My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 22: A Date...?

•⋅⊰∙∘☽✼☾∘∙⊱⋅•

The sun was dipping low behind the diner windows, casting that warm, syrupy glow that always seems to make time slow down. Ethan and I had been in the same booth for nearly two hours, half focused on work and half caught up in random chats and silly jokes. My milkshake was melting into a puddle, his laptop screen softly lit between us, and every now and then, his arm would brush against mine. It was a small thing, but it sent my nerves into a frenzy.

He was sitting way too close. I could actually catch a whiff of his cologne—something warm, like cedar and sunshine. I was trying to concentrate on the short story we were supposed to be editing, but it was tough with him leaning in to point out lines or laugh at my suggestions.

I kept reminding myself not to read too much into it. Ethan was just being friendly. That was all he ever was.

I was in the middle of texting my mom to let her know I’d be home late when he blurted out, "You’re really pretty, you know that?"

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I nearly dropped my phone.

"What?" My voice cracked embarrassingly high, and I stared at him, thinking I must’ve misheard.

His eyes went wide, and a blush crept up his cheeks. "Oh—uh...shit." He ran his hand through his blond hair, laughing awkwardly. "I didn’t mean to just... say that like some creep."

I felt my brain short-circuit. "I—um—you...what?" I stammered, my cheeks blazing. "You can’t just—say things like that while I’m trying to—concentrate."

Ethan groaned quietly, covering his face for a second before meeting my eyes again. He had a small, sheepish smile. "I’m sorry, Noah. I just... thought it, and then I guess I decided to embarrass myself by saying it out loud."

"You’re—" I cleared my throat and searched for words. "You’re fine. It’s... fine. I’m just... shocked, I guess."

Oh my God, I could literally die right now, but I’d die with a smile.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me in that calm, unhurried way of his. "I didn’t mean to make things awkward. You just... have this look sometimes. Like you don’t see how—" He paused, chuckled softly, and shook his head. "Never mind."

I glanced down at my half-eaten milkshake, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was doing somersaults. "You’re really bad at this, you know."

"Bad at what?" he asked, his grin back.

"Flustering people," I muttered. "You should probably stop before someone dies of embarrassment."

He shouldn’t say things like that to people he didn’t actually like. Someone might get confused and think he had feelings when he was just being friendly.

Like me.

He laughed—an easy, genuine sound that made everything seem lighter. Maybe that’s why I was so open with him...he was just easy to talk to. "Guess I’ll take that as a compliment."

And despite everything, I smiled too. Because somehow, sitting there under the dim diner lights, it didn’t feel weird anymore. It felt warm. Dangerous. Way too real.

The night air was cool on my skin when we left the diner, the scent of coffee and fries lingering on my clothes. The streets were quiet, bathed in soft amber light from the street lamps. Ethan insisted on walking me home, no matter how many times I told him it wasn’t necessary.

"Ridge Street isn’t far," I said, hugging my bag tight. I didn’t want him to know I lived with Adrien in Oakfield, so him stopping at Ridge Street felt like a good compromise.

"Yeah, but let me feel chivalrous for once, will you?" he said with that teasing grin.

"Chivalrous? W–what am I a girl or something?"

"Could have fooled me with that cute face of yours."

"S–stop!"

So there we were, strolling side by side, falling into an easy rhythm. He was telling me about a time he tried to dunk during practice and ended up flat on his back in front of the whole team. I laughed so hard I almost stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk.

"Stop laughing," he groaned, though his grin told me he didn’t really mean it. "It was traumatic!"

"Traumatic for your ego, maybe," I teased, wiping tears from my eyes. "But I’m sure the floor was just fine."

He nudged me lightly with his shoulder. "You’re cruel, you know?"

"Just honest," I said, still grinning. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

For a moment, the air between us felt soft and comfortable. That kind of quiet that didn’t need to be filled. But then I noticed him getting quieter, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. I turned to look at him, but he was staring straight ahead, jaw set like he was gearing up to say something important.

"So... uh," he started slowly, "you know the fall carnival’s coming up in a couple of days?"

I nodded, intrigued. "Yeah, everyone’s been buzzing about it. Supposed to be a blast—rides, music, food, all that."

He nodded too but sounded a bit hesitant, which was odd for him. "Right. So... I was thinking...maybe we could go together?"

What?

My steps faltered. "T—together?"

"Yeah," he rushed out, scratching the back of his neck, voice dropping lower. "Not for the project or anything. Just, you know... for fun. Just us. Maybe play some games, eat cotton candy, pretend the Ferris wheel isn’t terrifying."

My heart raced in a way that made breathing difficult. The idea of Ethan—Ethan Seymour...asking me out, even casually, felt surreal. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

He laughed nervously, glancing at me. "You don’t have to decide now. I just thought it could be... nice. You’ve had a rough day, and you deserve something fun."

"I..." My voice wobbled, and I wanted to sink into the pavement. "I just... didn’t see that coming."

"That’s fair," he said softly, smiling that way that twisted my stomach. "But think about it, okay?"

I nodded slowly, my cheeks heating up. "Yeah. I’ll... think about it."

His grin widened. "Good. Just so you know, I make a stellar carnival date."

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my blush. "Sure you do."

But as we walked the rest of the way in silence, an unspoken connection buzzing between us, I couldn’t help but smile like an absolute idiot.

I couldn’t believe it! Somebody pinch me! IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!

Gigi would totally lose it when I told her.