My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}

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The morning air nipped at my cheeks as I stood still on the wide stone steps of Brookstone High, the huge brick building towering over me like it had somehow grown taller overnight.

Students rushed by in noisy waves, laughter bouncing off the columns, backpacks thumping against shoulders, car doors slamming in the lot but everything felt muted, distant, like I was underwater.

Like I was drowning once again.

Every breath tightened my chest, and a familiar panic crept up my spine, my mind racing through every worst-case scenario. Vanessa and her crew could be lurking anywhere, ready to sneer, shove, or whisper just loud enough for me to catch it.

And, even worse, Patrick, Jace, and Liam could be lurking inside some dark hallway, having recovered enough from Adrien’s beating to finish what they had started at the party.

That morning, I had stood in front of my mirror for almost twenty minutes, my uniform half-buttoned, seriously contemplating whether to fake a stomach bug or a migraine or anything that would let me crawl back into bed and hide under the covers.

But the thought of Mom’s worried eyes and Keith asking gently if everything was really okay, the two of them exchanging those silent adult glances that meant they were close to digging deeper—stopped me in my tracks.

I couldn’t risk more questions, especially since I was already carrying secrets heavy enough to crush me. So, I forced myself out the door, gripping the straps of my backpack so tightly my knuckles turned white during the drive.

Now, standing here, each step toward the entrance felt like wading through quicksand. Adrien had assured me they wouldn’t touch me again. Ethan had made the same promise, his voice calm and reassuring over the phone last night. But promises felt fragile when flashes of rough hands and dark corners still haunted my mind.