she had decided that she would ask her father for financial help right away and be done with it. She did not want to feel anxious throughout this trip, constantly wondering whether her father would agree or not.

  Just as she was about to start a conversation with her father about her financial situation, her mother interrupted.

  “Bill, we have a lot of running to do today. So you better be ready by ten. Tara is busy and we’ll have to
get it all done by ourselves.” Her mom, ordering people around as always.

  “Will she be around later?” her dad asked.

  “Will who be around later?” The kitchen door opened and there she was. Tara entered, wearing a smart business suit dressed to the nines, grinning like she had just conquered the world. Next to her, Rory felt inadequate in her sweatpants. Stop it Rory. Stop it.

  “Hello, darling.” Bill’s face lit up as he kissed his favorite daughter on the cheek. “This is a surprise.”

  “Well, I thought I’ll drop in quickly and see my favorite sister,” she smiled. Mary Loughlin gave Rory a knowing look, as if to say “learn something from your sister.”

  “C’mon, darling. Sit down. I’ll get a plate for you,” her mother told Tara.

  “No, Ma. I don’t have time for that, besides I want to fit in the wedding dress. If I keep eating that delicious food you make, that’s not gonna happen.” Tara laughed and her parents joined in wholeheartedly.

  “All right, dear,” her mother replied sweetly.

  “And Rory. Seems like you have made quite a name for yourself in the one day that you have been back here.” The mischievous looks on Tara’s face made Rory nervous. She wanted to stay silent but was also curious to know what Rory was talking about.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Here, take a look.” Tara handed Bill Loughlin her iPad. His face went dour as he stared at it and then he silently passed it to his wife who had the same reaction. The tense atmosphere that she was used to in this house was back with full force, and the fact that Tara was smirking told Rory that something was up.

  “What did we do wrong here?” her mother sighed, pushing the iPad away from her. Rory quickly picked it up, and once she saw what was on the screen, she was mortified. Her heart raced, her pulse grew uneven, and she wanted to die in that moment.

  Fan Faints After Failing to Chase Rock Stars, was the headline of the article on the celebrity gossip website that Tara had opened up on her iPad. Right under that, was a picture of Rory, passed out on the sidewalk. There was another picture of a man, the Uber driver, checking on her with the paparazzi laughing in the background.

  “Aren’t you a little old to be chasing celebrities? Is that the real reason why you came here early? Where did I go wrong with you?” Her mother was hysterical. Her father was grinding his teeth and Rory could tell that he was very upset. She felt like she was twelve again.

  “Rory, if you were so desperate to meet celebrities then you could have just asked me. I know a lot of people who work in the business. You didn’t have to go around making an utter fool of yourself and embarrassing the family.” Great. Now Tara is scolding me.

  “Rory, this is really shameful. Why do you do such things?” her dad finally said. Rory closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was angry at the paparazzi, angry at those who had put her pictures up on the internet, angry at the fact that she had ever run into that damn band, and angry at Lizzy for being so naive.

  Most of all she was angry at her family. They didn’t understand her at all. For the most part, they didn’t give a damn about her, and now they were getting upset because they were afraid that someone in their church might see a picture of their daughter. All they have ever worried about is their social standing and how they appear to other people. Couldn’t they at least ask me for my side of the story?

  “Let her be, Bill. She doesn’t care about us enough to even bother explaining this. She’s not a teenager anymore and there’s nothing we should expect from her. C’mon, Bill, we have a lot to do today.” Her mother walked away with her father in tow, faint sounds of mumbling and complaining erupting from her mouth.

  “You can always sue them. But I guess you don’t have enough money to hire a lawyer,” her sister smirked. “If you’re planning to chase any other celebrities today, please let me know. I’ll look out for the pictures tomorrow,” Tara remarked, then laughed that evil laugh of hers and made a quick exit.

  Rory just stared at the wall. Blank, numb, and totally out of place was how she felt. She wanted to break all the expensive crockery in that kitchen. Turn the refrigerator over and destroy this perfect little kitchen that her mother had painstakingly built.

  She wanted to get away. Run away as far from this house as possible and never return. But she couldn’t. Her muscles refused to obey the directions of her mind. Rory cursed herself for coming here. She longed for the quaint house in Montcove that seemed so far away.

  Chapter 22

  Thank heaven for small mercies, Rory thought as she realized that she was finally home alone, since her parents had gone out to make the final check on the wedding arrangements.

