My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 132: Start A Clean Slate?

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I kept convincing myself I was okay, but every few minutes, my thumb would automatically drift to my phone, checking to see if Ethan had finally messaged me saying that he’d arrived. The screen remained stubbornly blank, no new notifications, no typing indicators—nothing at all.

A small, uneasy feeling stirred in my chest. He had said he’d be here... I tried to shake off the worry. Maybe he was held up with his uncle again. Or maybe he was on his way. Maybe I was just being overly dramatic.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and forced myself to focus on the party, the neon lights flashing throughout the room, the heavy bass resonating through the floor, the mix of laughter, screams, and drunken giggles. It was chaotic but, oddly enough, kind of captivating.

Then, I heard a familiar voice break through the noise.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is, Noah freaking Valentine!"

I turned to see Jace, grinning like he’d stumbled upon hidden treasure. He had that signature swagger, though this time it lacked his usual mockery. More like... genuine surprise? Which was unsettling in its own right.

He opened his arms wide, almost as if presenting himself. "Didn’t expect you to actually show up. Especially after the—" he made a little splash gesture with his hand, smirking—"you know, pool incident. But hey, props for coming, man... didn’t think you’d do it." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

I blinked at him. "Wow. I could almost sense the sincerity there."

He laughed, loud and delighted. "There he is, feisty as always. No wonder Ethan’s totally gay for you."

My eyebrows shot up. "Is that your version of a compliment? Because you’re really not nailing it."

"Hey, I’m trying!" he said, putting a hand over his heart as if I’d wounded him. "This is my biggest party yet. Gotta leave a legacy before graduation. And you showing up?" He pointed at me with a playful grin. "That’s a highlight for sure."

I stared at him, suspicious. "If I’m your idea of a highlight, your standards are pretty low."

He laughed again. "Man, I forgot how funny you are."

He snapped his fingers at the bartender, who made his way over. Before I could say anything, Jace waved a hand toward me.

"Get him something sweet. He looks like a strawberry-cocktail kind of guy, you know...’cause you’re gay and whatever."

Gee, thanks moron.

I immediately shook my head and held up a hand. "No thanks. I’m fine."

Jace blinked, then chuckled. "Come on, Valentine. Just one drink. It’s not poisoned."

I narrowed my eyes at him, unimpressed. "Jace. Back off."

He threw his head back and laughed, looking more amused than offended, as if he’d just confirmed some assumption about me he’d always had.

Jace then looked at me, clearly not expecting any pushback at all. His expression flickered with surprise before settling into that all-too-familiar amused smirk he wore when he thought he’d got the upper hand. He tilted his chin, studying me with the smug curiosity of someone used to having others shrink under his gaze.

"That’s a bit rude, Valentine," he said, his tone shifting to something meant to sound hurt but coming off more taunting. "I’m just trying to be nice."

There was a time his words would’ve unraveled me, when his tone alone could shake my confidence...but now, that old fear didn’t even register. I just looked at him, tired of the charade and ready to be done with whatever game he thought he was playing.

"I’m not stupid, Jace," I said, keeping my voice steady while locking eyes with him. "You’ve never been nice to me or anyone else unless it serves your interests. So just... leave me alone."

For a moment, he seemed genuinely taken aback, like I’d thrown him off balance without trying. But instead of getting angry, he laughed, a warm, surprised sound that felt oddly out of place amid the pounding bass.

"No stuttering, no shaking or trying to run off," he said, leaning in a bit closer as he studied my face with exaggerated interest. "You’re like a completely different person now."

I rolled my eyes, not giving him the satisfaction of a response.

The bartender slid a drink toward me, pink, fizzy, and smelling too sweet. But before I could even push it away, Jace picked it up and took a deliberate sip, keeping his eyes on me as if that alone would make me trust him.

"See?" he said after a moment, wiping a stray drop from his lip with the back of his hand. "Perfectly fine. Not poisoned. I’m not trying to kill you, just relax a bit."

His tone was light, but I could hear the underlying pressure he always exerted to get his way. It only made me tighten my arms across my chest.

"Congrats," I murmured. "You survived your own drink."

He laughed again, this time softer, and for a moment, he actually looked sincere. But I knew better than to take his word for it. He shifted against the bar, his shoulder brushing the counter as he angled toward me.

"Look... I know I haven’t been the best to you," he started, his voice dropping enough to sound genuine, though I could still sense the calculating undertones. "Honestly, I’ve been a jerk. But things are different now. You’re different, that’s why I invited you. People actually like having you around, now. So I thought... why not start fresh? Clean slate."

Then he extended his hand toward me, it was open, steady, inviting like he was expecting a handshake to magically erase everything he’d done.

I stared at it for a long moment, feeling the noise of the entire room fade into the background as my focus narrowed in on the space between us. His hand hovered there, confident like someone who’d never really been told no, someone who expected everyone to eventually fold because that was how things worked.

I couldn’t believe what the hell was happening right now ...

He waited, still smiling, still watching me as if he already knew how this story would end.

But I didn’t budge, I didn’t take his hand and I didn’t say anything.

I just stared at that outstretched hand, half invitation, half manipulation...while a quiet, steady resolve settled in my chest, stronger than any fear he’d ever made me feel.