Chapter 373 A Brother’s Promise

“Don’t worry.”

Johnathan’s gaze darkened. This time, he was determined to see Quinn for who – or what – she really was.

The two chatted along the way, but once they got home, they both silently moved on to lighter topics.

Back in the house, Sierra finally relaxed. It had only been a few days, yet she found herself missing the place.

Everything was exactly as they’d left it. She hadn’t even had time to look around before Johnathan swept her into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom.

Their intimacy brought back memories of that day at the club. Sierra instinctively raised a hand to touch his face. Johnathan kissed her palm gently and said, “I really was an asshole that day.”

All he’d cared about at the time was stopping Sierra from leaving. He hadn’t even considered where they were. Afterward, he’d wanted to slap himself for it.

Mateo and the others had still been outside. If he’d actually gone through with anything in there, how could Sierra have ever faced them again?

Hearing his words, the last lingering trace of resentment in Sierra’s heart finally faded. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “You scared me that day. Johnathan, never do that to me again.”

She never liked thinking back to that moment.

That had been the first time Johnathan completely lost control in front of her.

“I’m sorry.”

He kissed her forehead. “It won’t happen again.”

Of all people, Sierra was the last one he ever wanted to hurt. And yet, that day, he’d nearly turned into the kind of man he hated most.

With the misunderstanding behind them, they spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms. It was a good thing Sierra didn’t have to be at the lab the next morning – she would’ve been late for sure.

After a bit of rest, they invited Dickson over in the afternoon.

“Hey, you finally showed up!”

Dickson exaggerated dramatically. “Do you even remember how long it’s been since we last saw each other?”

Sierra felt a little guilty. She really had been too busy.

When Dickson got his exam results, she hadn’t even answered his call. Johnathan had ended up helping him with his college application. Thinking back, she hadn’t done a very good job as a big sister.

But Dickson didn’t seem to mind at all. He immediately launched into stories – about new friends, his travels, everything he’d seen and done.

Seeing them so absorbed in conversation, Johnathan went to prepare dinner.

As soon as Johnathan stepped into the kitchen, Dickson lowered his voice and asked, “Did you guys have a fight?”

Sierra was surprised. “What makes you say that?”

Dickson glanced toward the kitchen and said in a hushed tone, “It’s super obvious! You have no idea how scary Mr. Yaeger’s vibe gets when you’re fighting. He might look the same on the surface, but if you look closely, you can tell.”

Sierra blinked. She really hadn’t noticed.

“What was it this time? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Dickson asked softly.

Sierra shook her head. “No, we just had some disagreements.”

Dickson breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. If he ever hurts you, you have to tell me. I’ll take you away.”

He was completely serious.

He wanted so badly to grow up fast – to become someone Sierra could rely on.

Sierra’s heart warmed. Meeting Dickson had truly been her good fortune.

When Johnathan returned, they both smoothly changed the subject. But when it came to college life, neither Sierra nor Johnathan had much to offer – they’d never had a traditional college experience.

“If anything comes up, just call me.”

“I will!”

After dinner and a little more chatting, Dickson finally headed out.

“What were you two talking about?” Johnathan asked casually. “You looked pretty happy.”

Sierra didn’t mention what Dickson had said. Instead, she simply replied, “I’m just glad to see he’s completely moved on from that dark place.”

“You really do treat him like a little brother.”

Johnathan sounded a little jealous. He often felt Sierra gave Dickson too much of her attention.

“What’s wrong with having one more family member?” Sierra said lightly.

Johnathan thought about it and didn’t argue. It was better to see him as family than… anything else. That thought alone eased his mind considerably.