My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 41: The King Of Half-assed Apologies

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The rest of the day dragged on in a haze of silence and heavy thoughts. I stayed bundled up in bed, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, pretending that whatever popped up on my feed was interesting. It was just noise—colors flashing, fake laughter, only making the quiet in this house feel even more pronounced.

Now and then, I could hear soft footsteps downstairs, the clatter of dishes, and low voices that quiet down whenever I came out of my room. It was tense. The kind of quiet that seems to be holding its breath, waiting for someone to lose it again.

I came across a post from Gigi—some meme about dramatic breakups, and just then, my phone buzzes with her message once again.

Gigi💅🏾: Are you okay?

Me: Yeah, I’m fine.

Gigi💅🏾: You don’t sound fine, even over text.

Me: I’m just tired.

At least that part isn’t a lie.

A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up. "Come in," I mumbled, half expecting Mom to pop in with more tea or another blanket that I didnt need.

She peeked her head in, looking kind but a bit nervous. "Sweetheart," she said softly, "Adrien wants to talk to you."

For a moment, I just stared at her, thinking I misheard. "...huh?"

She nodded. "Just hear him out, okay?"

Before I can respond, she stepped aside, and there he is—leaning against the doorframe, hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his hoodie, eyes focused somewhere near the floor. His hair is still damp from a shower, and there was a faint bruise on his cheekbone that, honestly, doesn’t make him any less attractive.

He looked nothing like the furious guy from last night’s chaos. But he doesn’t seem sorry, either.

Mom gave me a small, hopeful smile before slipping out and quietly closing the door. Suddenly, the room felt much smaller.

Adrien shifted his weight, cleared his throat once, and muttered, "Look... I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean for you to get hurt...and stuff."

That’s it? No explanation, no real emotion. Just words tossed out like he’s checking off a box.

I studied him, unsure whether to laugh or be angry. My voice came out soft but steady. "You don’t have to pretend, Adrien."

His eyes shoot up to meet mine for the first time. They’re sharp, defensive. "Pretend what?"

"That you care," I said, my heart racing more than I’d like. "If you don’t mean it, then don’t bother apologizing. It’s fine."

He scoffed lightly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You always think you know what people mean, don’t you?"

"What does that even mean?" I asked, staring at him.

But no matter how hard I try to shake it off, something about his tone, so flat and tired, like he’s pushing himself to say it—lingers. For a second, I wonder if maybe... he really is sorry. Just doesn’t know how to show it.

His gaze snapped back to mine, irritation flaring in his eyes. "Look, I’m just trying to apologize here, loser," he snapped back, his voice rough and defensive. "Why do you have to act like such a goddamn know-it-all, huh?"

"K–know-it-all?!" I blinked, taken aback for a moment, then feel heat rise in my chest. "No...I’m not a know-it-all, just someone who can tell when someone’s full of it! You don’t even sound sincere! There’s no point in apologizing if you don’t feel remorse... that’s just common sense!"

"Oh, so now you think I’m stupid?"

"Yes, you are a stupid little shit!" is what I would have said, if I didn’t care about my life despite how miserable it felt.

"N–no," I stuttered.

That seemed to get to him. His jaw tensed, a muscle twitching with annoyance as he stepped closer, the space between us thickening with tension. "You think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?" he snapped. "You have no idea what’s going on."

"Then explain it," I challenged, standing firm even though my heart is pounding so hard it hurt. "Because from where I’m standing, you’re the one who keeps making everything worse! You should be apologizing to Ethan too. He didn’t deserve that. You treat him like crap for no reason, and that’s just not fair."

I get him hating me, but he didn’t have to treat Ethan the way he treated me.

Adrien laughed bitterly, but it sounds empty, like there’s something sharp just beneath the surface. "Oh, right. Ethan. Your fucking boyfriend, that’s who you care about." He spat the word ’boyfriend’ out like it’s got a bad taste. "You really threw yourself into that fight for him, didn’t you? Got yourself hurt just because some guy gave you a little attention, huh, princess?"

The words hit me harder than they should. My breath catches, heat creeping up my neck...part embarrassment, part anger. "Y–you don’t get to talk about him like that," I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady, even as I feel it quivering. "And you don’t get to act like this, either. You almost hurt him, Adrien."

He looked away, his lips pressing together like he’s trying to find the right words. For a fleeting second, something like guilt crosses his face, but it’s gone before I can even recognize it.

"Fuck this." He muttered, rolling his eyes and at this point, I’m done was him.

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. "J–just get out of my room if you’re going to be a jerk."

His expression darkened. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, and finally storms out, slamming the door behind him hard enough that it rattled the window.

The sound echoed in the room, leaving only the noise of my shaky breathing. I sink back onto the bed, staring at the door he just left through, my chest was ight with a mix of anger, confusion, and something else I can’t quite identify.

No matter how much I tell myself to hate him, there’s always something about the way he looks, like he’s battling something no one can see...that makes it impossible not to feel a pang of pity.