My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 178: A Day Full Of Surprises

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Geography class felt like it was dragging on forever, with Mr. Harlan droning on about tectonic plates while I doodled absent-minded spirals in the margins of my notebook. The whispers from the hallway kept looping in my head like a broken record.

Fifty videos. Fifty girls if not more...

Those numbers seemed unreal, yet they felt like some sort of armor—thin and dented, sure, but still something solid keeping me safe from the gnawing fear that had been eating at me all morning.

When the bell finally rang, I took my time gathering my things, waiting for the crowd to thin out a bit before I slipped into the stream of students heading toward chemistry.

The lab was already half-full when I pushed through the door, the familiar scent of old Bunsen burner residue mixed with sharp marker ink washing over me like a wave.

Sunlight poured in through the high windows, lighting up the dust motes dancing above the black-topped tables, and the usual pre-class chaos was ramping up...chairs scraping against the floor, laughter echoing off the tiled walls, someone’s phone blasting music until the speaker crackled.

In the back row, Gigi and Skylar were huddled in their usual corner since sophomore year, heads bent together, Gigi’s curls spilling over Skylar’s shoulder as they shared earbuds and exchanged soft smiles that made my heart ache in the sweetest, most infuriating way..

Gigi was tracing lazy circles on Skylar’s wrist with her thumb, while Skylar kept stealing tiny kisses against Gigi’s temple whenever she thought no one was watching. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so the vibe in the room was that of a temporary free-for-all, and those two were making the most of it.

I dropped my backpack onto the stool next to them and slid in, trying to appear nonchalant, even though my turtleneck suddenly felt like it was squeezing the life out of me.

Gigi’s head shot up, earbud yanked free, eyes narrowing with exaggerated suspicion.

"There he is. The king of the disappearing act himself." She leaned in, resting her elbows on the table, chin propped in her hands like a detective in a bad cop show. "You’ve got exactly ten seconds to spill every last drop of gossip from that party before I smack you upside the head with my chemistry textbook. And trust me, Noah, this shit is heavy."

Skylar snorted beside her, pulling out the other earbud and wrapping the cord around her phone. "Be nice, babe. He looks a little fragile today."

"I’m not fragile," I mumbled, flipping open my notebook to avoid Gigi’s intense stare. "And there’s no gossip. The party was boring and I left early. End of story."

Gigi’s frown deepened, acting all dramatic and unconvinced. "Boring? You left early? Girl, I was up half the night feeling all weird, like there was some bad energy in the universe aimed right at you."

What else was new?

Skylar reached over and tucked a curl behind Gigi’s ear, speaking softly. "It was probably nothing, love. Just bad vibes from all the stress."

Gigi leaned into the touch for a moment, then turned her intense focus back on me. Before she could start digging again, Skylar’s gaze drifted to my throat, and her eyes narrowed playfully.

"Wait a minute," she said, tilting her head. "You’re wearing a turtle neck again." A slow, mischievous grin grew on her face. "Did you and Ethan finally get it on or what?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks so fast I thought I might burst into flames, and I instinctively slapped a hand to my neck, fingers brushing the high knit fabric that was definitely hiding evidence from someone who was very much not Ethan.

Gigi threw her head back and laughed, loud enough that a few kids at the next table looked over. "Oh my God, look at his face! Noah, you little sneak! You and Ethan need to just have sex already. The tension is killing me!"

"It’s not—" I started, voice getting all tangled up, then gave up because there was no way to finish that without lying.

Adrien’s mouth on my skin flashed hot and vivid in my mind, and guilt twisted sharp in my stomach. I felt like the worst kind of person...blushing over marks from my stepbrother while my actual boyfriend thought I was just having a rough day.

Gigi wiped away a fake tear from her eye, still giggling, then got a little more serious. "Okay, okay, I’ll stop torturing you. But seriously, have you heard the news yet?"

My heart skipped a beat. News. She had to mean the arrests, Layla’s uncle, the memory card, all of it. I swallowed hard and tried to sound casual. "What news?"

Skylar opened her mouth, but Gigi raised a hand like a game show host claiming a prize. "Can I tell him? Please, baby? I’ve been dying to say it all morning."

Skylar’s expression softened. She leaned over and gave Gigi a quick kiss on the cheek. "Anything for you, love."

I rolled my eyes so hard I felt it in my temples. "Oh my God, you two are disgusting. Can we get on with it before I drown in this third wheeling?"

Gigi straightened up, practically buzzing with excitement. "Vanessa and her parents packed up and left Willow Haven yesterday. Like, full U-Haul, gone-by-dawn, poof. The house is already on the market."

The words hit me like a slap of cold air. I blinked, my mouth falling open a bit. "You’re serious?"

"Dead serious," Skylar confirmed with a nod. "My mom’s friend is their realtor. Apparently, they decided really suddenly—some big opportunity Vanessa’s dad’s job across the state or something. But everyone’s saying it’s weird timing."

Gigi leaned in, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "Weird is right."

Today really was full of surprises. First the arrests, now Vanessa...queen of mean and creator of half my high school misery was gone. Just like that. The hallway torment, the pool party humiliation, all those sneers... it suddenly felt smaller, more distant, like a storm cloud finally drifting out of sight.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, a cautious, fluttering relief blooming in my chest. Maybe the universe was finally balancing the scales, even if it had taken its sweet time.

Gigi watched me closely, head tilted. "You okay? You look like you just won the lottery and got kicked in the gut at the same time."

I managed a shaky laugh, pulling my turtleneck a bit higher. "Yeah," I said softly. "Just... a lot of surprises today."