My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 236: When Push Comes To Shove

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For a moment, none of us said a word. The only sound breaking the silence in that long, quiet executive hallway was the soft, measured rhythm of our footsteps...three of us moving awkwardly together, trying not to make too much noise.

It felt like any raised voice might shatter the fragile truce we’d just managed to establish. The thick carpet absorbed most of the sound, but I could still feel each step of my dress shoes echoing in my chest like a heartbeat counting down to whatever disaster awaited us next.

My heart was still racing from the shock of Ethan walking in on us, and now, here we were, leaving Logan’s empty suite like guilty teens caught raiding the liquor cabinet at some swanky party.

Ethan was the first to break away from the group. He slowed, then came to a stop altogether, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his tux pants in that classic rich-boy way that somehow looked both casual and defensive. He faced us, shoulders squared but his eyes were softer than I expected, especially when they landed on me.

"I’ll head back downstairs," he said, his voice low enough that it felt like he was speaking just to us, even with Adrien standing right there, radiating tension like a live wire. "If Logan starts asking questions—and of course he will...I’ll cover for you. I’ll say I was looking for you two to drag you back to the dance floor or something equally lame." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He hesitated, a flicker of a wry smile appearing at the corner of his mouth before disappearing again. "Just... don’t do anything stupid without giving me a heads up, okay? I’d rather not have to bail you out of jail at three a.m."

Adrien’s jaw clenched so hard that I thought I might hear something crack.

"Funny," he muttered, the sarcasm thick enough to spread on toast. "I was literally thinking the exact same thing about you."

Ethan shot a sharp glance at him, something familiar and unsettling flashing across his too-blue eyes, old resentment, fresh irritation, all the usual emotions that bubbled up whenever they were within ten feet of each other.

But to his credit, he didn’t snap back like he usually would. Instead, he sighed out through his nose, slow and tired as if he were swallowing the retort that was on the tip of his tongue.

"This isn’t about you and me," he said quietly, almost gently, which somehow made it hit harder. "It never really was."

Then, he looked at me, really looked and the hardness in his expression softened into something more private, the kind of gaze that used to make my stomach do flips back when we were still figuring out what we meant to each other.

"Noah," he said, his voice dropping even lower. "Tomorrow... we’ll talk."

I managed a small nod, my throat suddenly tight with emotions that kept me from speaking. He gave me one last lingering look, long enough to make heat creep up the back of my neck...before he turned and walked away, his tall figure disappearing around the corner towards the elevators without another word.

The hallway felt instantly heavier without him, like the weight of the world had just increased.

Adrien stayed still for a moment, staring after Ethan with a look that could curdle milk. Then, out of nowhere, he pivoted towards me, grabbed my wrist, but not roughly though, but with that urgent grip he sometimes had when trying hard not to lose his mind and pulled me a few steps sideways until we were hidden behind a potted palm that probably cost more than Gigi’s rent.

I accepted my date, already knowing that there was no universe in which Adrien would not be mad about what just happened.

"Hey," I said, surprised enough that my voice came out a bit higher than I meant. "Adrien—"

"I don’t like this," he murmured, his green eyes dark and stormy, the hallway lights catching bits of gold in them and making him look intensely serious. "I don’t fucking like him being involved. I don’t want him anywhere near this. And I really, really don’t want him near you."

I sighed slowly through my nose, already getting ready for the conversation I knew was coming as soon as Ethan agreed to help us. "I figured you’d say that."

"You figured?" His voice cracked between frustration and barely-contained panic.

He let go of my wrist, running both hands through his dark hair, making it stand up in messy tufts that somehow made him look younger and more vulnerable. "Noah, he’s your ex. Your charming, well-connected, still-so-into-you ex. And you’re asking me...asking us, to trust him with my mother’s death. With everything we’ve been after for months. With you."

Guilt twisted in my chest because he wasn’t wrong, not at all.

"I know," I replied quickly, reaching out to grab the sleeve of his tux before he could walk away again. "And I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you better, should’ve talked it through instead of just... throwing him into the mix like that. I panicked. He walked in, saw everything, and when I realized he wasn’t going to call security, I just...I panicked and told him the truth. It felt like the only option we had left."

He paused long enough to look me in the eyes, the anger there shifting to something more complicated, hurt, protectiveness, exhaustion, maybe even a bit of fear.

"You don’t think I see it?" he asked more quietly. "The way he looks at you? Like you’re still his, even after your so-called break?"

My stomach flipped uncomfortably.

"That doesn’t change what we need to do," I said gently, stepping closer until I could feel his warmth through his jacket. "This is our only real chance, Adrien. You said it yourself. Logan is careful, paranoid. If we miss this window, if we scare him even a little, we might never get this close again. Ethan knows him better than anyone. He grew up in that house, under the same rules, dealing with the same mind games. If anyone can help find where Logan keeps the things he doesn’t want discovered, it’s him."

Adrien’s shoulders sagged slightly, the fight draining out of him bit by bit. "I hate that you’re right," he muttered, as if it pained him to admit it.

I gave him a small, crooked smile despite everything. "I know. It’s one of my more annoying abilities."

He let out a sound that might’ve been a laugh if things weren’t so serious. Then his expression grew serious again, his gaze dropping to where my fingers were still wrapped loosely around his sleeve.

"I know you and Ethan still...like each other... a complicated, messy, stupid history. And I know you two freaking hate each other. But it was the two of you together, back at Jace’s party that saved me from getting violated. You stood together then, even when I’m sure you wanted to strangle each other half the time."

He looked away, jaw working as if he was mulling over words he didn’t want to say.

"If you could do it once," I said softly, "maybe you both can do it again. Just long enough to make this right, just long enough to get the answers we need...then if you two decide you still can’t stand each other, you can go your separate ways again."

Silence stretched between us, thick and fragile. A distant door clicked shut somewhere down the hall; faint orchestra music floated up from the ballroom below like smoke.

Finally, Adrien let out a long, resigned sigh that seemed to come from deep within him.

"I don’t trust him," he said flatly. "Not completely at least."

"I’m not asking you to," I replied, squeezing his sleeve gently. "I just need you to work with him. Just for now...for this."

His eyes returned to mine, conflicted, fiercely protective, and bone-tired. "I don’t want him being around you, even if you still like him."

"You shouldn’t have to worry about that." I said firmly, holding his gaze so he could see I meant it.

Adrien searched my face for another heartbeat, looking for any sign of doubt before he nodded once, sharp and decisive.

"Fine," he muttered. "But this is temporary. As soon as we get what we need, or as soon as he screws us over—I’m done. We’re done pretending we’re anything but enemies. I’ll smile for the cameras if I must, but that’s it."

I managed a small, grateful smile, relief washing over me like a warm wave. Even though I prayed they would stop hating each other’s asses at a some point

"That’s more than enough. Thank you."

He gave me one last look, half warning, half something softer that I couldn’t quite identify...then released my sleeve. We stepped back into the room in silence, our footsteps falling back into sync, each one taking us farther from the safety of ignorance and closer to something irreversible.