My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 44: The Secrets Concealed (BC)

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He didn’t respond right away. His eyes dropped to the table, fingers tracing the rim of his glass as if the condensation had suddenly captivated him. The silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable, until he finally sighed...a soft, weary sound that seemed to come from deep within.

"Noah," he said, his voice gentle yet firm, "I texted you because I wanted to see you. That’s it. I just wanted to be near you tonight, not... dive into this."

I frowned, studying him closely. "But Ethan—"

Before I could finish, he shook his head, that same tired smile tugging at his lips. "I’m okay, seriously. You don’t have to worry so much, alright? I promise, it looks worse than it is."

His tone was light, almost playful, but the tension in his shoulders told a different story. I could tell he didn’t want to talk. Not that he couldn’t, but because something about it hurt.

I sighed softly, a mix of frustration and concern swirling in my chest. "You always say that," I murmured. "That you’re fine, that I shouldn’t worry. But what if you’re not, Ethan? What if—"

He reached across the booth before I could finish, his hand wrapping around mine. His touch was warm and grounding, and when I looked up, his expression had softened, the usual charm fading into something quieter, more tender.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Right now, I just want to forget about all that. I just want you."

His words washed over me like a rush of warmth and confusion. My breath caught as he shifted closer, his hand moving to cup my cheek. For a moment, I froze—the rest of the diner fading away, replaced by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat that I could almost feel between us.

"Ethan..." I whispered, unsure of what I was trying to convey.

"Shh." His voice was barely above a whisper, his thumb grazing my jaw. "Just let me."

And before I had the chance to think or pull away, his lips found mine, slow at first, then deepening with a sudden urgency that stole the air from my lungs. The world outside blurred; the clatter of dishes, the rain tapping against the windows, all merged into a distant hum.

This kiss felt different...no longer playful or teasing, but desperate, as if he needed it to drown something he couldn’t articulate. I clutched the front of his jacket, gripping it tightly as if that could steady my racing heart. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He tasted a bit the soda he’d been drinking, and when he tilted his head to kiss me deeper, I completely forgot what I’d been worrying about, I forgot of how anxious I was to be affectionate with him in public spaces.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, breaths mingling, uneven. "See?" he murmured with a soft, crooked smile. "Much better than worrying."

I gazed at him, heart still racing, thoughts tangled between confusion and concern. "You’ll be the death of me," I whispered, attempting to steady my breathing.

He chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Really?" he said, his eyes soft. "I’m kinda glad to hear that."

I wanted to argue, to say that a kiss didn’t fix everything, that I still saw the pain lurking behind his smile, but the words wouldn’t come.

So instead, I nodded, even though my heart ached with all the things left unsaid.

Who hurt him? And why?

Not long after, our food arrived, two plates of burgers and fries along with two colas that fizzed softly between us. The aroma of grilled meat filled the cozy booth, and for a few minutes, we ate in a comfortable silence, the tension easing with each bite. Ethan was across from me, head slightly bowed as he picked at his fries, the bruises on his cheek more visible under the diner’s fluorescent lights.

"So," I began, trying for a casual tone, "what are you going to do with two weeks off?"

He leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly? Probably nothing useful." He let out a dry laugh, though there was little humor in it. "Coach wants me to keep practicing, so I’ll hit the gym, maybe run some drills. Then I’ll try to catch up on whatever school work I can."

"That doesn’t sound too bad," I said, though I knew that wasn’t really the point.

He looked up at me, and for a brief moment, the easygoing charm vanished from his face. "Yeah, well, it never should’ve happened in the first place."

I hesitated, setting my burger down. "Ethan—"

"No, seriously," he interrupted, shaking his head, frustration simmering beneath his voice. "All of this, the suspension, the fight, the garbage people are saying online, it’s all because of him."

I blinked, already guessing who he meant but unsure if I wanted to hear it.

"Adrien," he said, the name seeming to burn as he spoke it. "He’s just... he gets under my skin. Always has. He acts like he owns every room he walks into, like the rest of us are just background noise."

I stayed quiet, tracing the condensation on my glass with my fingertip. The sound of his irritation twisted my stomach.

"He’s always been like that," Ethan continued, his tone darkening. "Arrogant, careless. It’s as if he wants people to hate him...and he’s good at it too."

"Maybe you both just—" I started, but he cut me off again, his jaw tense.

"Don’t make excuses for him, Noah." His voice wasn’t loud, but the edge in it made me flinch. Realizing it, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap."

"It’s fine," I murmured, even though it wasn’t really. My heart felt heavy, the words I wanted to say pressing against my tongue but refusing to come out.

I watched him for a moment, his eyes distant, anger still flickering beneath the surface. I wanted to tell him...right then and there—that Adrien wasn’t just some jerk from school, that he lived under the same roof as me, that things between us were a lot more complicated than he could imagine. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

So I just nodded faintly, forcing a small smile. "Maybe... these two weeks off will help. You know, give everyone time to cool down."

He let out a humorless laugh, taking a long sip of his cola. "Yeah. Sure. Time to cool down."

But the way his eyes darkened told me that time wouldn’t change how he felt, not about the fight, not about Adrien, and maybe not about me once he found out the truth.