Puck Me Harder: A Stepbrother Romance [BL]

Micah’s POV

The screen blurred before my eyes as the horrific headlines screamed something that’s impossible.

Dead?

The beautiful, arrogant blonde girl who had been aggressively clinging to Noah’s arm just hours ago was completely gone. I almost stumbled backward off the dining chair, the entire kitchen spinning violently as my phone threatened to slip from my numb fingers. I clamped a trembling hand tightly over my mouth, suffocating the ragged sob rising in my throat as hot, stinging tears flooded my eyes.

That scream. The agonizing, blood-curdling shriek that had cut through the heavy rain on the balcony last night... it had been her final breath. The realization hit my chest like a physical blow. Damon hadn’t been playing a cruel game with me when he dragged me away from the railing; he had been forcefully shielding me from a horrific reality.

’Don’t look. Don’t see.’

But she had left the main patio specifically to go upstairs to room four with Noah. So how on earth was she dead? My mind raced, automatically connecting the gruesome dots to our hockey coach’s sudden, mysterious disappearance days ago. What if the coach wasn’t just missing? What if he was dead, too, his body hidden away in the dark?

Was my perfect, golden-boy older brother actually a monster?

A cold sweat broke out across my skin. I wondered what would have happened if we had regular classes today. The entire campus would be completely paralyzed, everyone gossiping about her horrific demise, especially since half the student body had been breathing the same air at that estate party.

Before I could process the terrifying spiral of my thoughts, a deep, smooth voice shattered the silence directly behind me. A long, muscular arm stretched right past my shoulder, his fingers casually wrapping around my breakfast.

"If you don’t start eating, your cereal is going to get completely soggy, Micah."

I flinched violently, a gasp catching in my throat as terror seized my chest. I scrambled off the dining chair, spinning around instantly and pressing my phone flat against my chest like a shield.

"No... Noah?"

He stood there, completely unbothered by the morning light, looking pristine and flawless as he calmly took a scoop of my cereal and brought it to his mouth. "Good morning, Micah."

"I... I didn’t even know you were home," I stuttered, my voice trembling so hard it was pathetic.

"Where else would I possibly be if not home... with you?" Noah asked.

His icy blue eyes locked onto mine as he took a slow, deliberate step forward. I desperately wanted to recoil, to vanish into the floorboards, but I was already pinned flat against the edge of the dining table. Noah towered over me. I swallowed the thick lump of fear in my throat, forcing a fake, fragile smile onto my face.

"Ha... ha," I laughed weakly, trying to look away.

But Noah’s large hand suddenly shot forward. His fingers wrapped firmly around my chin, tilting my face upward and ruthlessly forcing me to meet his gaze. I flinched, my eyelashes fluttering as a wave of raw panic washed over me.

"You completely disobeyed me yesterday, Micah," Noah murmured, his voice dropping into a dangerously quiet, smooth register that made my blood run cold. He reached out with his free hand and carelessly set the cereal bowl back down on the table. "And I am really... incredibly angry with you."

"I... I did absolutely nothing wrong," I stammered, my fingers tightening into a vice grip around my phone.

’Why was I suddenly so terrified of him? Was it because the dark shadow of murder hung over his head? What if I was next? What if he turned his wrath on me?’ I violently shook the thought away. ’There’s no universe where my own brother would hurt me... right? But he just killed his own girlfriend.’

"Don’t spew pathetic lies to me, Micah," Noah commanded, stepping even closer until the solid plane of his chest pressed directly against my hands. I could feel the intense heat of his body crushing my top against the table. I desperately wanted to look down, to break the suffocating spell, but his tight grip on my chin held me perfectly captive. "The things I absolutely loathe the most in this world are liars and deceivers. Tell me... do you really want me to grow to hate you, Micah?"

"No!" I answered instantly, the word tearing out of my chest before I could stop it. The thought of his hatred was a fate worse than death.

I squeezed my eyes shut, a heavy, warm tear finally escaping my lashes and tracking down my burning cheek. I hated myself. I hated that I was completely paralyzed by fear, even though every fractured piece of my heart still belonged to him.

"I’m sorry," I whispered brokenly.

Suddenly, I felt a soft warmth press directly against the damp corner of my eye.

My eyes snapped wide open, my breath catching in my throat as Noah slowly pulled his face back from mine.

’Did... did he just kiss me?’

It wasn’t on the lips, but his mouth had firmly brushed the sensitive, tear-stained skin of my eyelid.

My cheeks flushed red, as a sudden, confusing wave of heat scorching my entire body within his grip. My mind went completely blank. Noah... I thought he despised my existence. I thought he only saw me as a fragile burden. But that peck...

A intrusive thought invaded my brain, making my heart do a flip. It was just a tiny, innocent peck on the eye. There was nothing raw or possessive about it. It wasn’t anything like the heavy, sinful, intoxicating kiss Damon had branded into the crook of my neck last night.

’Wait, why the hell am I comparing them? Why am I thinking about Damon right now?’

I shook my head violently, trying to clear the fog as I stared into Noah’s unreadable face. A shameful realization bloomed in my chest... I wouldn’t mind it at all if Noah kissed me properly. If he claimed my lips the exact, ruthless way Damon had. I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a gasp as Noah’s fingers finally released my chin.

"You have to listen to me, Micah. Your older brother always knows exactly what is best for you," he murmured, his voice returning to its calm facade. I nodded obediently. Noah’s eyes darkened with a chilling finality. "But the next time you decide to sneak out to a degenerate party... I promise you, I won’t be nearly as nice."

Fuck. He knew everything.

I instantly lowered my head, staring at the floor as I gave a tight, submissive nod. Noah reached out, his hand casually ruffling through my messy hair in an imitation of brotherly affection, and then I watched his sneakers turn and walk away, his presence vanishing out of the kitchen. I let out a massive exhale, my chest heaving as the suffocating tension finally left the room.

As I let my hands drop to my sides, my eyes caught a glint of metallic silver resting on the hardwood floor right where Noah had been standing. I tilted my head, stepping forward and picking it up.

It was a high-end smartwatch. It must have slipped loose from his wrist when he aggressively ruffled my hair.

"I’ll have to go up to his room and give it back to him," I muttered to myself, turning toward the kitchen exit.

But before my foot could even cross the threshold, the heavy front door of the house violently swung open. A tall, massive silhouette stepped directly into the grand foyer, casting a long shadow across the floor.

"Fa... Father?" I stuttered, my blood turning to ice as I instinctively shoved Noah’s watch deep into my pajama pocket, trembling all over again.