My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 60: A Walk To Fight Boredom (BC)

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By the seventh day, the cabin had officially lost its charm for me. I knew every creaky floorboard by heart, every uneven nail on the porch railing, and every knot in the ceiling beams. Adrien and I, without even realizing it, had cleaned, rearranged, and reorganized nearly every corner out of pure boredom. We’d cooked five different meals since there was nothing else to do, stacked them neatly in the fridge, and read almost every painfully dull book from the dusty shelves. Honestly, I felt like the walls were closing in on us.

Adrien suddenly stood up from the couch, stretching lazily and then groaning. "I’m going fucking insane," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I need to get out before I start talking to the furniture."

He grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door, and I hesitated before blurting out, "W–wait, you’re leaving?"

He glanced back at me, one eyebrow raised. "Yeah. You sound surprised."

"I’m not surprised," I replied quickly, fiddling with the sleeves of my sweater. "I just—uh—was just wondering if maybe I could join you?"

He paused, looking at me with that unreadable expression that always made my stomach twist. Then, in classic Adrien style, a teasing smirk appeared on his face as he stepped closer. "What’s this? Can’t survive five minutes without me now?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks before I realized it. "Don’t flatter yourself. I just... I don’t want to get eaten by a bear while you’re gone, that’s all."

"...Right," he said, clearly amused. "So it’s not that you’d be lonely without me?"

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the way he tilted his head, waiting and teasing, made the words die on my lips. My face was burning, and that was all the answer he needed. He chuckled quietly, zipping up his jacket.

"You’re adorable when you lie, Princess."

I glared at him, crossing my arms. "I’m coming whether you like it or not."

He shrugged, pulling open the door. "Fine. Just try to keep up."

We stepped outside, the brisk air biting at my cheeks. The forest around the cabin was quiet except for the occasional whisper of wind rustling the leaves. As we walked along the narrow trail leading to the lake, I glanced at Adrien ahead of me, his hands stuffed into his pockets, the late afternoon sunlight glinting off his hair.

Somewhere along the way, something had shifted between us, even though we hadn’t noticed it. We still bickered and teased each other, but the tension had eased. There were moments when I caught myself laughing at his sarcasm, or when he’d linger just a little longer while handing me something, our fingers brushing together.

I’d never admit it out loud, not even to myself...but I was starting to think we were actually growing fond of each other. Which felt crazy. This was Adrien Fell, my arrogant, infuriating stepbrother—the same guy who used to make my life a total nightmare.

And yet, as I walked next to him under the pale afternoon sky, it struck me how odd it was that the person I once despised had become the one I felt safest with.

The forest was quieter than I expected, the cool air carrying the faint scent of pine and damp earth. Sunlight filtered through the trees in patches, illuminating Adrien’s hair as he led the way like he was completely familiar with the path. His steps were steady and confident, as if he could navigate this place with his eyes shut.

I looked around, half-expecting to see a trail marker or something, but there was just the endless expanse of green and gold. "You walk like you know this place by heart," I said, brushing a branch out of my face.

Adrien slowed down, hands still in his jacket pockets. For a moment, he didn’t respond, his expression hard to read. "I do," he finally said. "My mom and I used to come here every summer when I was a kid. We’d hike through most of the forest together."

There was a softness in his voice, but it was also strained, like he was pulling those words from a place he hadn’t visited in a long time.

I blinked, surprised by his honesty. "You two were close then?"

Adrien nodded slightly, his gaze distant. "Yeah. She... she was the only one who really understood me." He kicked a rock as he spoke, his voice quieter now. "She used to make me climb trees, even when I didn’t want to. Said I needed to learn to climb without breaking bones."

A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. "Sounds like she was pretty amazing. Teaching you to be tough and all."

He chuckled softly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, she was."

That was the first time he’d ever mentioned her to me. I hesitated, unsure if I should say anything, but the words slipped out before I could stop myself. "I’m... really sorry about your mom, by the way."

His shoulders tensed, and his jaw tightened a bit, but he kept his voice calm. "It’s fine," he said flatly, avoiding my gaze. "That was a long time ago."

For a few seconds, the only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves and our footsteps crunching on twigs. Then, without thinking, I asked, "Was it... a car accident?"

Adrien stopped walking. His shoulders stiffened, and I immediately regretted asking. After a long pause, he nodded stiffly. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "Car accident."

But was it really? I remembered him yelling at Keith for lying about how his mom had died.

The way he said it, so clipped and restrained, made my chest ache a little. That was the same tone people used when they didn’t want to remember. I wanted to ask more, to know who she was, what she was like, if he still missed her. But the look on his face made me hold back.

It reminded me of how I spoke about my own dad, curt and rehearsed. I wanted to say more, but the fragile silence between us felt like it could shatter with one wrong word.

Before I could think of what to say, something stirred in the distance—a flicker of light brown fur and delicate antlers glinting in the sunlight.

"Oh my god, a deer!" I gasped, pulling out my phone in excitement.

Adrien’s head shot up, eyes narrowing. "Noah, don’t—"

But it was too late. I was already jogging forward, fumbling with my camera app like an idiot. The deer lifted its head, watching me warily before darting off into the trees.

"Wait! Just one picture!" I called, chasing after it without thinking.

"Noah! Stop!" Adrien’s voice shot out behind me. "Fuck!"

The ground was uneven, roots twisting like veins underfoot. I barely saw one before my foot caught, and suddenly I was falling forward with a startled yelp—

Only to be caught midair by a strong arm wrapping around my waist.

For a moment, everything happening felt too fast. The ground tilted, my balance disappeared, and I braced for the sting of dirt scraping against my skin. But instead of falling, I slammed into something solid, firm, and unyielding.

Adrien’s arm was around me before I even processed it, strong and steady, his hand resting just above my waist. His grip was tight, protective, like there was no room for argument. My breath hitching at the feeling of being dwarfed by him; his chest pressed against my back, his arm holding me as if I weighed nothing.

He was so much taller...his chin hovered just above my head, his shadow casting over me like a shield. The faint scent of cedar and crisp forest air clung to him, making it suddenly very difficult to think.

"Are you insane?!" His voice came out sharp, his breath stirring my hair. "You don’t just run toward wild animals because they look cute."

I turned around slowly, still caught halfway in his hold, my face burning with embarrassment. I couldn’t make myself meet his eyes, not when my heart was racing so fast I could feel it in my throat. "Sorry, I—I wasn’t thinking," I stammered, focusing on his shirt, noticing how the muscles in his arm flexed as he finally released me.

Adrien sighed, exasperation lacing his voice. "Clearly." He rolled his eyes and stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "You’re lucky it didn’t charge at you, crazy hamster."

"Hamster?" I frowned, crossing my arms to hide how flustered I felt. "That doesn’t even make sense..."

"Yeah, yeah," he cut in, already moving ahead through the trees. "Just don’t do something stupid again."

I stood there for a moment, still reeling from how close we’d been, watching him move with that effortless confidence that used to annoy me and now only left me more confused.

My hands felt cold where he’d held me just moments ago, my pulse racing no matter how hard I tried to calm down. "Crazy hamster," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as I followed him, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips.

That was a new one.