All In: Calling His Bluff (Gambling With Love) (17 page)

My thigh muscles were still sore from our sexual exploits when I finally started getting ready for the Sig party in my dorm room later that night.

Borrowing another one of Steph's dresses, I put on a green halter one that she said made my green eyes pop, with some black strappy heels. With my hair down and makeup on I didn't look too bad. I'd lost about five pounds screwing Dylan more times than I could count this week, which made me feel a little better. As if on cue my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't had anything but an egg biscuit for breakfast. Unfortunately it was time to head to the Tri Sigs. I wasn't about to venture over to the cafeteria to find something now.

At least Steph was coming with me tonight, and even thinking about rushing Tri Sig too. I automatically started looking for Dylan and Will when we walked into the sorority house. I finally spotted them in the crowd, sitting on a couch, surrounded by blondes. I couldn't do anything about it, either. Dylan and I were on our own tonight, since he'd invited my brother. Unless we got a chance to sneak away to one of the bedrooms...    

When I glanced back over Dylan and Megan were talking, and looking in my direction. He looked good tonight, but what else was new. He was wearing khakis and a green button down shirt, rolled up to show his tan, muscular forearms. 

I turned my back on Dylan to stop worrying about them. He said he only wanted me, and possibly even said that he loved me this morning.

Steph and I did our duty as pledges, socializing with the other pledges in the meeting room, then we were finally free to do our own thing.

"So you and your man are having to keep your hands off each other tonight?" Steph asked from beside me.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"Why don't you just tell your brother?" she asked. I looked at her like she had two heads.

"Because it'd ruin their friendship, and it'd be my fault. Come on, I need a drink," I told her, and fixed us both two beers from the ever present kegs.

"Ah, Jules? Did you and Dylan agree that you could both kiss other people tonight?" Steph asked. My blood ran cold at her serious tone.

"What?" I managed to ask, and she nodded behind me.

I turned around and gasped at the sight. Sure as fuck, Megan was sitting on Dylan's lap with her tongue down his throat.
Son of a bitch
.

My throat burned as I felt my eyes fill with tears. I would not cry, damn it, I would not do it. He's getting exactly what he's wanted all along. Everything he'd told me the last few days apparently went out the window now that Megan had made it clear that she wanted him. He could of at least have told me we were done before he hooked up with her.

"I'm sorry, Jules. I take it from your reaction that was not what you agreed."

I downed my beer then went back for more, anything but Daughtry's, and downed it too, already starting to feel light headed from the lack of food in my stomach. I hated that the other beer tasted like shit compared to his beer. The bastard had ruined that for me, too.

"Jules, what the hell are you doing? How much have you had to drink?" my brother came up to ask, as I threw back more of the horrible tasting liquid.

"Leave me alone, Will," I told him as I filled another red cup, and guzzled the nasty shit right down. I was going to get drunk and hook up with someone, that's what I was going to do. That's what I've wanted from the beginning of our whole arrangement, right? Wrong, so, so wrong, but I'd lie to myself tonight and worry about everything else tomorrow.

"Have you been crying? What's wrong?" Will asked, grabbing my face.

I jerked out of his grip and almost had to crawl my way up the steps to the bathroom line. When it was my turn I relieved my beer filled bladder, then used the mirror to wipe off the smeared mascara caused by my trail of tears before leaving.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom Megan was waiting for me, smiling evilly.

"Hey, Julie. Dylan said you two were done and completely over, so you don't mind if I hook up with him, do you?" She actually had the audacity to ask me.

"No, he's all yours," I said as I walked away. I had to hold on tightly to the bannister to get down the steps without falling as more tears began to roll down my cheeks.

At the bottom of the stairs someone grabbed my arm, pulling me off balance and making me slam into the wall. Dylan. Damn him.

"Jules, we need to talk …
Shit
, are you drunk?"

"Leave me the fuck alone, Dylan," I snapped, but it came out slow like molasses. I removed his hand from my arm and pushed him out of my way. The big jerk barely budged. "I got your message loud and clear, so there's nothing to talk about."

"No, Jules, you don't understand. She asked about us in front of Will and -"

"And you'd rather make out with her than tell him the truth? What-the-fuck-ever. You said it yourself, you were never going to tell him about us. And why would you, since you've finally got what you've wanted all along," I told him, then turned to walk away. Halfway across the room I ran into someone's chest with an oomph.

"Hey, Julie, how's it going?" asked the owner of the chest, as he grabbed my shoulders to steady me. Nick, or was it Nate? Hell, I couldn't remember my head was spinning so badly.

"If you want to keep your fucking hands you'll take them off of her," Dylan said from behind me. That was rich. He wanted to screw someone else but didn't want me to. Fuck. That.

"Ignore him," I told Nate or Nick. "We're over, but he won't leave me the hell alone. You wanna go upstairs?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck. Either touching him or the alcohol made me feel queasier.

"God, yes," Nick or Nate said with a smile, so I turned around and led the way up the steps.

"Jules,
please
don’t do this," I heard Dylan say behind us. "I want to tell him the truth, just give me a chance."

Heading into a dark empty bedroom I climbed on the bed and closed my eyes. I felt Nick's rough hands undressing me. I tried not to cry, but failed miserably when he started fucking me. Dylan and I were done, and I'd been stupid and naïve to believe we could ever really be together.

…

I either passed out or fell asleep, but when I came to I was haphazardly dressed in my own bed, back in my dorm room. I wasn't alone.

Dylan sat in the chair at my computer desk, head in his hands.

