My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 71: Learning From Mistakes

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I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the cabin door creak open downstairs. Adrien’s footsteps echoed softly through the wooden floor, heavy and slow, just like they always did when he returned from one of his long walks. My heart was racing as I froze, the open journal still resting on my lap.

Crap.

I’d lost track of time, the sun had dipped low enough that golden rays were slipping through the curtain cracks. A moment later, I heard the familiar click of Adrien’s door shutting, louder than it usually felt in the stillness of the house.

For a second, I sat there completely still, gripping the journal so tightly that the leather pressed into my palms. Should I tell him? Or just put it back and pretend I never saw it?

Every fiber of my being screamed to stay quiet. It wasn’t my place. This was his mother’s life...her pain, her secrets and I’d just read them like a book left open for anyone to pick up.

But another voice in my head was louder, the one reminding me of how badly things had gone with Ethan. How keeping secrets had maybe torn apart our relationship. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do that again.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "You’re really going to do this, huh?" I muttered to myself, closing the journal gently and holding it to my chest.

Maybe he’d be angry. Maybe he’d hate that I found it. But I couldn’t just sit here and pretend I hadn’t seen that note, the one where Joanne talked about being scared, about someone following her. It left a knot of unease in my stomach, like the truth was lurking just below the surface, waiting for someone to dig it up.

Besides... I didn’t want to ruin what we’d built over the last week and a half. It wasn’t perfect, but for once, we weren’t constantly at each other’s throats. There were laughs, quiet moments, a strange sense of peace I hadn’t thought was possible between us. I didn’t want to risk losing that by hiding something like this from him.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up, tucking the journal under my arm. My reflection in the window looked nervous, wide eyes, thin line of my lips. I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever reaction Adrien would have, but I knew I couldn’t keep this from him.

I made my way to his room, my steps slow and hesitant. The floorboards creaked beneath me, and the familiar scent of rain-soaked pine drifted in through the open window.

Pausing by his door, I raised my hand to knock but hesitated. For a moment, the thought of turning around crossed my mind, slipping the journal back under the couch cushion and pretending this never happened.

But I couldn’t do that. Not again. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

So I knocked softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Adrien... can I talk to you for a minute?"

No answer. Just the faint sounds of movement inside. My throat went dry as I tightened my grip on the journal and waited, my heart pounding so hard I thought he might hear it through the door.

This was it. Whether this blew up or not, I was done keeping things buried.

The door creaked open before I even realized I turned the handle. The first thing I noticed was Adrien, shirtless, by his dresser, pulling off his jeans like it was totally normal.

My brain short-circuited.

I froze for a half-second, then let out a small, strangled yelp that felt completely ridiculous. "Oh my God!" I spun around so quickly that I nearly dropped the journal. "Could you at least lock your door for once?!"

Behind me, I heard fabric rustling and Adrien’s low chuckle, the kind that always made me want to throw something at him. "Would it kill you to knock before barging in?" he shot back, his tone maddeningly calm. "You’re lucky I wasn’t completely naked."

"I knocked!" I protested, still facing the wall, squeezing my eyes shut like that would erase the image already burned into my mind. "You just didn’t answer, so I thought— I don’t know what I thought! I wasn’t expecting a... a live strip show!"

"Relax, princess." His voice had that infuriating smirk. "It’s not like you haven’t seen all this before. You practically ogled me the whole time we were at the lake."

"I did not!" I snapped reflexively, only to realize he was now pulling a dark shirt over his head, but the damage was done. My face was burning, and his grin only widened when he saw it.

"Sure you didn’t," he said lightly, running a hand through his damp hair. "Your eyes nearly popped out of your head that day."

I rolled my eyes, desperate to change the subject. "Such an an ass,"

"And you’re still a loser," he countered, finally buttoning his jeans and leaning casually against the dresser. "So... what brings you to my room, aside from unannounced viewings of the Adrien Fell Experience?"

"Shut up." My voice came out sharper than I meant, mostly to cover how flustered I felt. I took a deep breath, hugging the journal against my chest. "I came to give you something. Just so you know, I didn’t mean to find it, it was just there, under some old boxes in the shed. I thought you should see it."

That seemed to wipe the teasing grin off his face. His brows furrowed as he glanced at the worn leather cover in my hands. "What is that?"

I hesitated before holding it out to him. "It’s your mom’s journal. I think it’s from years ago... before...uh, she before she passed."

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he reached out, his fingers brushing mine briefly as he took it. His expression changed almost immediately... confusion, disbelief, then something heavier, darker. The room suddenly felt different, quieter somehow.

He flipped through the first few pages, his jaw tightening. The silence between us stretched thin, heavy enough to twist my stomach. I wanted to say something, anything to ease the tension, to tell him I didn’t read much, that I hadn’t meant to invade his privacy, but the words caught in my throat.

Adrien stopped on one page, scanning the handwriting. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I noticed his fingers tremble slightly as he turned another page. Whatever he was reading wasn’t easy for him.

I took a cautious step forward, my voice soft. "Adrien... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—"

"Faye." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but there was a warning edge that made me freeze. "Did you read this?"

He didn’t look at me. Just kept staring at the pages, his shoulders tense, the muscles in his jaw flexing.

The air felt heavy, thick with something indefinable. Regret? Sadness? Anger? Probably all three.

I swallowed hard, realizing I’d just opened a door I wasn’t ready to walk through.

Still, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, from the way his green eyes had darkened.