My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 27: And The Red Head Ruins It

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For the first time in what felt like ages, I was actually enjoying myself. I mean, genuine fun—the kind that made my chest feel light and my cheeks ache from smiling so much.

Ethan and I had just wrapped up our third round of this ridiculous balloon-popping game, and I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. The air was filled with the smell of popcorn, sugar, and that faint metallic tang from the nearby ferris wheel.

In that moment, I forgot all the noise—those whispers at school, the way Adrien’s words used to ring in my ears like a curse. Here, under the twinkling lights and the fading sky, I just felt... normal.

Then Ethan nudged me gently. "Hey, thinking about grabbing a funnel cake before we head out?"

"Only if you promise not to scarf most of it down this time," I joked, but before he could reply, a voice—sharp and too sweet to be sincere—sliced through the chatter around us.

"Well, well, well... if it isn’t Noah fucking Valentine." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

I froze. My grip on the penguin plushie tightened instinctively. When I turned around, there was Vanessa, looking as stunning as ever in her designer outfit, her red hair shimmering under the carnival lights. Behind her stood two of her friends, smirking like they were in some awful music video. And next to her, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here, was Adrien.

Of course.

My stomach knotted. Adrien’s gaze locked onto mine, initially expressionless—those green eyes, that sharp jawline, and that stormy expression that inexplicably made my heart ache for all the wrong reasons. He looked annoyed... and maybe a touch of something else I couldn’t quite put a finger on.

Vanessa beamed a saccharine smile, brushing her perfect hair off her shoulder. "Wow, Ethan. Planning on hitting it tonight, huh? I didn’t even know you swung that way, congrats."

"Vanessa," Ethan replied, his voice calm but tense, "don’t start."

She let out a fake laugh. "I’m just saying, it’s cute. The whole charity case vibe you’ve got going on. Dating the school loser for some community service points?"

I felt my face heat up, but I bit my tongue. I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction. Ethan, however, stepped in front of me, his hand grazing mine like a silent comfort.

"Watch your mouth," he said quietly, enough edge in his voice to make her hesitate for a moment. "You don’t get to talk about him like that."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Oh, please, I’m just surprised you didn’t choose someone more... exciting. I mean, really, Ethan, this is the guy who fell into a pool because he was too busy thinking about you. You remember that, right?"

I blinked, trying to process. But it was her who pushed me into the pool. Why was she framing it like I fell by myself?

Just bringing up that night tightened my throat. I wanted to vanish, to sink into the ground, but I stood my ground, jaw clenched, eyes glued to the flashing lights behind her. No tears this time. Not happening.

Ethan stepped closer, his voice low. "Stop it, Vanessa."

She only smiled wider, clearly relishing the moment. "Oh, come on, I’m just teasing. Can’t you take a joke? Are gay people this sensitive, Adrien baby?"

Adrien stayed silent behind her, hands shoved in his pockets, his expression dark and angry...? I guess?. For a split second, our eyes met again, and I could swear there was something almost conflicted in his gaze—something that clashed with the smirk Vanessa wore like a mask.

I looked away first.

"C–come on, Ethan," I said softly, tugging at his sleeve. "Let’s get out of here."

Vanessa and her friends let out one last mocking laugh, and as we turned to leave, I could still feel Adrien’s gaze piercing into my back like a physical weight.

Once we were out of earshot, Ethan gently squeezed my hand. "Hey," he said quietly. "Don’t worry about her. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about."

I nodded, trying to smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. "I get that. It’s just... sometimes it’s hard not to let it bother me."

He brushed a stray curl from my forehead, his touch soft. "Then let me be the one to remind you who you really are, alright?"

I tried to laugh, but it came out heavy instead. Because no matter how much I wanted to shake it off, Adrien’s face lingered in my mind—his cold silence, that flicker of something in his eyes.

And it shouldn’t have bugged me. It really shouldn’t have mattered.

But somehow... it did.

Ethan and I walked in silence for a bit, our fingers brushing occasionally but never truly intertwining again. The carnival lights swirled around us, a blur of color and motion, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the look Adrien shot my way—the quiet storm brewing behind his eyes.

I tried to push it aside, focusing instead on the laughter and the sweet scent of cotton candy wafting through the air, but the moment felt like a splinter stuck under my skin. It was silly. Why did I care about his opinion? Why did his silence hurt more than Vanessa’s taunts?

Ethan slowed down beside me, watching me closely. "Hey," he said softly, cutting through the noise, "you okay? You’ve gone kind of quiet."

I forced a smile, hoping it looked genuine. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... feeling a bit tired, I guess."

I could see he didn’t buy it. His eyes searched my face, that kind of look making it impossible to hide anything. I turned away, pretending to watch a group of kids with balloon animals. My smile faltered.

Ethan sighed, his lips curling into that familiar easy grin again, though his tone was softer this time. "You know what you need?"

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What?"

"A ride on the ferris wheel."

I blinked, then gave a nervous laugh. "You’re kidding, right? N–no way. Absolutely not. I’m not a fan of heights."

"Then it’s perfect," he countered, that teasing sparkle back in his blue eyes. "It’s tradition. You can’t come to the carnival and skip the ferris wheel."

"Tradition for who?" I shot back, half-laughing, half-terrified. "Masochists?"

He chuckled and moved closer, lowering his voice. "Hey. I’ll be right there with you. I’ll keep you safe."

His words sent warmth creeping up my neck before I could stop it. I looked up at him—at that confident grin, the sincerity in his eyes—and despite my better judgment, I found myself nodding.

"Alright," I agreed, crossing my arms like that would hide the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. "But if I fall to my death, I’m haunting you forever."

"I’d actually love that," Ethan laughed, brushing his thumb lightly against my knuckles as he led me toward the towering ride. "Deal. But I promise you’ll survive—probably."

Is he kidding?

As we joined the short line, I tried to convince myself that my racing heart was just from the height... and not the boy beside me whose hand lingered a moment too long against mine.

The lights of the ferris wheel reflected in his eyes, soft and golden, and as we moved forward, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—he meant what he said.

That maybe, for tonight at least, I could let myself believe he’d actually protect me.