The Bet: A Bully Romance(21)

“How was your day?” Bridget asks me in between bites. I tell her about the whole Remington thing that took place last night. I prefer not to keep secrets, and since Remington’s hate for me is known campus-wide, it’s not like I’m not telling them something they couldn’t find out via the gossip circles.

I open my mouth to ask her how her day was just as a knock on the door, interrupts me.

“I’ll get it,” Bridges says, already on her feet and walking to the front door. With her hand on the knob, she turns to look at me before opening it. “If it’s him, I’ll send him away unless you want him to come in?”

“I don't want to see or talk to him,” I tell her, and she nods before opening the door. I watch her face as she looks at the person behind the door. I see nothing but surprise on her features and I wonder who the hell is on the other side of that door.

“Oh, hey…”

“Hey, is Jules here?” I hear a familiar male voice, but it’s not Remington’s. I put the slice of cake down on the table beside me and get up from the couch. I know that voice, and the man it belongs to, and I won’t believe he’s really on the other side of that door until I see him in person.

Bridget gives me a confused look, and I know she doesn’t understand if she should slam the door in his face or open it and let him in.

“Let him in,” I tell her while I’m already halfway to the door. She swings the door open all the way and Sebastian walks in with a huge smile pulling at his lips when he sees me heading straight for him.

“Hey, little sis.” He grins, stepping closer, holding his arms out to me. I close the distance between us with one more step and throw my arms around his middle. Just like Remington, Sebastian towers over me. He engulfs me in one of his famous bear hugs and for a few moments, I forget that any of my troubles exist.

Unlike Remmy, Sebastian hasn’t changed much, he’s still the same brown-haired, cheesy grinned boy I remember and if he wasn’t buried in work all the time, I would have asked him to hang out with me already. He presses a kiss to the top of my head before releasing me.

His hands grab my shoulders, and he studies me, his hazel eyes roaming over every inch of my body as if he is looking for some invisible injury. I stare up at him, the resemblance between him and Remington is almost identical, so close they could almost be twins.

“You look terrible.” He frowns. “What did he do? Tell me now, so I know how hard to punch him in his ugly mug.”

I sigh. “I see you Miller boys haven’t changed when it comes to settling your arguments. Still using your fists to settle everything?”

Sebastian grins at me. “There are other ways to settle arguments?”

I can’t help but smile. “Come on in, sit down, and have some cake.” I usher him inside and close the door giving him no chance to escape. This is exactly what I needed right now, even more so after all the bullshit with Remington.

“Okay, you had me at cake.” He snickers and follows me to the couch where Bridget and Cally are eyeing us curiously.

“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry…this is Sebastian, Remington's older brother,” I explain. “He just started working here, at the dean's office. Seb, these are my roommates Cally and Bridget.”

He gives them a small wave. “I’m the better brother.” He winks, and Cally coughs, while Bridget rolls her eyes.

“Not hard to be the better brother,” Cally says between bites. “No offense but your brother is a major dick.”

“None taken, but in his defense, he’s a little lost. A little conversation with my fist should straighten him out.”

They both look at him like they don’t believe him, and I don’t blame them, because honestly, I don’t really believe him. Remmy is too far gone for his brothers or father to bring him back.

“It was nice to meet you Sebastian, but I have loads of homework to do, so I’ll take my cake and leave you and Jules to catch up,” Bridget says before getting up and making her way to the bedroom.

“So you came here to tell me you’re going to beat up Remmy?” I grin.

“No, I came here to check up on you, which I’ve been meaning to do since you got here but I’ve literally been working ten hours every day. Also, I came here to let you know that you are coming to family dinner on Sunday.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s not like it used to be. Remmy hates me, and I do mean literally hates me. I don’t want to ruin your family dinner.”

He gives me a deadpan expression. “Dad wants to see you. He’s been asking about you all week and you know if you don’t show up, he’ll come here himself and get you.”

I chew on my lip. It’s not like he’s lying. Papa Miller will absolutely come here and get me.

“Come on, it’s family dinner,” Sebastian coos.

“Exactly, family dinner…” I say out loud even though I didn't mean to.

“Don’t even, Jules. You know you’ll always be a part of our family. It’s not our fault Remington is a dick. Dad loves you, I love you, we all do, and you know it.” His words are bittersweet, and I know he doesn’t know how much I need to hear them right now.

But he talks of a time in the past, a time when we were like family and I wish more than anything that I could go back to that. I just don’t see how we can, not with all the scar tissue, with all the hate pulsing between Remington and I.