My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 194: Trapped Within Snowflakes

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By the time Adrien’s SUV sputtered and came to a quiet halt on the side of the narrow back road, the snow had thickened into a swirling curtain. The pines stood tall on either side, like silent judges overseeing the situation. The only sounds were the soft hiss of steam escaping from the hood and the occasional plop of snowflakes falling from the branches.

We were close enough to town that the GPS had been counting down the miles with a smug air, making the breakdown feel like a cruel twist of fate.

Adrien popped open the hood with a sigh that suggested he’d already resigned himself to the situation, peering inside as if he were trying to negotiate with a stubborn dragon. I hovered nearby, wrapped in my coat and the wool one he’d lent me on top, feeling quite useless...like a chocolate teapot, as the expression goes.

"Hand me that tool." He said.

"the... uh... wrench thingy?" I offered, waving vaguely at the tools he’d unceremoniously pulled from the trunk.

He shot me an amused glance. "You mean the adjustable wrench? You know, the silver one that looks like it could crack open a vault?"

"That’s the one!" I passed it over, feeling a rush of triumph like I had just solved world hunger.

He took it from me without a word, but I noticed the corner of his mouth twitch as he leaned back under the hood. His sleeves were rolled up despite the cold, snowflakes melting instantly on his forearms.

I stood there dutifully, handing him whatever he needed, screwdrivers, pliers, and a tool that looked suspiciously like a medieval torture device...trying not to stare too obviously at how skilled he appeared, brooding over the engine while I was still failing to get my driver license.

That’s when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

My heart did a ridiculous flip flop. I fumbled it out so fast I almost dropped it in the snow, already picturing Ethan’s name lighting up the screen, maybe a simple "hey" or "thinking about you" to make everything feel less like I had blown up my own life.

Instead, it was just a push notification from a shopping app reminding me that scarves were twenty percent off.

I stared at the screen until it dimmed, disappointment settling heavily in my stomach.

Adrien straightened up, wiping his hands on a rag that was mostly oil by now.

"You’ve been checking that all day," he said, his voice gentle yet curious. "You look like someone just told you they canceled pizza forever. What’s going on?"

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, stalling by pretending to study the engine like I suddenly understood it.

"It’s nothing. Just a habit, I guess."

He leaned against the fender, arms crossed, fixing me with that steady gaze of his, green eyes that felt like they could see through every half-truth I tried to spin. "Noah."

I sighed, kicking at a clump of snow. "Fine. So, yesterday... after practice... I told Ethan we need to take a break."

The words hung in the chilly air between us. Adrien didn’t flinch or look shocked; he just listened, head tilted slightly, waiting for me to continue.

"I didn’t tell him everything," I confessed, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be. "I just... I couldn’t. But I said I was confused and it wasn’t fair to pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t. He was really sweet about it, said he’d wait as long as it took."

I laughed, but it came out shaky. "Which just made me feel even worse."

Adrien nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Sounds like a good call, really. Better than dragging it out and hurting him more later."

I raised an eyebrow, half-teasing despite the knot in my chest. "You seem pretty calm about this. Secretly doing a victory dance in there?"

He didn’t laugh or deflect as I expected. He met my eyes directly, snowflakes in his lashes as he gave a small, honest shrug. "Yeah, I’m not gonna lie...I’m a bit happy about it. Well, at least part of me is." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

My breath fogged in front of me as I stared, unsure of how to respond.

"But," he added, voice softer, "I’ve also noticed you checking your phone all day and trying to hide how much it’s hurting you when it isn’t him. So, I’m not exactly throwing a parade either."

He rubbed the back of his neck, almost looking embarrassed. "I don’t want you to be hurting, Noah. Even if that means... you know."

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. I swallowed hard, suddenly very interested in my boots.

He pushed off the car and slammed the hood closed with a finality that echoed through the trees.

"Bad news," he said, turning back to me with a wry smirk. "This thing isn’t going anywhere tonight. The radiator hose is toast, and I’m good with cars, but I’m no MacGyver. I’ll call a mechanic to tow it tomorrow, but for now, it looks like we’re walking the rest of the way."

I followed his gaze down the long, empty road stretching ahead...white and endless, disappearing into swirling snow and distant pines. According to the last GPS update, Rachel’s house was still a few miles away before the signal went bad.

Letting out a slow, dramatic breath that fogged up in the cold, I muttered, "Fuck."

Adrien burst out laughing, the sound bright against the quiet winter landscape. "Eloquent as always."

"You have the most colorful language, Adrien." I shot him a mock glare, but there wasn’t much heat behind it. "You try being excited about a multi-mile winter hike after your emotional support vehicle just quits on you."

He grinned, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and offering me his arm like a gentleman in a blizzard. "Come on, drama king. I’ll even let you complain the whole way. Consider it another of my gift to you."

I rolled my eyes but linked my arm through his anyway, gotta maintain balance on slippery roads and together we started trudging into the snow, two idiots on a mission that suddenly felt a lot more complicated than it had this morning.

At least it was decent company.