My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}

𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: so there’s a mistake in Chapter sequence I need to clear up...the Chapter ’Chill’ was originally supposed to be Chapter 34. ’A Perfect Date’ is Chapter 26 and ’The Red Head Ruins It’ is Chapter 27. NovelFire completely messed up my Chapters and now they won’t let me edit them😔

I hope you all beautiful readers understand... ’a perfect date’, comes ’before the red head ruins it’ and ’Chill’ comes much later.

so sorry for the mix up💕

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By four in the afternoon the next day, I was still pacing my room like a total bundle of nerves, trying to convince myself this wasn’t a date. It was just two friends going to the carnival, right? But deep down, I knew it was a date. No matter how much I tried to downplay it to ease my nerves, my heart just wouldn’t cooperate.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time. As I fiddled with my shirt, Adrien’s words from the other night echoed in my mind: "Ethan would never like someone like you." Those words felt like a stain I couldn’t scrub away. I shook my head, as if that could wipe them clean, and took a deep breath.

Just then, Mom popped her head into my room, holding a cup of juice. "You look great, sweetheart," she said, her eyes soft. "Where are you headed all dressed up on a Saturday evening?"

I froze mid-step. "Oh, um... nowhere fancy. Just the carnival," I said casually, though my voice wobbled. "I was invited by... a friend."

Mom smiled knowingly, the kind of smile that made me feel both seen and a bit exposed. "A friend, huh? That wouldn’t be Ethan, would it?"

I groaned, covering my face. "Mom, please. Don’t make it weird."

She laughed and handed me the cup. "I’m just happy to see you smiling again, Noah. Go and have fun. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Mom," I murmured, sipping the juice before putting it down on my desk.

As she left, my phone buzzed on the bed. It was Gigi, naturally.

Gigi💅🏾: You ready for the date of your life, babe? 💖

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling as I typed back.

Me: It’s not a date.

A second later, three dots appeared, then:

Gigi💅🏾: Sure, and Adrien’s secretly a saint. Don’t play with me, boy. I expect updates every hour.

I laughed, shaking my head.

Me: You’re so weird.

Gigi💅🏾: I’m serious, Noah. You’ve been through enough. Let yourself be happy, okay?

Her last message lingered on my screen longer than I expected. Warmth spread in my chest, pushing back the anxiety that had been twisting my stomach all day.

I checked myself one last time in the mirror, and whispered, "Okay, Noah. You’ve got this. Just breathe. It’s fine."

As I headed downstairs, the setting sun bathed the hallway in golden light, and for a brief moment, I let myself believe that maybe—just maybe—tonight would kick off something good.

When I stepped outside, the late afternoon sun was already dipping behind the rooftops, casting everything in amber and pink hues. Ethan’s car was parked at the curb on Ridge Street, shiny and spotless like something out of a commercial. He leaned casually against the door, scrolling through his phone until he looked up—and his expression froze.

For a moment, he just stared. Then, in that quiet, earnest tone of his, he said, "Wow... you look amazing, Noah"

My face turned warm instantly. "You’re just saying that," I muttered.

"I... I really’m not," he said, a crooked grin appearing as he rubbed the back of his neck, slightly blushing. "I, uh, wasn’t expecting to pick up an actual angel tonight."

I laughed, shaking my head as I opened the passenger door. "You definitely need to work on your pickup lines."

"Noted," he said, chuckling as he slipped into the driver’s seat. "But you smiled, so I’m counting it as a win."

The drive to the carnival felt almost surreal. The radio played softly, the breeze tousled my hair through the slightly open window, and Ethan kept sneaking glances my way when he thought I wasn’t watching. Every time our eyes met, my heart fluttered as if it wanted to escape my chest.

When we finally arrived, the carnival lights were dazzling—twinkling reds, blues, and golds blinked in the dusk, mixing with the smell of popcorn and caramel. It was loud, bright, and full of life. Ethan parked, and we joined the steady flow of laughter and chatter moving through the entrance.

We tried almost every game in sight—ring toss, darts, and even that ridiculous hammer game where you smack the pad as hard as you can to ring the bell. Of course, Ethan hit it on his first try.

"Show-off," I muttered as the bell chimed loudly, earning cheers from a few nearby kids.

He grinned, handing me the small penguin plush the booth attendant had given him. "Here. For you."

I blinked in surprise. "Wait, you’re giving me your prize?"

He shrugged, smiling down at me. "You like penguins, right? They’re cute. Like you."

My brain short-circuited around the "cute like you" part. "I—uh—thanks," I said, hugging the penguin to my chest to hide my blush even though I wasn’t really that into stuffed animals.

Later, I tried to win him something at a bottle-toss booth, determined to return the favor. I aimed carefully, tossed the ring... and missed spectacularly. Twice.

Ethan burst out laughing. "You weren’t even close!"

"Shut up," I said, chuckling despite myself. "These bottles are rigged."

"Oh, totally," he teased, still grinning. "It’s not like you throw like a grandpa."

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"I’ll throw you next," I shot back, sticking my tongue out at him.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a playful whisper. "Promises, promises."

My breath caught for a moment before he straightened up again, laughing like he hadn’t just made my heart race.

As we walked away from the booth, I realized I was smiling without even noticing. The noise of the crowd, the music, the smell of fried food—all faded into the background. For once, I wasn’t worried about Adrien, or the whispers at school, or anything else that usually clouded my mind.

All I could think about was Ethan next to me, his easy laughter, the way the lights reflected in his eyes, and how, somehow, being here with him made the whole

world feel a little brighter.

Today was perfect...

At least, that’s what I thought.