My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 88: Stranded (BC)

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By the time morning rolled around, my brain felt like a bowl of mashed potatoes. I’d spent half the night tackling the pile of homework I’d set aside during my "mandatory family therapy" retreat, and the dark circles under my eyes could definitely qualify as a mini tragedy.

As I stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing my eyes, the comforting smell of pancakes and coffee enveloped me. Mom was humming softly as she helped the maids in setting the table, while Keith sat at the table, scrolling through his emails on his tablet as usual. The morning light streamed through the wide glass windows, casting a warm golden hue over everything. For once, the atmosphere felt light and free of tension.

Across from Keith, Adrien was lounging in his gray hoodie and sweatpants, his hair still damp from a shower. He was munching on toast with one hand while scrolling through his phone with the other. Amazingly, he wasn’t glaring or rolling his eyes or muttering snarky comments as he typically did when Keith tried to start up a conversation.

Maybe Clearwater had changed him more than I realized.

"Morning, sweetheart," Mom said, flashing a smile that was a bit too bright for this early hour. "Rough night?"

I yawned and slid into the chair next to her. "Define ’rough.’"

Keith chuckled and closed his tablet. "You’re lucky you’re still in high school, Noah. It only gets more challenging once you’re older."

I managed a tired laugh as I reached for the orange juice. "Great, just what I wanted to hear."

Keith smiled, setting down his cup. "Speaking of what’s ahead... have you thought more about college? Any ideas on where you want to apply?"

I froze, the glass halfway to my lips. "Um... kind of," I said hesitantly. "Probably Heartfield University. It’s nearby, and their marine biology program is pretty impressive."

Keith’s interest was piqued. "Marine biology? Seriously?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "Y–yeah, or maybe English and Literature. I haven’t made up my mind yet. I enjoy writing and reading... and the ocean. So."

Mom beamed like I’d just declared my ambition to become president. "Those are wonderful choices, honey. You’ve always adored reading stories and being around the sea."

Keith gave her a small smile before turning back to me. "Those are solid options," he said, then leaned back with a more serious expression. "But have you thought about business? It’s practical. You could work with Adrien one day, learning how things run at Fell Industries or the hotels."

I nearly choked on my juice. "Oh, uh— I’m not sure I’d be any good at that."

"Come on," Keith replied, a tad too cheerfully. "You’re bright. A career in business opens doors. It’s stable, lucrative—"

"It’s dull," Adrien muttered under his breath, still focused on his phone.

Keith shot him a look. "Excuse me?"

Adrien shrugged, not bothering to look up. "Just saying. You wouldn’t want to push him into something she’s not passionate about, right? That’s how people end up unhappy."

The silence that followed was thick enough to slice through the aroma of bacon. Mom’s juice jug froze mid-air. Keith’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything.

I studied Adrien quietly, surprised. He hadn’t spoken with his usual edge, just... calmly, almost thoughtfully. Still, his words lingered like a specter neither of the guys wanted to acknowledge.

"I’ll, uh... think about it," I said quickly, eager to change the subject.

Mom turned to me with her warm smile again, though her eyes flicked nervously toward Keith and Adrien. "That’s all we ask, sweetie. You have plenty of time to figure it out."

"Yeah," I replied, stabbing a piece of pancake with my fork. "Plenty of time."

I barely had a year to get my shit together.

Finally, Adrien looked up at me for the first time that morning. Our eyes met briefly, his green and piercing, mine likely dull and sleepy—and he gave me a small, knowing smirk before turning back to his plate.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the slight smile creeping onto my lips.

Maybe things between us weren’t perfect yet... but they definitely weren’t the disaster they used to be.

After breakfast, I stepped outside to wait for Gigi, the crisp morning air refreshing against my face. The sun had barely risen beyond the tall iron gates of the estate, and everything radiated that hazy, dreamy glow that made the world feel a little softer. I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled through messages while mindlessly kicking a pebble along the gravel driveway.

Gigi was supposed to pick me up at eight, but the minutes kept dragging on, and she was nowhere to be found. I wasn’t too shocked, Gigi had her own peculiar sense of time...but it still made my chest tighten with impatience. After two weeks away from everyone, I was eager to see her, to catch up and share some laughs.

My phone buzzed then, and my heart leaped, hoping to see her usual enthusiastic all-cap text, on my way! Instead, the message read:

Gigi 💅🏾: I’m so sorry babe 😭 Aunt Melinda just called. She needs me to run some boring errand this morning. I’ll probably be late for first period. Forgive me, okay?

I sighed, staring at the message for a moment before quickly replying, ’It’s okay, I’ll survive somehow.’ I added a dramatic skull emoji for flair and stuffed my phone back into my bag.

Just great. No Gigi. No ride. And I really didn’t feel like starting my first day back at school by walking there like some tragic protagonist.

Too bad I was too scared to get driving lessons and get a license like a normal person would.

I was about to call Carlby for a ride when I heard footsteps crunching on the gravel. I turned, half-expecting it to be one of the maids, but it was Adrien.

He had changed after breakfast and he looked like he’d just stepped out of a casual photoshoot, black jeans, a fitted dark hoodie, messy hair that somehow looked intentional. He lazily jingled his car keys, and when he spotted me, his brow furrowed slightly.

"What are you doing just standing there?" he asked, tilting his head. "You waiting for your Gigi friend?"

I crossed my arms. "I was. Gigi was supposed to pick me up, but she bailed. So now I’m trying to decide if I should call Carlby or just walk."

Adrien raised an eyebrow as he glanced at my backpack. "You’d walk all the way to school? What’s that, three miles?"

"Two and a half," I replied defensively, though the thought already made my feet ache. "Besides, the weather’s nice."

He stared at me for a moment, his expression blank as usual. Then, with a small sigh, he gestured toward his car. "Come on. I’ll give you a ride."

I blinked. "You?"

He shot me a flat look. "No, the ghost of Christmas past. Of course, it’s me."