Oh God, why was he here? Had he already been with Megan? The thought of him with her made my stomach roll.   

"What are you doing here?" I slurred. "We're over and done. I just fucked someone else and I'm sure Megan's looking for you."                                 

He glanced over at me and shook his head before standing up to pace. "You really don't know, do you?" he asked, running his hand through his hair.

"Know what?" God, it hurt so much to lose him.

"Jules, I'm the one that fucked you."

"What?" I asked confused.       

"You're drunk, so there was no way in
hell
I was going to let that bastard touch you just because you're pissed at me. I pulled him off of you and then I started fucking you. I thought you knew it was me and wanted me, but when I realized you'd actually passed out I stopped, redressed you and brought you back here. The fact that you were so drunk you didn't know it was me proves just how fucking stupid what you did was. God, how could you even
think
about going up to that room with him?" he asked angrily. "You really don't give a shit about me, do you?"

"Why haven't you fucked Megan yet?" I asked him, unable to figure out why he cared what I did.

"I don't want her! I tried to explain what happened and you wouldn't let me," he yelled, as his chest heaved and his fists clenched. "Instead, you were ready to just go off and fuck someone else."

"Right, it was either kiss her or tell Will."

"She caught me off guard, and I didn't think you wanted him to know. Shit, I'll go tell him right now! I'm tired of lying to him."

"There's nothing to tell him."

"Yes, there is."

"What? That you've been fucking his sister while trying to hook up with someone else?"

"No. I'll tell him that I've been falling in love with his sister for years and only just realized it. And that I'm going to be with you regardless of what he thinks, because how I feel about you is worth losing his friendship. I really hope it doesn't come to that, but I can live without him in my life. I don't think I can live without you, Jules," he said, as he kneeled down beside my bed and wrapped his arms around me.                                          

I felt more tears fall down my cheeks as I tried to wrap my head around what he'd just said. He was telling me that I was worth more to him than the man he'd been best friends with, done everything with, and thought of like a brother for thirteen years.

"Really?" I asked, enveloping him in my own arms.

"Yes," he said, pulling his head away from my chest to look at me, his green eyes pleading and sincere. "I need you and I love you so damn much, Jules. So please tell me that I'm the only one you want, and that I'm worth the fallout for you too."

"You are, and I love you too," I told him. He smiled before his lips brushed mine, his tongue teasing for me to open and let him in.

Guiding me back down on the bed, Dylan covered my body with his. He pushed the bottom of my dress up then pulled my panties off while we kissed and clung to each other desperately. His lips barely left mine as he unzipped his pants and entered me gently. I knew without a doubt this time he was making love to me, making me feel cared for, incredible, and like I was really his. Unfortunately we were interrupted.

When I heard the door open I figured Steph would just pretend not to see or hear us, like I had for her and her dates a few times. Then when the overhead lights flipped on I glanced over and realized my brother was with her. Shocked and embarrassed he was seeing us in such a compromising position, I froze and didn't even have a chance to react.

"Jules, what the …
Dylan
?!" Will yelled. Dylan froze above me, since he hadn't seen my brother before he heard him speak. "Are you seriously fucking my sister while she's drunk?" he roared.

"I'm not drunk," I said. "Well, not as drunk as I was."

"Get the fuck off of her!" Will yelled, when neither of us moved.

"I will," Dylan responded calmly. "But you might want to turn around, or you're going to see a whole lot of the both of us you'll wish you hadn't."

My brother ran his hands over his face and turned back to face the door, just as Steph snuck out of the room. Smart girl.

Giving me a quick, reassuring kiss on the lips, Dylan pulled out of me and stood up to zip his pants. I hastily pulled my dress down and sat up on the bed.

"We were going to tell you," Dylan started.

"Right. You were going to tell me that you decided to be an asshole and take advantage of her while she's drunk?"

"Jesus! How could you even think I'd do something like that? I love her, I'm not taking advantage of her! And like it or not, you're going to have to get used to the idea of us together."

"You are so full of shit," Will told him when he turned back around. "I give it a week before you're fucking someone else."

"Glad you think so highly of me," Dylan said as he paced around the small room with his hands behind his head, tugging on his hair in frustration.                                      

"I'm just being honest. I know how you are, and when you move on to your next piece of ass, Jules is going to end up getting hurt." 

"I won't do that to her."

"I just saw you kissing someone else less than an hour ago, so save the bullshit!" Will yelled at him.

"Megan is a gold digging whore. She knew Jules and I were together and that we were keeping it from you. She caught me off guard tonight and was going to tell you before I had a chance to make sure Jules was okay with you finding out. So I lied when she asked if "Jennifer" and I had broken up. Then the bitch attacked me. She kissed me, knowing Jules was
right there
and would see it, because she wanted to cause problems."

"Jules, tell me you're not stupid enough to believe this shit?" Will asked in disbelief with his hands on his hips.

"Will you stop being a jerk? If you really thought Dylan was an asshole then you wouldn’t have been his best friend for so long. Being with him … he makes me happier than I've ever been," I told my brother. Dylan smiled at me, then sat down on the bed, pulling me to him.

"So, you've been together more than just tonight?" Will asked.

"Yes."

"How long has this been going on?" Will asked, his expression confused as he looked back and forth between us.

"Technically it started in Vegas, but nothing really happened until last Friday night," Dylan told him.

"Vegas? A year ago?" he asked.

"Ah, yeah. You came back to the room and interrupted us," I told him. He scowled as he rubbed his face and thought it over.