“You married a guy out of nowhere. That usually means one of two things.”
Lila’s hand is covering her mouth now. “WHAT.”
“I’m not—” I cough, wiping my face. “Jesus. Julian.”
“You didn’t deny it.”
“Because I was dying!”
They’re both looking at me like I’ve grown a second head.
And now I’m sweating.
“This isn’t—look, it’s not like that, okay? I’m not pregnant. I’m just… married. Legally. To a man.”
Temporary,I think.
Julian doesn’t flinch. “I want to meet him.”
“No.”
“Lila hasn’t even seen him yet.”
“Still no.”
“Then we’re coming to see you for the weekend,” Julian says.
“That’s not—”
“Figure it out,” he says, already standing.
Lila nods in agreement. “We’ll pack nice outfits. I wanna see if he actually exists.”
“Guys, it’s not that simple—”
Julian stands, slinging his backpack over one shoulder like he’s already done with this conversation.
“You’re hiding him,” he says, calm. Too calm. “Which means you don’t trust him.”
“That’s not—”
“I’m not staying at some overpriced school living in someone else’s plan if you can’t even be honest with me about the guy who’s funding it.”
His voice cuts clean. No yelling. Just truth.
“Julian—”
“You have until Sunday.”
He turns.
“I mean it, Bella. If you don’t let us meet him… I’m done.”
Then he walks away.
No hug. No second glance.
Just the sound of my little brother making it very, very clear—
