My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 202: Mom Crashes Out

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I was in this tiny bathroom, steam swirling around me from the kettle water Rachel had insisted we heat up in batches for some semblance of a hot shower.

"I’m sure you aren’t used to this tactic." Rachel had said with a small chuckle, but I shocked her by saying that I did actually, I was from a underprivileged home as well before my mom got remarried.

To which she smiled, "Lucky, boy." She then turned to her mute mother with a mock glare. "I wish my mom married a billionaire instead of some factory worker who abandons his kids."

I think the old lady rolled her eyes in response, but I wasn’t too sure.

It was cramped enough that I had to step around the sink to close the door, but oddly enough, it felt cozy and faded blue tiles, a shower curtain with tiny yellow ducks that had probably looked cute back in the nineties, and a pile of fluffy towels all smelling like lavender fabric softener.

Afterward, I felt human again, skin pink from the heat, hair damp and twisted up in one of those towels, wearing an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants Rachel had pulled from a drawer with a sheepish "they’re clean, I promise."

The guest room she’d shown us to was just as small and homely as the rest of the house, but Rachel obviously made an effort to make it feel inviting.

A double bed took up most of the space, stacked high with quilts and blankets to the point it looked like a cloud had burst and patchwork ones in soft florals, a thick navy comforter, and even a fuzzy throw with little pom-poms dangling along the edges.

Two mismatched pillows were resting at the head, and a tiny bedside lamp with a fringed shade cast this warm amber glow over everything. Outside, snow was tapping insistently at the lone window, the storm still raging, but in here, it felt safe and snug, like the world had shrunk down to just this blanket-laden bed.

I was sitting cross-legged in the middle of it, phone pressed against my ear, trying to keep my voice down while my mom’s s worried rant filled the speaker.

"Noah Valentine, do you even know how terrified I was when you didn’t come home?! No text, no call, nothing! And on a school day! You and Adrien just disappear for some spontaneous road trip without a word? In this snowstorm?"

I flinched, pulling my knees closer to my chest. "I’m really sorry, mom. We didn’t plan for the car to break down or the power to go out or—"

"That’s not the point!" she cut me off, his voice rising a notch. "You should have said something this morning. A note, a text, anything. We called the school and they said you never showed up, I almost had a goddamn heart attack! Keith had to pull strings just to see if Adrien was even there because apparently, the school was afraid to reveal that info! I’ve been imagining you two in a ditch somewhere for hours or maybe kidnapped."

In the background, I could hear Keith’s low voice talking about tracking phone locations, which just added to my guilt. I couldn’t exactly tell him we were in a stranger’s house out of the city hunting for clues about Adrien’s mom’s death. So, I went with the world’s lamest cover story. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"We’re... in a hotel," I mumbled, sounding sheepish even to myself. "Totally safe. Power’s out here too, but we’re fine."

Mom sighed heavily. "A hotel. In the middle of nowhere with your stepbrother. On a school night, I suppose I should ground you for this."

Yikes, I couldn’t even remember the last time I was grounded.

I could practically hear her pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

I didn’t blame her for being worried, I was the kid who barely left the house because of my social anxiety and now I’m off in a different fucking town without even telling my mom.

It was true, I felt horrible. I’d never done anything like this before; going MIA wasn’t my style. I was the kid who texted if I was five minutes late from study group.

But Adrien? Keith and mom probably wouldn’t be shocked that he was behind some impromptu adventure. He always had this restless energy that led to late-night drives and spur-of-the-moment plans.

Her tone softened a touch. "It’s... nice, really, that you two are getting along well enough to do something like this without us pushing you. I’m glad you’re bonding. But Noah, you have to take the responsibility here. You can’t just forget to tell me these things. My heart can’t take it."

"I know," I said quietly. "I’m really sorry. We’ll be careful, I promise."

"Call me first thing tomorrow morning when you wake up," she said firmly. "And be safe. Both of you."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too, even when you scare me half to death..."

After I hung up, I flopped back into the mountain of pillows, staring at the ceiling and letting guilt wrap around me like another blanket.

A minute later, the door creaked open, and Adrien came in, freshly showered. He was shirtless, with a towel around his neck, dark hair wet and falling in loose waves that brushed his shoulders.

Water droplets glistened on his collarbone, catching the light, and oh my god, his torso still looked like it had been sculpted by a god with a serious agenda involving abs.

He caught me staring, of course, and that slow, teasing smirk spread across his face.

"Your mom yell at you?" he asked, his voice low and amused as he rubbed the towel through his hair.

I sat up quickly, forcing my gaze onto the quilt pattern on my lap. "Yes. And it’s your fault, obviously. You and your terrible influence."

He laughed, a warm rumble as he crossed the room to rummage through his backpack for clothes. "Please. You’re the one who agreed to this little adventure. Pretty sure that makes you an accomplice, mama’s boy."

I shot him a glare, though it probably lost its sting since my cheeks were burning. "I am not a damn mama’s boy."

"Sure," he drawled, pulling a clean T-shirt over his head and, sadly, covering up the view. "You literally apologized six times in under a minute. I could hear you through the wall."

"Shut your ass up," I muttered, tossing a pillow at him. He caught it one-handed, grinning.

"Make me," he teased, tossing it back gently.

This gorgeous little shit.

I caught it against my chest, hugging it like a shield, trying to ignore how the room suddenly felt ten degrees warmer despite the power outage.

One bed. Lots of blankets. Shirtless Adrien now fully dressed but still impossibly attractive. My mom’s worried voice still echoed in my mind.

I suppose I’ll survive this night somehow.