  She called up the band’s office again, asked for Don, and once again he was unavailable. This time, she left her cellphone number and asked the receptionist to make sure that he got the message. There was very little chance that he would—especially since Rory didn’t state the purpose of the call—but all she could do was be hopeful.

  The next morning, she decided to head out and go to a quiet little chapel that she had always liked when she was a child. If nothing else, I can pray for Lizzy. Maybe the gods above would listen to that, at least, since I rarely pray for anything.

  After praying, Rory spent a few hours wandering around the old places she used to frequent, the places where she had done odd jobs to make ends meet. It was no surprise to her that there was barely a positive memory to be evoked. Besides, with every passing moment, Rory knew that she had to talk to her father about helping her out with money.

  I could wait until the wedding day when he is happy and hopefully intoxicated.

  As she made the long walk back home, Rory rehearsed the speech again and again in her head. She couldn’t be overly sweet or too meek. Sure, she desperately needed financial help, but she didn’t want to beg for it either. Rory knew her mother would do her best to make her grovel. Anything she told her father would certainly reach her mother’s ears. That’s just how it was. Especially since, in this case, money was involved.

  Rory entered the house through the kitchen door and her mother was standing at the counter, preparing lunch. Good, I am famished, Rory thought. The long walk in the LA heat had exhausted her and she just wanted to put her feet up and laze around on the couch. But for now, the only option was a proper meal on a dining table.

  “What are you cooking, Mother?” Rory asked in her most cheerful voice. Her mother remained silent at first, and then she turned and nodded to the living room.

  “I think you should head in there first.”

  Rory wondered what was going on. Did I do something else now? Why is she being so serious? Rory cautiously made her way to the living room, all kinds of possible situations going through her mind. She hated being this clueless.

  Her voice got stuck in her throat as she entered the living room.

  “Lizzy!” She let out an excited whisper. Lizzy sat on the couch, looking disheveled and distraught. It looked like she hadn’t slept for days or had even taken a bath for that matter.

  “What…? How…? Lizzy, how are you?” Rory rushed to hug her tight. The relief that she felt completely overwhelmed her.

  “I’m okay. I guess,” she replied meekly, not sounding anything like the chirpy Lizzy that made her way to the bookshop every morning. “I got your message, Rory, and once Mickey kicked me out, I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know anyone in LA, so I… so I came here.” Lizzy tried not to break into tears. “I hope your mother doesn’t mind. She didn't look very pleased to let me in.”

  “Don’t mind her. She’s just stressed with the wedding and all that,” Rory lied, clearly knowing that her mother had probably judged the hell out of Lizzy. “The important thing is that you’re okay and that you’re here. I came to LA to find you, Lizzy, and that’s all I wanted to do. To make sure that you’re safe.” Rory smiled, but Lizzy didn’t.

  “I am stupid, aren’t I, Rory? I should’ve just listened to you and not let my stu
pid little head do the thinking.”

  “Don’t say that, Lizzy, you are not stupid,” Rory said.

  “I am, Rory. I fell for a guy who’s a jerk. I fell for his words and his promises and left everything behind for him. This guy used me and once he was bored, he threw me away. What else am I if not a fool?” A single tear slid down her cheeks and Rory quickly wiped it away.

  “Lizzy, my darling, we all make mistakes. I have too and so has everyone else. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  “But why do I make the worst mistakes? Why do I do things even when people who care about me warn me against them?” Tears were streaming down her face.

  Rory wanted to ask her what happened, what Mickey had done, but she thought it best to avoid that for now as Lizzy seemed to be in a very fragile state of mind.

  “Lizzy, the important thing is that you are here now, safe, unharmed, and before long we’ll be back in Montcove where we can continue our lives as if none of this ever happened.”

  Lizzy broke down again.

  “What will I ever tell my mom? How will I ever face everyone else back home?” As the realization dawned upon her, Lizzy was falling apart. “I’ve lost everything, Rory.”

  Rory gently patted her head and held her close.

  “You’ve lost nothing, Lizzy. You have me and I am sure that your mother will forgive you. You should have seen how worried she was. I think that she’ll be very grateful that you’re back. Besides, I don’t think many people back home even know that you’re here in LA.”

  Lizzy wiped away her tears and sat in contemplation, looking down at the floor.

  “You really think so, Rory?”

  “I know so, Liz. Everyone cares about you a lot—most of all, your mother. The fact that you’re safe will be more than enough for her. In ten years, we’ll all look back on this silly thing and laugh.”

  A slight smile came upon Lizzy’s face. Rory knew that she’d have to help Lizzy get over all of this and leave this mess behind.