My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 121: The Date Crasher

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Adrien took a step back, caught off guard more than by the shove, and then shot a venomous glare my way. "Clearly he does," he snapped, "if he’s stuck with a complete idiot like you."

His words landed like a slap.

Ethan’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, something I’d only seen once before during their first fight. His voice dropped, low and simmering. "What gives you the right to control him, huh? Acting like you suddenly give a damn about him?"

Adrien’s jaw tightened so hard I thought it might crack, but Ethan continued, undeterred.

"Didn’t you treat him like garbage for years? With no reason?" Ethan scoffed, moving closer until their chests almost touched. "You bullied him. Humiliated him, broke him down every chance you had with your dipshit squad?"

He tilted his head, his eyes fierce. "And now you want to pretend you’re his protective older brother? Out of nowhere? Really?"

My heart raced.

Adrien’s expression hardened.

For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes, was it guilt? Denial? But then it vanished, swallowed by pure anger.

"Shut up," Adrien growled, his voice raw and trembling. "Just shut your mouth before I bash your fucking head in."

Ethan let out a sharp, humorless laugh, spreading his arms as if to invite the challenge. "Then go ahead. Try it. Let’s see how well that goes for you."

They closed the distance, shoulders squared, chests heaving, each waiting for the other to throw a punch. The air was thick with tension, almost painfully suffocating, and I didn’t know how to name it.

Fuck...

I couldn’t take it anymore.

"STOP!"

The word burst from me, it was shaky, loud and desperate.

I stepped between them before either could react. I didn’t care that they were taller and angrier. I pressed my hands against their chests, trying to push them apart as if they were two boulders.

"Enough," I gasped. "Please, just stop."

Ethan’s breathing slowed, but he didn’t pull back. Adrien’s fists clenched, knuckles turning white.

I turned to Ethan first, my voice softening. "Calm down, please. Fighting won’t solve anything."

He gritted his teeth but nodded, taking a half-step back, keeping a hand near my back like he was scared Adrien might lunge again.

I swallowed hard, then faced Adrien.

"Why are you doing this?" My voice trembled despite my efforts to keep it steady. "Why did you follow us? Why are you acting like this?"

Adrien’s chest heaved. His eyes locked onto mine...fierce, conflicted, torn apart in ways I couldn’t grasp and for a heartbeat, I thought maybe he’d share something real.

Something important.

But then, just like that, he shut down.

His jaw set tight, his gaze dropped. When he finally spoke, the words were clipped and frigid.

"I don’t owe you an explanation."

That twisted something inside me.

Because I could feel he was lying.

I could see it in his eyes.

But he wasn’t going to say a thing.

I stared at him feeling hurt, confused, angry and the silence thickened, heavy enough to choke.

Behind me, Ethan muttered, "Of course you don’t."

Adrien’s gaze snapped to him, eyes darkening, but I shot Ethan a warning look before turning back to Adrien.

"Then you need to leave," I whispered. "Because you’re not helping anyone right now. Least of all me."

The words cut between us, sharp like knives.

Adrien’s face flickered, just once...like the ground was shifting beneath him. But he straightened, slipping back into that cold shell I’d seen so many times, and nodded.

But not in agreement, not in understanding.

Then he turned and walked away.

Leaving me breathless, trembling, surrounded by the remnants of a moment that shattered the instant he showed up.

I spun around so quickly I nearly tripped over my blanket. My hands trembled as I gathered my things, the half-unzipped backpack, my turtle neck sweater, my scattered phone. The world felt off-kilter, like the ground was still vibrating from the fight. I could barely hear the wind over the drumming in my ears.

"I’m sorry," I blurted, my voice thin. "E–Ethan, I’ve got to go."

He stepped closer, disbelief etched on his face. "No. No, you don’t." His tone was gentle, but there was a tremor underneath. "Noah, you shouldn’t have to leave because of him."

Guilt tightened around my ribs like a vise. "It’s not just because of him," I insisted, even though it partly was. "I just... I need to understand what his issue is. I can’t let you guys go at it like this again. I can’t handle this tension anymore."

Ethan’s shoulders sank. The disappointment in his eyes stung more than anything Adrien had said. "So you’re really going with him."

I swallowed hard. "Just to talk. That’s all. I’m not choosing him over you." I forced myself to meet his gaze. "You know that, right?"

He didn’t reply right away. His mouth opened, then shut, and then opened again, like he was struggling to find the right words, choking on how unfair this felt.

"I set this all up for you," Ethan whispered, his voice cracking just a bit. "I just wanted us to have one good evening without... the drama."

That was what broke me.

"I know," I said softly, stepping closer. "Ethan, this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. Ever." My voice thickened. "I mean it."

And then I leaned in and kissed him—slow, soft, aching, like an apology I couldn’t quite put into words. He cupped my face in his hands, kissing me back like he didn’t want to let go.

But I pulled away.

Because I had to.

Ethan’s hand lingered on my cheek, his other thumb brushing a loose strand of hair away from my forehead. "Do you believe what he said?" His voice was barely a whisper. "About me taking advantage of you?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The question gutted me. My heart fractured.

"Ethan," I said, shaking my head fiercely. "No. Not even close. I stopped thinking like that ages ago." I held his wrist gently. "You’re the last person who’d ever hurt me."

He exhaled shakily, but the heaviness in his eyes remained.

There were a thousand things I wanted to say, so many ways to reassure him. But the moment was already slipping away, the shadow of Adrien still lingering like a bruise in the air.

"I’ll text you later," I promised. "As soon as I get home, okay?"

He nodded slightly, but the sadness in his eyes made my chest ache. "Please don’t just vanish again," he murmured.

"I won’t," I whispered. "I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry."

Then I turned away.

The forest felt colder as I hurried toward the trees, the sunset casting long shadows over the leaves. Every step felt heavier than the last, guilt clinging to me like a second skin. I kept glancing back, seeing Ethan still standing there by the cliff, shoulders slumped, hair tousled in the wind, watching me walk away from the perfect moment he had created.

It felt wrong and it felt cruel.

But I kept going anyway.

Because Adrien was waiting beyond the tree line and I needed answers, no matter how painful it was to leave Ethan behind in the fading light of the sun.