My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 253: Rather Be Alone Than Choose

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The courtyard outside the gym felt like a whole different place compared to the sparkling chaos inside. Snow drifted down in big, fluffy flakes that caught the glow of the twinkling lights wrapped around the bare branches above, making everything look soft and blurry. The music from the dance seeped out in muffled waves-some slow, syrupy ballad about forever that felt cruelly ironic in that moment.

Ethan stood a few steps away from us, his hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, shoulders tense under the navy fabric. His breath formed visible clouds that floated up and vanished into the night. Adrien and I froze as soon as we noticed he was there, the kiss still lingering on my lips like a secret suddenly exposed.

At first, no one said anything. Just the gentle sound of snow landing on our shoulders, the distant thumping bass, and the way our breaths felt too loud in the quiet. I watched Ethan’s face-his eyes glued to the ground where the snow was already starting to accumulate-and a cold heaviness settled in my chest.

"Ethan," I said softly, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t look up right away. When he finally did, his eyes flicked past me to Adrien, who had instinctively stepped forward a half-step, shoulders squared protectively. It was such a small gesture, but Ethan noticed. Something in his expression shifted.

He let out a short, disbelieving laugh that sounded more like a cough.

"...So that’s it."

"Ethan, please-" I began, but he interrupted me without raising his voice.

"That’s the secret? Him?"

Adrien stiffened beside me but remained silent, jaw clenched, eyes locked on Ethan as if waiting for the storm to hit.

Ethan’s voice rose slowly, each word gaining weight.

"You were both there. At my house. Sorting through his uncle’s stuff with me. At the funeral. Holding my hand. Telling me it was okay to feel relieved. And all this time..."

His jaw flexed, teeth grinding together so hard I could almost hear it.

"And you were kissing behind my back?"

I stepped forward, reaching for his sleeve. "It wasn’t like that...I didn’t mean–"

He jerked his arm away so sharply I stumbled back.

"Don’t."

That single word hit harder than any shout could have. It hurt more than the punch I knew was coming.

Adrien finally spoke, his voice low and steady. "We didn’t plan this. It just–"

"Oh, save it," Ethan snapped, his bitterness sharp enough to cut.

He shoved Adrien, not hard enough to start a real fight, just enough to make a point. Then he punched Adrien, but Adrien staggered back but didn’t retaliate. He stood there, hands at his sides, watching Ethan almost with pity.

That restraint infuriated Ethan even more. His grief, confusion, and the weeks of feeling small while everyone else seemed together all boiled over in a messy swing. The punch wasn’t clean; it glanced off Adrien’s cheekbone, splitting his lip, a thin line of red stark against his pale skin.

I gasped and immediately stepped between them. "Stop! Ethan, stop!"

For one awful heartbeat, it looked like Adrien might hit back. His fist clenched at his side, knuckles white. But he didn’t. He just slowly raised a hand to his mouth, touched the blood, and stared at Ethan with calm, steady eyes.

"I’m not fighting you," he said softly.

Ethan’s chest heaved with each breath. "You think this is noble?" he asked, his voice thick with something that sounded dangerously close to tears. "You think not hitting me back makes you better?"

Adrien remained silent. He just stood there, blood on his lip, snow gathering in his hair like tiny diamonds.

Ethan’s gaze snapped back to me, and this time the hurt in his eyes was so raw it took my breath away.

"It all makes sense now," he said quietly. "The way he lingered. The way he looked at you like you were his. I thought it was just... weird sibling stuff. I guess I was the only fool who didn’t see it."

"You’re not a fool," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Ethan... please, listen to me–"

His eyes shone, close to tears. "You should’ve told me."

That was what it was really about. Not the kiss. Not even Adrien. It was that I hadn’t trusted him enough to say it out loud. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He turned and walked away without another word, his boots crunching through the thin layer of snow on the path. I wanted to chase after him, heart racing, but Adrien caught my wrist.

"Let him go."

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. "He needs to hear me."

Adrien’s grip tightened, not painfully but firmly. "No. You need to stop chasing someone who wouldn’t fucking understand–"

I slowly turned to face him, breath uneven. "Don’t."

"You saw him," Adrien continued, frustration seeping through his calm facade. "He doesn’t want to understand. I do. I’m here. I’ve always been here!"

The words hit differently now-possessive, certain, almost desperate.

"Don’t make this about choosing."

"It is about choosing," he said, his voice cracking just enough to show how much it cost him. "It’s always been like that."

Snow continued to fall between us, soft and relentless, filling the silence with tiny whispers.

I swallowed hard, throat tight. "I love you."

Adrien’s expression brightened, hope flickering in his eyes.

"And I love him too."

The hope faded as quickly as it had come. He went completely still.

I angrily wiped my face, tears spilling over anyway. "I didn’t ask for this, okay! I didn’t plan it. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to fall for both of you!"

My voice broke. "And I’m tired of feeling like the villain for it."

Adrien’s jaw tightened. He looked hurt-deeply, quietly hurt-but not angry anymore.

"Then choose me," he said softly. "I won’t make you regret it...even if we have to keep it hidden, even if you want the world to know."

I shook my head, stepping back. "I can’t."

Another step back. Snow crunched beneath my feet.

"If I have to choose, I’d rather have no one."

Adrien flinched like I’d slapped him.

"Because at least then I’m the only one hurting."

I turned and walked away before he could say anything more. My vision blurred with tears, but I kept moving, my boots slipping slightly on the thin ice underneath the snow.

"Noah–"

"Don’t follow me," I said without looking back. My voice cracked on the word. "Please. I just... I need to be alone."

I rounded the corner of the building, the music fading behind me until it was just the sound of my own uneven breathing and the soft hush of falling snow.

Adrien stood there, alone in the courtyard, hands hanging useless at his sides, watching the spot where I’d disappeared until snow started to cover his footprints.

Inside the gym, Ethan had found his way back to the edge of the dance floor. The lights still spun in soft circles of silver and blue, fake snow drifted from the ceiling, and couples swayed to the music like nothing had shattered outside.

He leaned against the wall near the exit, arms crossed tightly over his chest, staring at the crowd without really seeing it. The song shifted to something upbeat, laughter, and shouts echoed off the walls, but he felt completely detached-like he was watching everything through thick glass.

Across town, in a quiet corner of a parking lot or just wandering along the snow-dusted sidewalk, I kept moving, tears freezing on my cheeks, heart cracked open in too many ways to count.

But deep down...I guess I always knew this would happen, I just didn’t know if would hurt this much.