2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lucian

My heart raced as I watched Sebastian retreat, his hurried footsteps echoing through the spacious lower level of our home. I knew my teasing had gotten under his skin, but there was a part of me that yearned to see the evidence, to have tangible proof that this woman who had captured Sebastian’s heart truly existed.

As he clutched his phone to his broad chest, Sebastian turned back to face me, determination etched in his sharp features. The lanky teenager I tormented in childhood had long since grown into a strapping young man. I just wished he’d fucking act like it.

His voice was filled with conviction as he insisted, “She is real, Lucian! I don’t need to prove anything to you.”

There was a reason Sebastian had always been single, and it wasn’t due to his appearance. He was close to six and a half feet tall and built like a goddamn superhero, topped off with piercing blue eyes and golden blonde hair that he inherited from his bitch of a mother. His failure in romance was due to something he couldn’t change: his awful personality.

A mix of emotions surged within me—curiosity about this girl, skepticism about her intentions, and a fair amount of anger. We hadn’t seen each other in years, but he’d recently contacted me out of the blue, hoping to reconnect . This was his cover story—in actuality, he needed to live in my girlfriend’s house to work some sort of case. And now he was bringing someone into our home, someone he loved. I should have wanted to be a protective brother, to ensure that Sebastian wasn’t being taken advantage of and that this relationship was genuine.

But, deep down, I wanted to torment him. To punish him for his mother’s wrongdoings. If Sebastian never existed, my parents would never have divorced. And maybe in that reality, my mother would still be alive.

With that in the back of my mind, I ran faster, my socks slipping against the well-polished wooden floors. I caught up with him at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed him by the back of his hoodie. Sebastian’s body jerked, the sudden halt causing his phone to slip from his grasp and clatter onto the floor. He turned to face me, and I grabbed his collar, pushing his back against the wall. His eyes widened with false surprise and an exaggerated hint of fear.

“Drop the fucking act. You’re not some meek, helpless nerd.”

Sebastian’s surprise quickly morphed into a mixture of shock and confusion. His lips parted as if searching for the right words to respond, but he remained silent. I tightened my grip on his hoodie, the fabric bunching in my hands. The rage I had carried for years threatened to spill out at that moment, fueled by resentment and a desperate need to hurt him as badly as his existence had hurt me.

“You’re not a fucking victim!” I sneered. “You’re awful, evil, and sadistic.”

There was a flicker of something dark in Sebastian’s eyes, hinting at his true nature. His hand wrapped around my wrist, tightening like a boa constrictor, a sardonic grin forming on his face–but in an instant, it dropped.

“Sophia, help!”

Before I could process Sebastian’s plea for help, a voice pierced through the room.

“Lucian Augustine Castillo! You put him down,” she harped.

Sebastian smiled triumphantly as I let him go. I would have done anything to wipe that smirk off his face, but Sophia was more important than this asshole. I allowed her to step between us, and she placed a hand on each of our chests. Her pink manicure looked fluorescent as she scrunched her fingers into my loose black T-shirt.

“You need to be nice to your little brother.” she chided.

Sebastian scampered behind her and stuck his tongue out at me like a goddamn third grader.

“He’s not little, he’s twenty-three!” I snapped.

A subtle smile played on Sophia’s lips, a mix of amusement and understanding.

“Luci, age and size have nothing to do with being a little brother. Sebastian is your family, and you need to be nice.” Her voice carried the tone of an angry elementary school teacher, soft but firm.

My jaw tightened as I looked back and forth between Sophia and Sebastian. Everyone always took his fucking side. Our dad, our sister, and now my girlfriend—Sebastian had everyone completely bewitched. Caught in his facade of charisma, his fake good-boy act. Someday everyone would see what a fucking monster he was, and I couldn’t wait. But for today?“Go to your fucking apartment.”

Sebastian nodded as he scrambled to grab his phone and head up the steps, literally bowing to Sophia before disappearing from view.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him.” I grumbled as I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

“Hey, no, we’re not going to do that.” Sophia sang as she rubbed my back. “Sebastian has been super helpful since your overdose a few months ago. He paid your hospital bill, took you to NA meetings while you got clean, watched the kids, and even sort of helped with the cleaning. Besides, once he’s done with whatever case he’s working on, he’ll be gone.”

Even his job was better than mine. Sebastian had the type of job that paid him fuck you amounts of money, enough to afford an obnoxious blue Range Rover. Meanwhile, I was a tattoo artist, still driving a Jeep bought for me by my high school girlfriend—the one and only Mason “Ghost Your Fucking Partners” Albright.

My rage grew hotter as I thought about how Mason just fucking left Sophia and me like we were nothing. God, what I wouldn’t give to tell her to go fuck herself. We were fine without her.

“Why don’t we call Cameron? He should have a few minutes before his flight.” Sophia suggested, intertwining her fingers in mine and guiding me down the stairs into the living room.

It was a nice space, bright with a high ceiling and large windows. She shoved me gently toward the couch, and plush blue velvet enveloped me as I collapsed. My mind was still clouded with anger, but the mention of Cameron made my heart skip. He had been on a mission trip in France for almost eight months, and every day I missed him more.

“If he’s free, I’d like to see him.” I admitted.

“See! There’s a smile.” Sophia cooed. She pinched my cheek, and I swatted her away.

Unbothered by my reaction, she hummed a cheery pop tune as she began fiddling with her phone. Her acrylic nails made satisfying tippity-taps every time they hit the screen. She held up the device and angled it so that we could both be seen in the self-view, adjusting and re-adjusting her platinum waves while we waited.

The call connected, and Cameron filled the screen. His copper hair was wild, and the bags under his eyes were dark. Seeing him felt like I could breathe for the first time in months. I knew I’d been missing Cameron, but the sight of his strong face made me desperate for his presence. Not long now, and he would be home.

A warm smile lit up his face, and my heart skipped.

“How are two of my favorite people?” He sounded exhausted. I wondered if he had been taking care of himself.

“I’m great!” Sophia chirped. “Lucian was talking about committing murder a few minutes ago.”

Cameron’s face pinched in confusion.

“Don’t tell him that!” I huffed. Cam was always getting onto me for my temper, and I didn’t want to give him a reason to lecture me. “I wouldn’t actually kill anyone–my brother is getting on my fucking nerves.”

“The homicide detective, right?”

“Unfortunately.”

Cameron’s lips parted, but before he could speak, I could hear a voice over the airport intercom announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding first-class passengers for flight EK405 to Madrid. Please proceed to gate 12A for boarding.”

“Shit,” Cameron muttered. “I promise I’ll call the second I get to my layover, okay?”

I tried to hide my disappointment with a nod.

“We’ll be waiting,” I told him. “Love you.”

“Oh, I love you!” Sophia echoed.

“Love you too… both of you.” He blew us both a kiss before ending the call.

Our conversation was too short, just enough to drive me wild with impatience. But as excited as I was to see Cameron, a silly question nagged at me: what were the chances that he would run into the mystery girl who was catfishing Sebastian? She was supposedly from France–what if they were on the same flight?