The Fight In Us: A Brother's Best Friend College Romance (The Four Book 4) by Becca Steele (little readers .txt) 📕

he say?” I hissed to Rumi, who was sitting next to me with his legs sprawled out into the aisle. Total tripping hazard.

“Dunno, I wasn’t paying attention.” He stared down at his phone, hidden under his desk, his fingers swiping across the screen. “Fucking sus,” he muttered.

“Thanks for nothing.” Adjusting my black-framed glasses on my nose, I turned to the girl on the other side of me to ask her the same question.

Yeah, glasses. Lena had been right. I only needed them for reading, but already my headaches had disappeared.

“We need to read chapter twelve and pick an essay topic from the list he posted on the student portal,” the girl told me, twisting the ends of her long golden hair around her finger and staring at me from beneath her lashes. “If you’re looking for a study partner, I’m available.”

Before Lena, I would have been all over that. This girl was pretty, interested, and available.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m good,” I told her.

I didn’t want anyone else anymore.

Just Lena.

Fuck it. I was done with playing around. Why were we wasting time when we both wanted this? Wanted to be together? Lena Drummond was mine, and it was time she knew it.

Although we’d texted each other on and off through the week and discussed Martin Smith, I didn’t get a chance to see Lena in person again until Sunday. We needed to have a proper conversation about us, and it wasn’t something I wanted to do over the phone.

Sunday was pouring with rain, but Cassius was in a great mood. Good thing, since it was his surprise Sunday lunch, and I was the one who was supposed to be getting him to his parents’ house. We were still over two weeks away from his birthday, but last year his celebrations had stretched out over a week, so I guessed his parents were getting in there early.

As the car rumbled along the quiet streets, I glanced over at Cass before flicking my eyes back to the road. I wanted to make Lena mine, but first, I had to give him a heads-up.

“I’m gonna ask Lena to be my girlfriend. Properly. If you don’t have any objections.” It was easier to tell him while I was driving, and my eyes were focused on the road.

“Didn’t see that coming.”

My brief glance at him was enough to catch his eye roll. He fell silent after that, so I gave him time to process my statement.

Eventually, he spoke again as we were nearing our destination. “I’ll say what I said before. Don’t hurt her.”

“I won’t. And this doesn’t change shit, okay? You’re still my best mate, and me and Lena both have our own lives. I’m not gonna drop you.”

“Okay. Good. No objections, then.” There was definite relief in his voice. We pulled into the garage at his parents’ house, and he grinned as I parked next to Lena’s car, his mind already focused elsewhere. “Time for my surprise.”

“You already knew?”

“Yep.”

I shook my head, laughing. “Pretend to be surprised.”

“I’ve been practising my shocked face in the mirror.”

“Of course you have.”

As I’d been instructed, I sent a text to Cassius’ mum to let her know we were here. When we entered the huge dining room, Cassius immediately gasped, exaggeratedly throwing his hands to his mouth. Grinning, I looked around the room as the guests all cheered and applauded. The Drummonds had gone all out for this “small gathering.” The space was packed.

The Drummonds’ dining room was pretty epic. High ceilings, smooth white marble floors, and a wall of windows along one side, showcasing the ocean view. An extendable dining table seated up to twenty people at its full length, although it looked like we weren’t going to be seated at it today. The entire length was filled with food and drinks. Knowing Estella Drummond, everything would be miniature versions of normal food. And plenty of champagne, too.

“What’s Jessa doing here?” I murmured to Winter when she bounded over and threw her arms around me.

“That was either Lena or her mum’s idea—I can’t remember. She’s been having a bit of a hard time lately, I think. Did you know that Portia basically ghosted her? Fucking bitch,” she muttered.

“Are you okay with her being here?” Drawing back, I stared at her, holding her lightly around the waist.

“Yeah. I’m over it. If Cade can be around James, I can be around her.”

“He can barely be around James without wanting to kill him,” I reminded her.

A grin tugged at her lips. “I know. It’s kind of funny.”

“I think James is growing on him.”

“I’m not sure about that, but we can live in hope.” Her voice lowered. “Anyway, enough about that. How are things going with you and Lena?”

“Ask me again tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll be able to give you a different answer from the one I’d give you right now.”

“Say no more.” She nodded. “Good luck.”

“Have you seen her?”

“She’s somewhere…there.” I followed the direction of her finger and saw her talking to a tall, brown-haired guy, who had his arm around the waist of a pretty woman with waist-length wavy blonde hair.

“I’m going over.” Releasing Winter, I placed a kiss on her cheek, then started in the direction of Lena.

“Weston!” My progress was halted by Kinslee, clasping a glass of champagne in one hand. She threaded the other around my waist. “Hi.”

Glancing over Kinslee’s shoulder, I noticed Lena watching us. Her eyes darkened, narrowing as she focused on Kinslee’s grip around my waist.

“Good to see you, Kins. I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?” Disentangling myself from her, I closed the rest of the distance between me and Lena, watching the guarded jealousy in her eyes morph to heat as she drank me in.

There’s my girl.

Reaching her, I pulled her into me with one hand, dropping a kiss on her head, and grinning at her startled intake of breath.

“Are you gonna introduce us, baby?”

My grin grew bigger as her eyes widened at my use of the word