My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 131: Way Out Of My Comfort Zone

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Noah’s POV

Ethan’s texts lit up my screen like little reminders of everything that was going wrong.

Ethan💙💖: Hey, I might be running a little late. Give me a bit, okay love?

That message had come through at seven-thirty.

Now, it was just past eight. The dark sky had already enveloped everything, making the streetlights seem extra harsh. I read the message again at home, waited a bit longer, and then against the strong urge telling me to stay put. I grabbed my jacket and headed toward Jace’s place based on the address on the flyer.

I kept expecting Ethan’s car to show up next to me, imagining him rolling down the window with that apologetic smile of his, ready to say something sweet to make everything feel okay again. But he never did. The walk felt longer than usual, my nerves practically tapping at the insides of my ribs with every step.

By the time Jace’s house came into view, I almost wished I’d turned around five blocks back.

His house wasn’t a mansion, but I was quite massive, there’s really no other word for it...was already pulsating with music, the kind that thumped in your chest long before you even reached the front gate. The big brick house was lit up like a chaotic amusement park, strings of lights hanging off the roof in messy zigzags, red and blue strobes flashing through the tall windows.

A bunch of people crowded around the porch, Solo cups in hand, laughing a bit too loudly, chatting too fast, and stumbling slightly as they came in or out.

Somebody had dragged a huge speaker onto the lawn, blasting music so loud that the grass vibrated. A couple...probably sophomores, judging by their baby faces were making out against Jace’s dad’s SUV as if they’d forgotten there were others around. A group of upperclassmen was tossing empty cups into the bushes, missing every shot but cheering anyway.

The whole driveway smelled of beer, perfume, weed, and just plain teenage recklessness.

I swallowed hard.

My outfit suddenly felt... tiny. Just a black button up, baggy jeans that Gigi swore made my "energetic sunshine ass" look amazing, her words, not mine and a simple jacket. Nothing dramatic, nothing special. But standing here in front of the flashing lights and the raucous laughter, I couldn’t help but tug nervously at the hem of my shirt.

Maybe this was a terrible idea, I thought, feeling my stomach knot. Maybe I should turn around, head home, and pretend I never even tried. I could text Ethan an excuse. I could tell Gigi she was right. I could—

"Oh my God, Noah? Noah Valentine?"

"Is that you, fine shit?"

I blinked as two girls I somewhat recognized from History stumbled over to me, both clutching pink cups like they were lifelines. Their eyes sparkled—definitely drunk.

"You look so hot these days," one of them said, dragging out the last word. "Like, seriously. I just wanna bite that ass!" She snapped her fingers like she’d just figured out the meaning of life.

Well, damn.

Her friend nodded dramatically. "Your butt looks incredible."

I just stared, unsure whether to laugh or run. "Uh... thanks?"

Do all girls go around admiring guy’s butts or is it just them?

They giggled and wobbled off toward the porch, nearly tripping over their own excitement.

Other students were watching too. Some looked surprised, some curious, and a few seemed to give mild approval, as if I’d passed some invisible test just by showing up.

I took a slow breath, letting the sharp, cold night air fill my lungs.

Okay, I told myself. You wanted this. You wanted to prove something—to yourself, not anyone else.

Still, my fingers were tightening around my phone.

Ethan should’ve been here.

He promised he’d show up.

And without him next to me, the uncertainty curled tighter in my chest, rising like a tide I wasn’t sure I could push back.

But I took one step forward.

Then another.

Because I absolutely refused to let fear drag me back home. I exhaled slowly, trying to ease the tightness in my chest.

You can do this, I reminded myself. You came here on your own. You’re staying on your own. You don’t need anyone to protect you.

If I really wanted things to change this year, if I wanted to stop being that scared girl from the pool incident...I needed to start acting like it. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

So I squared my shoulders, adjusted my jacket, and stepped inside Jace’s house.

The moment I crossed the threshold, the noise engulfed me.

His living room was almost unrecognizable. Someone had pushed all the fancy furniture, white leather couches, glass coffee table, even that pretentious abstract sculpture Jace’s mom loved, against the walls. Colorful LED strips flickered in vibrant pinks and blues along the ceiling, creating a dizzying effect that made the dancing bodies look like silhouettes in a club.

The bass was so heavy it thudded through my boots.

People were everywhere, packed together on the dance floor, leaning off the staircase railing to shout conversations down to the crowd below, sitting on the kitchen countertops making out like they couldn’t breathe without each other.

And the drinks?

Wow, I’d never seen so many in my life.

Everywhere I looked, there were Solo cups. Students...definitely underaged by the way were downing alcohol like it was soda, laughing way too loud, and stumbling into each other without a care in the world.

I took another deep breath, letting the noise wash over me instead of suffocate me.

You knew what this would be like, I reminded myself. Just keep your head up. Pretend you belong.

I weaved through the crowd, dodging a group of guys tossing gummy bears into each other’s mouths and missing every time. One even almost hit me in the eye.

Past the living room, I spotted the sliding glass door leading outside. Warm, humid air rushed in from the yard, where a massive jacuzzi bubbled like some sort of neon-lit cauldron. At least a dozen people were inside, some actually swimming, others... well, definitely not swimming.

I made a mental note never to go near that jacuzzi.

One couple was so into each other they didn’t even notice when someone splashed beer on them by accident. A girl in a sparkly bikini shrieked with laughter as she sat on her boyfriend’s shoulders, waving a glow stick like she’d just won a rodeo.

I quickly looked away.

Not my scene. Nope, not at all.

Back inside, I nudged past two girls having a dramatic chat about someone’s ex hooking up with someone’s best friend, like a soap opera plot unfolding right in front of me. Another group was screaming lyrics off-key around the DJ booth, while the DJ himself who was a senior with way too much confidence and not enough skill, was blasting music so loud the walls might’ve been vibrating.

Every second felt like I was stepping deeper into a world I didn’t get.

Or maybe one I’d never been brave enough to examine closely.

After a few minutes of aimlessly drifting through the chaos, I finally found refuge in the far corner of the room where Jace had set up a makeshift bar, complete with a wooden table, mismatched stools, and a sad-looking bowl of pretzels already half-spilled onto the floor.

I sat on one of the stools, letting my shoulders drop. My ears were ringing, and my heart was doing that uneven jumpy thing it always did when overwhelmed.

I rested my arms on the counter and watched the crowd.

Everyone looked so... at ease. Like they belonged in this flashing, chaotic world, like they were made for nights like this. The kind of confidence that allowed people to dance without a care, kiss without thinking, and laugh like nothing could hurt them.

I wished, just for a moment that I had even a fraction of that.

That I could navigate a party like this without feeling like I’d stumbled into another realm.

I twirled a pretzel between my fingers and sighed.

Maybe Skylar had been right. Maybe I did need to face this place just once, to prove I could walk through it without falling apart.

But wow, I thought, watching a girl down a shot while standing on the coffee table, "well, this is... a lot."