Chapter 21 – The Devil is Coming Back to Town
Matt's voice cut through the morning silence like a gunshot, yanking Anastasia from the depths of sleep. She groaned, barely cracking an eye open. "Oh, chill out. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."
"That's not the point!" Matt hissed, his face contorted in panic. "Jenny is supposed to be here, and I almost bloody groped you, you twit! Where is she?!"
That got her attention. Anastasia pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. "Jeez, give me a second to wake up, would you?" She stretched, dragging herself to a chair before launching into the chaotic retelling of the night before.
Matt listened, his face shifting from confusion to horror with every word. By the time she finished, his mouth hung open. "What the fuck?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Thanks for not telling Jenny about… you know."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Matt. You were manipulated. Worse—you were almost assaulted if I hadn't shown up in time."
Matt swallowed hard. "You really did protect me, didn't you?"
"Damn right I did." She grinned. "Oh, and I knocked her damn lights out."
Matt blinked. "No way."
"No one messes with my little brother."
Before she could react, Matt surged forward, pulling her into a tight hug. She stiffened, then relaxed, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you," he whispered.
"What are big sisters for?" she murmured.
Matt finally pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Please don't tell Jenny—"
"Not my place to tell, Matty," she reassured him. "Alright, I'll pick you up later?"
Matt groaned. "Ugh, do I have to? Can't I just stay here the whole week?"
"Sean's only here for a week before heading back to Harvard."
"Yeah, but that little shit will be there too. Why can't she stay in military school forever?"
Anastasia laughed. "She might have changed. We haven't seen her in four years—"
"Yeah, on purpose. We avoided the house whenever she visited. What makes this time different?"
"Dad asked really nicely," she said with a smirk.
Matt groaned. "Fine. See you later."
Anastasia left Matt's dorm with one thing on her mind—Dylan. She didn't hold out much hope he'd still be at her apartment, but a tiny sliver of hope clung to her anyway.
She barely got the door open before arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an iron grip. Her breath hitched.
"Dylan," she gasped.
"Sorry, sorry." He loosened his grip but didn't let go. "I love you, babe. I respect your decision."
Her hands cupped his face, searching his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" His grip tightened on her hips. "You're mine. Now and forever. And right now, both pairs of lips need attention."
Before she could react, Dylan scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.
The drive home was quiet, tension lingering in the air as Dylan maneuvered the car toward her childhood home.
Anastasia and Matt sat stiffly, their thoughts a tangled mess. Excitement churned in her stomach at the thought of seeing Sean again, but anxiety clawed at her chest at the reality of facing Britney.
Matt let out a dramatic sigh. "I swear, if Britney so much as breathes wrong, I'm walking out."
"She might've changed," Anastasia tried, though even she didn't believe it.
"Uh-huh." Matt folded his arms. "And demons might take up knitting."
Dylan pulled into the driveway, parking the car with ease. Before Anastasia could even unbuckle, the front door burst open.
A blur of motion launched at her.
Anastasia barely had time to squeak before she was engulfed in a bear hug.
"I'm starting to enjoy all this love today—Sean?!" she gasped, looking up.
Her little brother wasn't so little anymore. Sean had shot up like a beanstalk, towering over her at nineteen. His light brown hair was longer, tousled in that effortlessly cool way, and his sharp features had matured.
"Sean, you look… amazing."
"Aw, shucks, sis. Missed you too."
"Yo! Leave our sister alone and give me some love, bro!" Matt interrupted, grinning as he yanked Sean into a rough hug. The two laughed, clapping each other on the back like they hadn't just spent years apart.
Anastasia felt warmth spread through her chest. This—this was what she'd missed.
Then Matt ruined it.
"Are the devils inside?"
Sean blinked. "What?"
"You know… Mommy dearest and little sister dear."
Sean stifled a laugh, covering his mouth with his fist. "Dude, you can't talk about them like that. Dad would kill you."
Matt raised an eyebrow. "Are they in there?"
Sean hesitated before sighing. "Yeah. Britney's catching Dad up on all her 'fun' military school adventures."
Matt let out an exaggerated groan, throwing his hands in the air. "Oh, joy."
Anastasia's stomach tightened. The moment was here.
This was going to be a long week.