The Bet: A Bully Romance(55)

“Remington Miller, we need you to come with us.”

Sebastian drags me off the floor and into a standing position. I don’t even need to ask why they’re here. I’m sure the audio has made its way around campus by now, and into God knows whose hands. Walking on unsteady legs toward them, I try and shrug off my brother’s hand that’s digging into my arm, as if he thinks I would fucking run or something.

“I’m sure you know why we’re here,” one of the men speaks. Sebastian gives me a little shake and I lift my head, staring at him right in the eyes.

“Yes, I know why you’re here,” I answer, my vocal cords shattered.

“Good. You’re being brought in for questioning at this time. You’re not being detained or accused of any crimes,” the other man states and we walk out the front door. Sebastian practically dragging me down the walkway.

“I’ll drive him in since I have to be there during questioning anyway,” Sebastian announces, and they give him a curt nod. He releases me and we walk to his SUV. I open the door and force myself to get in. I don’t even have the door closed and he starts the car, pulling away from the curb while following the campus security officers.

“I can’t get you out of this mess, not that I would if I could. You’ve dug yourself a deep hole, deeper than money can buy.”

“I know.” I stare out the window.

“You know?” Disgust coats his words. “You don’t fucking know. You have no idea what this is going to do to Jules. She will never want to show her face here again. Once again, she has to find another school, another place to live.”

Everything starts to sink in...his confession slashes against my skin. She won’t come back to school here, in fact, she’ll leave, all over again, and this time it will be my fault, my fucking fault.

“Why don’t you say anything? Does this affect you at all?”

A spurt of anger rushes through me. “Of course it fucking affects me, but what do I do, Seb? What the fuck do I say, or do to change what has happened?”

He shakes his head, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white and all I can envision in that moment is me wrapping my hands around Cole’s neck, strangling the filthy fucking life right out of him.

“I didn’t send the fucking audio. It wasn’t meant to be heard by anyone but the guys.”

Sebastian laughs bitterly. “Oh, so that makes it better because it was only meant to be heard by you and your dumbass friends. Cool, while it shouldn’t have been recorded at all.” I can tell he’s barely restraining himself and I don’t even care that he’s taking her side, he should, and I’m glad she has him. She needs someone to protect her, because that’s not me. I’m a failure, a pathetic bastard.

“No, it doesn’t. It was a fucking mistake, and one I will regret for the rest of my life. But aside from that, I didn’t send it out. I just want you to know that.”

“Then who the fuck did?” He gives me a disbelieving look as he pulls into the administration building parking lot.

“Cole Becker.” Simply saying his name out loud angers me. He shakes his head and I know he doesn't believe me. Why should he? Everything I've done, the bet, the recording, the way I've treated her. All of the horrible things point right at me.

“It doesn’t look good for you, Rem, not at all. You’ve got a history with women at this school, and you’ve done some bad shit in the past. I can tell you now that you had better prepare yourself for what’s to come, because it’s going to be bad.”

I shrug. “I don’t care what they’re going to do to me.”

Nothing could be as bad as watching the one woman you love more than life tell you that she hates you, and never wants to see you again. Nothing...and I mean nothing can hurt worse than that. So I’ll take whatever they give me, because God fucking knows I deserve it.

Sebastian doesn’t say anything and instead parks and kills the engine. When he opens his door, I suck in a calming breath and climb out of the car, walking around to the front of it.

They can do their worst...say whatever they want, punish me however they please, but nothing will touch the pain I already feel, the guilt and shame that coats my insides like sludge.

I did this.

I broke her.

I ruined us.





Chapter Twenty




Jules





I’ve been standing under the spray of the shower for so long that the water has turned completely cold. Oddly, I don’t feel cold. I don’t shiver or crave warmth. I don’t feel much of anything right now. I’m only in the shower because Sebastian made me. I had no desire of being here. If it were up to me, I would still be in bed staring at the ceiling, which is all I’ve wanted to do the last two days.

“Jules?” Sebastian’s muffled voice comes through the bathroom door. “You okay?”

No. I’m not okay. I don’t know what I am right now but okay is not the word I would use to describe me right now. Numb. Broken. Those would be much better words, but I don’t tell him that either. I don’t have the strength to use words, and I’m sure I don’t need to use them either. Sebastian knows everything already.

“You’ve been in there forever. Come on out, I made us some lunch.”