My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 243: In the Space Between Us

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"You never could have known," I said softly. "You were just a kid trying to survive him, Ethan. That’s all you were doing. The fact that this hurts you so much, that it’s tearing you apart right now, shows you’re nothing like him. You have every right to feel sick about it. You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to mourn the uncle you wanted him to be, even if that person never really existed."

He finally lifted his head. His eyes were wet, lashes clumped together, blue irises searching mine like I had the answers he needed.

"I keep thinking, if I’d said something sooner," he whispered. "If I’d pushed back harder when I was younger, told my parents I didn’t want him to be my guardian, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Logan never would have moved into Willow Haven. Maybe Joanne would still be alive. Maybe Adrien wouldn’t have grown up with that hole inside him. I was just... scared. All the time. And now it feels like I let so much happen because I was too afraid to speak up. Like I allowed it all to happen because I was scared of him. I see that now."

The guilt in his voice was so old and heavy it felt like it was bringing him down.

I squeezed his arm gently. "You were a child," I reminded him, keeping my voice steady even though my throat felt tight. "You were just surviving him, that’s not the same as enabling him. You didn’t know what he was capable of. And even if some tiny part of you had suspected, what could you have done? He controlled everything, your home, your money, your safety, your whole world. You’re not to blame for his choices, Ethan. You never were."

I gave his arm another light squeeze. "What matters is what you’re doing now. You didn’t run, you stayed. And you’re helping us find the truth. That’s what counts."

For a long moment he just looked at me, his eyes shimmering. Then he slowly dropped his head until his forehead rested against my shoulder. It wasn’t quite a full embrace, just a quiet surrender, a moment of letting himself be held up instead of feeling like he had to hold everything together alone.

I wrapped one arm loosely around his back, my hand resting between his shoulder blades, fingers fanned out against the warmth of his shirt. We stood like that for several heartbeats, breathing in sync, the night air cool against my skin while his warmth seeped through my clothes.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this, having him close, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against mine, the familiar shape of his shoulders under my palm. Even after everything, even with the distance we’d put between us, this still felt like coming home in the midst of a storm.

My heart squeezed painfully with both love and guilt, knowing Adrien was waiting for us back in the study and how complicated that made every touch, every word.

Ethan pulled back just enough to meet my eyes again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know how to look at him the same way anymore. I don’t know how to be in the same room with him without wanting to scream...or throw up. Or both."

He swallowed hard. "But I don’t want to run from this. Not anymore. Not if it means you and Adrien finally get answers. I’ll do whatever it takes to help.

I lifted my hand and cupped the side of his face for a brief moment, just long enough to hold his gaze.

"Thank you, Ethan." I said. "We’re in this together. All three of us. Whatever happens next, we’ll do it side by side. Okay?"

He nodded once, small but genuine.

A tiny, watery half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You’re too good at this comforting thing," he muttered. "It’s annoying."

Funny, I usually didn’t know if my words had any effect in comforting people.

I let out a soft laugh, the sound almost swallowed up by the night air. "Good. Means it’s working."

He exhaled, and the tension in his shoulders eased just a bit. Then he tilted his head, studying me with that intense look he sometimes got when he was trying to see right through me.

"Why are you helping Adrien?" he asked, his voice gentle yet curious. "I mean... I get that you two are stepbrothers now, and you’ve been through a lot together. But after everything that went down, after how he treated you back then...you’d think you wouldn’t want to get involved. Not this deeply."

My mind went completely blank.

I opened my mouth, then shut it again, scrambling for something, anything...that wouldn’t spill the truth all over the balcony.

The truth being that I was in love with Adrien, that I had been for way longer than I wanted to admit, that every time he looked at me like I was the only thing keeping him afloat, I felt like my heart might crack open. Saying that out loud right now, to Ethan, felt like lighting a match in a room packed with gasoline.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to remain steady.

"Because... he’s hurting," I finally said. "And I know what that kind of hurt feels like. Plus, I think he deserves answers. About his mom. About what really happened. If there’s even a chance we can give him that, I can’t walk away. Not when I’m already in it."

It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

Ethan chuckled softly, a low and rough sound, like he was still pulling himself up from whatever dark place he’d been in. Before I could step back or say anything else, he lifted both hands and gently cupped my face, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones with a softness that took my breath away. His palms were warm, rough from years of gripping basketballs and late-night gym sessions, and the contact sent a quiet shock through me.

Ethan examined me for another long moment, then gave a small nod, as if he had decided to accept my answer for now. "Fair enough," he murmured.

I was beyond tired of lying.