My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 64: Like Emerald Crystals (BC)

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As soon as I started feeling a bit more confident in the water, I figured it was time to get back at Adrien. Maybe it was the way he had that smirk on his face the whole time, or perhaps I was just fed up with always being the one who got embarrassed. Either way, I narrowed my eyes, and before he saw it coming, I lunged at him, shoving him under the water.

"You know," I said, grinning as he vanished beneath the surface, "it’d serve you right if I just drowned you. Consider it revenge for being such a jerk these past three years."

Who knew I could be a sadist, deep down?

When he finally came up for air, water running down his hair and face, he looked genuinely surprised, which made me burst out laughing. For just a moment, his eyes widened, then that familiar smirk came back, and I realized I was in for it.

"You?" he said, half-laughing, half-disbelieving as he combed the wet hair out of his eyes. "You couldn’t drown a mouse, Hamster. You’re way too small and weak."

"I am not small!" I shot back, splashing a wave of water at him, knowing fully well my height was nowhere near impressive for a guy.

The water hit him right in the chest, and he blinked in fake offense before responding with an even bigger splash right in my face.

"Hey!" I yelled, sputtering as I wiped at my eyes while he laughed.

"A pocket-sized nuisance," he teased, stepping closer with that mischievous glint in his eyes. "That’s what you are. A portable loser."

"I’ll show you a portable loser," I muttered, tossing another handful of water his way, which made things go from bad to worse or maybe better, depending on how you looked at it.

In no time, we were both laughing and splashing each other like little kids, forgetting the whole awkward tension that had built up between us over the last week. The golden light from the setting sun shimmered on the lake, wrapping everything in this soft, warm glow. Adrien’s laughter echoed across the water, deep and genuine, making something flutter inside me.

For once, I wasn’t caught up in thinking about our parents or Ethan or all the weirdness between us. It was just the two of us, laughing until our sides hurt, the cold water and the fading sunlight creating a moment that felt almost surreal.

After what felt like an eternity of splashing and losing all sense of dignity, Adrien finally raised his hands in surrender, water dripping off him as he breathed out between laughs.

"Okay, okay—you win," he said, grinning wide and boyish in a way I wasn’t used to.

I smirked, brushing back the wet strands of hair from my face. "You sure about that? Because I’ve got one last move up my sleeve."

Before he could even ask what I meant, I scooped both hands full of water, ready to unleash my ultimate splash. But Adrien was quicker; he lunged forward and caught my wrists mid-air, his grip warm against my skin.

"I said, I surrender," he murmured, his voice low and almost husky.

And why did it feel like he wasn’t just surrendering to our splash war...but to something else?

And just like that, everything around us became quiet. The sound of the lake faded, replaced by the rapid beat of my heart in my ears. He was so close, just inches away. For the first time, I noticed the sharpness of his jaw, the droplets tracing down his cheeks, and how his green eyes sparkled in the dimming light. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

They were stunning. I’d seen them before, sure, but not like this. A deep forest green, flecked with gold near the center; for a second, I completely forgot how to breathe.

He was looking back at me too, and there was something different in his expression, like he was trying to figure out what to do with this moment. My chest tightened, and a warm feeling spread through me that had nothing to do with the water.

I swallowed hard and stepped back, breaking the moment before it turned into something... strange. "W-Well, I guess that makes me the winner," I said, forcing a laugh that came out more awkward than I intended. "So...uh, yeah. Take that."

For a few seconds, Adrien didn’t say anything. He just stood there with that unreadable look again, his gaze flicking briefly to my lips before he turned away, running a hand through his wet hair.

"Let’s head back before it gets dark," he finally said, his voice quieter.

"Right," I replied quickly, trying not to sound as breathless as I felt.

We walked back in silence after we put on our clothes, the wet sand squishing under our feet. I could still feel the ghost of his touch on my wrists, and my cheeks felt impossibly warm. I told myself it was just the exercise. Or the sun. Or anything but the fact that, for a brief moment, I’d been acutely aware of how close we had been.

He was my stepbrother, for crying out loud.

But as we reached the edge of the forest and the sky turned shades of pink and gold, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe things between us were beginning to shift in a way I wasn’t sure how to handle.

The walk back to the cabin was quiet in that thick, heavy way that made every little sound stand out...the crunch of gravel beneath our shoes, the gentle rustle of the trees in the evening breeze, and the faint buzz of cicadas echoing somewhere deep in the woods. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but there was this awkward tension hanging between us, something unsaid in the air that neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

I kept my gaze on the path, the sky painted in streaks of orange and rose above us. My damp clothes clung to my skin, and my hair dripped little trails down my back. I wanted to break the silence, say something—anything, to make things feel less awkward.

"So..." I began softly, my voice slicing through the quiet, "thanks for... you know, teaching me how to swim. I know I was pretty much a mess at first."

Adrien glanced down at me, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "You were more than a mess," he said dryly. "You were flailing like a drowning chicken."

I groaned, glaring at him with a smile I couldn’t suppress. "Okay, that’s rude. But seriously, thank you. I’ve always wanted to learn. But my mom couldn’t afford a swimming instructor when I was a kid, so I just... gave up."

For a brief second, I saw something soften in Adrien’s expression, but it was gone just as quickly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and said, "If you really want to thank me, you can do me a favor someday."

I frowned, glancing up at him with curiosity. "A favor? What kind?"

He smirked, of course he did—and the low chuckle that followed made my stomach twist in a way I didn’t like. "I don’t know yet," he replied, his tone casual but teasing. "I’ll let you know when something comes to mind."

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "It better not be anything weird."

He looked down at me, that infuriating grin on his face, one dimple deepening as he tilted his head. "Depends on your definition of weird, princess."

I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks betrayed me, flushing that I hurried to blame on the evening sun. "You’re infuriating."

"Yeah," he said, pushing the door open as we reached the cabin, "but you’re the one who chased me into the woods."

I bit back a smile as I stepped inside, pretending I didn’t hear the smugness in his voice. The wooden floor creaked under our wet feet, and for the first time since we arrived, the cabin didn’t feel so painfully empty or quiet.

As Adrien headed to his room, I leaned against the kitchen counter for a moment. The sunset light poured through the window, casting a soft golden hue on the walls, and I found myself smiling at the thought of mom and Keith’s dumb plan actually working.