My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 116: Trust And Transparency

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My stomach dropped like a rock, as if the cliff I was standing on had suddenly tilted it suddenly clicked in my brain.

I stared at him, the sunlight fading behind the clouds and casting soft shadows on his face. For a brief moment, I couldn’t catch my breath.

His uncle.

His uncle had hurt him.

The memory hit me like a wave, Ethan outside the diner weeks ago, his face bruised, smiling at me as if it didn’t hurt, like nothing could touch him. And there I was, watching him lie that it was from the fight, like boys always shrug off.

My hand flew to my mouth.

"Oh my god," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Ethan... was that... him? That day I told you Adrien was my stepbrother? When you came with those bruises, was that... your uncle?"

He hesitated.

Not for long.

Just enough time for my heart to shatter.

Then he nodded.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. "It was."

The world around me blurred. My heart was pounding, hurt and anger swirling together until I couldn’t tell one from the other. I could almost taste the sorrow.

"Why?!" I managed to choke out. "Why would he do that to you? You didn’t—Ethan, you didn’t do anything wrong."

He exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping to the blanket between us.

"My dad handed over the company’s car dealership to him a few years back since he wasn’t around," he explained, his voice steady yet heartbreakingly resigned. "He’s been trying to build the business, attract wealthy clients and investors, that sort of thing."

He paused, his jaw tightening.

"And when the fight with Adrien happened," he continued, "the word got around. People didn’t want to associate with our company, they probably thought that a company that is going to be taken over by a violent guy must be terrible. And he got mad."

I blinked in disbelief. "So he blamed you?"

"He always blames me," Ethan said, letting out a small, humorless laugh. "He says I ruined the company’s reputation. That I embarrassed him. That I just can’t control myself."

My hands formed fists.

He looked back toward the city again, his voice softening into something painful to hear.

"I talked back," he admitted quietly. "He told me to shut up, and I didn’t listen. I thought... I thought I could actually stand up for myself this time. If only I had kept my mouth shut, he wouldn’t have hit me."

Those words pierced me.

"Ethan." My voice trembled. "No. Don’t say that."

"It’s true," he murmured, shrugging one shoulder. "I should’ve just walked away."

"No." I didn’t hesitate to reach for him, cupping his face with my hands to make him meet my eyes. "Listen to me. None of this—none of it—was your fault. Not the fight. Not the business. Not him hurting you. You didn’t deserve any of it, do you get that?"

He blinked, taken aback by the intensity of my voice.

"You didn’t deserve it when you were thirteen," I whispered, "and you don’t deserve it now. Never." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

His breath caught.

And in that moment, all the strength he usually wore like armor, on the court, in the hallways, when he smiled to mask his pain—began to crack. It was like he didn’t know how to handle someone standing up for him.

I found myself leaning in, pulling him into my arms before I even processed I was moving.

He stiffened for just a quick moment, surprised... then slowly relaxed, burying his face against my neck. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, as if he needed me to keep him grounded.

"You never deserved that," I whispered into his hair. "Never. And you’re not allowed to blame yourself for someone else’s cruelty."

His grip tightened, just a bit.

"I’m okay now," he murmured, almost as if he were reassuring me more than himself. "I promise, Sunshine. I’m okay."

But I shook my head and pressed my forehead against his.

"You don’t have to be okay all the time," I said softly. "Not with me."

He breathed out shakily...warm, vulnerable, real and my heart ached in ways I hadn’t known were possible.

Ethan’s arms tightened around me slowly, at first hesitant but then with a fragile certainty that warmed my chest. His breath brushed against my collarbone as he whispered, "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to unload all this on you."

"You didn’t unload anything," I replied, pulling back just enough to see his face. His blue eyes were cast downward, the lashes lowered like he felt ashamed to show me his hurt. It broke something inside me. I reached up and cupped his cheek, the rough warmth of his skin fitting perfectly against my palm. "Ethan... you don’t have to face this alone anymore. You hear me? You don’t have to carry this by yourself."

He leaned into my hand a little, like he wasn’t used to such gentle touches. "I love you," he said suddenly, quietly, almost like the words spilled out before he could stop them.

My breath hitched. Instinctively, I traced my thumb along his cheekbone. "I know," I whispered because I truly did. I felt it every time he looked at me as if I were his entire universe. Instead of responding directly, I kept my hand there, grounding him gently. He relaxed more at my touch, the sadness in his eyes softening.

After a moment, he let out a breath that was half a laugh, half a sigh. "Wow, this is definitely not the sweet, romantic conversation I had planned for our picnic date," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I had this whole thing ready like you loving the view and me being charming, trying to impress you. But instead, I somehow turned it into a trauma dump. What a mood-killer." He groaned. "I’m really sorry. I totally wrecked the moment."

"You didn’t wreck anything," I insisted, shaking my head. "You trusted me, Ethan. That’s... that’s not ruining anything. That’s what this is all about."

He gave me a slight smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes yet, but was genuinely trying.

For a while, we sat there, our shoulders brushing as we took in the city below. The wind felt cool and soft, dancing through the trees around us. The sun sank lower, painting the sky in golden and tangerine hues. It felt like the world had shrunk down to just the two of us and the tranquil beauty of the cliffside.

Then Ethan broke the silence, his tone contemplative. "So, I talked to my friend and Justin a few days ago."

I raised an eyebrow. "Justin? The one who’s been with his girlfriend forever?"

"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "Three years. Practically ancient for high school relationships." He chuckled lightly. "I asked him how he and Talia keep it working, like actually keep it working—and he told me something that stuck with me."

I turned a bit to face him. "What’d he say?"

Ethan fiddled with the edge of the blanket before answering, a shyness in him that didn’t match his usual confidence. "He said the only way a relationship can really last is if both people are honest. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it’s scary. Trust and transparency, he said. That’s what keeps love strong."

Something stirred in my chest.

Ethan’s gaze locked onto mine, really locked on and the openness in his eyes nearly took my breath away.

"Before the conversation I realized," he continued, quieter, "that I had no right to be mad at you for not telling me Adrien was your stepbrother... when I was keeping things from you too. Big things." He exhaled deeply, his shoulders slumping. "I can’t expect you to be honest with me if I’m not willing to do the same. So that’s why I told you everything."

My heart twisted at the depth of his sincerity.

I reached over, holding his hand and intertwining my fingers with his. His grip tightened immediately, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

"Thank you," I whispered. "For trusting me enough to share all that."

His eyes softened. The remaining tension in his shoulders melted away.

"And for what it’s worth," I added, letting the gentle breeze cool my flushed cheeks, "this is still the most romantic date I’ve ever been on."

Ethan chuckled softly, nudging my shoulder lightly with his.

"Well," he said, his smile finally reaching his eyes, "then I must be doing something right."