My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 72: Regression

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"Well?" His voice sliced through the silence, loud like thunder.

"You read it, didn’t you?"

That question hit me harder than I expected. It wasn’t just what he said; it was the way he said it, low, sharp, with an edge of danger. Like he already knew the truth but was waiting for me to admit it.

I froze, twisting my hands nervously. "I... I did," I finally whispered. "But Adrien, it wasn’t—"

He slammed the journal shut with a loud snap, making me jump. "You shouldn’t have done that, Noah!" he shouted, his voice raw with an emotion I couldn’t quite place...anger, maybe some hurt. "That was private. It belonged to my mother. You had no right to snoop through her life like some nosy thief!"

Nosy thief?

His words twisted my stomach in knots, and I took a step back. I’d seen Adrien angry before, even furious...but this was different. This wasn’t his usual teasing anger aimed at getting a rise out of me. No, this felt deeper. Personal...just like that day when he argued with his father.

"I wasn’t snooping!" I tried to explain, my heart racing so fast it was hard to think. "I found it by accident, I swear. I just thought you should know what was in there—"

"Know what?" he cut me off, his tone harsh. "That my mom was unhappy? That she married someone she didn’t love and spent years writing about how broken she was? You really think I didn’t already know that?"

I just stared at him, my throat tight. His eyes were dark, his breathing uneven, and for the first time in a long time, I saw that cold, distant look that used to terrify me.

"Adrien, I—"

"You had no right," he said again, his voice quieter now but still blazing with anger. "You had no right to pry into things that aren’t your business. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Noah. You don’t understand any of it."

Those words hit harder than I wished they would. I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "S–so that’s it? You really don’t see me as family at all, do you?"

He froze at that, his face shifting for just a moment before he looked away, jaw tight. "Don’t twist this," he muttered.

"I’m not twisting anything," I insisted, stepping closer, determined not to let my voice shake. "If I’m family, why are you treating me like a stranger who broke into your house? I just wanted to help, Adrien. I read enough to see that maybe your mom’s death wasn’t just—"

"Stop." His voice cut me off sharply. He turned back, his green eyes flashing with a fierce, unsteady fire. "You don’t know what you’re talking about. So do yourself a favor and stay out of it."

I blinked, stunned. "Adrien, you can’t just—"

"Just mind your own fucking business for once, Noan!" he snapped, frustration spilling from him as if he was in pain. "Not everything needs your curiosity or your theories or your pity. Some things are better left alone. Got it?"

I stood there, frozen, the journal still grasped in his hands like a weapon. The things I wanted to say slipped away before they could form.

He turned away first, running a hand through his hair in annoyance, muttering something under his breath before heading for the door.

"Adrien..." I tried again, my voice smaller now, shaking even though I wanted to sound strong.

But he didn’t respond. He just walked out, his footsteps echoing down the hall, leaving me alone in his room, heart racing, eyes burning, with the heavy silence pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake.

I’d meant to bring him some peace.

Instead, I’d torn open a wound I hadn’t even known was still bleeding.

I watched him, taking in how his jaw clenched and his knuckles turned white around the journal. The air between us felt thick, almost suffocating. Anger, embarrassment, and the sharp sting of rejection swirled in my chest.

"Fine," I snapped before I could hold it back, my voice cracking halfway through. But I didn’t care. "You don’t have to yell at me, Adrien. I...um, was only trying to help. I didn’t mean to dig into something that obviously wasn’t my business."

He didn’t reply, just glared at the floor as if my words were nothing but buzzing flies.

I swallowed hard, frustration bubbling over until it spilled out in one breathless rush. "You know what? You’re right. I am nosy. I thought maybe it would help to understand her better. To understand you. But if that makes me a villain in your eyes, fine. I’ll back off. I–I’ll stay out of it from now on."

At that, his gaze flicked up, and for just a moment, I caught a glimpse of guilt flash across his face. But it vanished just as quickly, hidden behind that familiar cold indifference he wore so well.

"Noah, I didn’t mean—"

"No," I interrupted, my voice low but firm, the anger simmering just below the surface. "Don’t. You made yourself perfectly clear."

I turned on my heel before he could say anything else. My hands trembled, my throat tight as I reached for the door. The sound of it closing behind me was louder than I intended, but at that moment, I didn’t care.

As I walked down the hallway, the fire of my anger slowly faded, replaced by a hollow ache in my chest. His voice kept echoing in my mind.

’You had no right.’

Maybe he was right. Maybe I’d crossed a line. Maybe in trying to help, I’d lost sight of the fact that not everyone wants help.

I leaned against the wall, exhaling shakily. The cabin felt too quiet, too still.

"Great job, Noah," I muttered to myself, bitterness dripping from my words. "You just had to go and ruin everything, didn’t you?"

I dragged a hand down my face, feeling tears sting behind my eyes. I had gotten too comfortable, too bold, thinking Adrien and I were finally... okay. I had started to believe that maybe we were making progress.

But some things, it seems, are just meant to stay the same.

Maybe I should’ve just done what I promised him, minded my own damn business.