RIVAL'S TO LOVER'S: My Step Brother Is Now My Roommate

Hayden's POV

A punch landed on my chin so hard that I almost felt it snap. My jaw ached so badly, and I stumbled backward, knowing that it would probably leave a bruise for a long time. I turned to the one who had punched me, and his eyes glared at me like he desperately wanted to get rid of me.

My stepbrother. Stephen.

I swear to fuck, no one hated him more than I did. Whenever I saw him, the urge to piss him off and make him so mad became so strong that it became a lifeline. His anger was my happiness. And it was always so much fun to mess with him because he was so easily angered.

I never had a true reason for hating him. Neither did he. But we've always been rivals from the start, and it didn't help that he was the leader of the football club that has always been my rival club.

“What's wrong, Stephen?” I asked with a grin as I spat out blood. “Why are you so fucking mad hm? Did you lose something so important?”

“You asshole. I do not fucking care that you hate me or that you gain pleasure like the sadistic asshole that you are from picking fights with me. For fuck's sake, stay away from my personal life!” He yelled in anger as he flexed his wrist and I grinned even wider at how mad he was.

“Oh, don't tell me you're mad that Ella chose me—”

“Ella is my girlfriend. You have no right to steal her from me. She's mine.” He interrupted me and I could see the painful look in his eyes as he clenched his jaw.

“Was,” I muttered with a sarcastic smile. “She was your girlfriend. But now she's mine. She chose me over your stupid ass. Too bad, so sad, stepbrother.”

“You fucker…” Stephen spat as he approached me again, but I suddenly held a hand out, stopping him from coming any closer, and he looked at me in confusion.

“You know,” I started, walking close to him so that our faces were only inches from each other. “You're such a loser. A fucking weakling. Do you know why Ella chose me over an idiot like you? Because I'm better. More handsome. More talented. You? You're just a boy with anger issues. This isn't the first girl I've stolen from you, right? Why do they always choose me in the end? Think, stepbrother.” I added with a grin as I pushed him backward and he stumbled backward before regaining his stance.

There it was. The seething anger I've been waiting for. He was literally boiling that I could see smoke coming out of his ears.

He suddenly charged at me once again and this time, I didn't let him land the first blow. I ducked just in time and swung my fists, aiming for his stupid face but he was faster than me. He pushed me so hard that I crashed to the ground with a grunt and before I could push him off me, his fist came in contact with my face.

Not once, not twice. He kept punching and punching until I couldn't move anymore and my face was filled with blood. Why did I even make him so mad?

Just when I thought I was about to pass out, I heard the loud whistle of our coach and Stephen's hand froze in the air. What took them so fucking long?

“Get off him!” I heard the coach say and Stephen finally moved away from me while I groaned in pain. I turned and spat out blood, coughing in pain before turning to glare at Stephen who had no look of remorse on his face.

“Both of you, come with me to the dean. Right now!” The coach yelled and I groaned in pain before rising to my feet, my vision blurring just slightly. Stephen was already walking away so I had to follow behind him while the coach followed us from behind.

Getting to the dean's office, I shoved him aside and walked in, not bothering to know if I pissed him off even more. This asshole almost broke my fucking nose. The dean sat behind his desk with an unpleasant expression on his face before turning to me.

“Explain what happened.” He said to me and I realized this was my key to getting back at him for punching me. So I lied.

“I was on my own practicing football with my teammates when Stephen came in and started to hit me. Of course, I would fight back, but even though I tried, he gained the upper hand. Look at my face, Dean.” I explained with a groan and he stared at me for a while before turning to Stephen.

“What do you have to say?”

Stephen remained quiet; he was seething, he was mad, but he didn't say I was wrong. He didn't try to defend himself at all. That had me frowning in confusion.

“Both of you have this bad reputation of always fighting each other wherever you go. I don't care who started the fight or who ended it. You both will be in detention for the next five hours and if you cause more trouble in there, you'll be in detention for longer.” The dean announced and my mouth dropped open in disbelief and disappointment.

“You can't do that, Stephen started this! He did this to me!” I protested and the dean stared at me with a bored expression.

“Would you like to stay ten hours together?”

Shit.

Our coach led us to a small classroom and when we walked in, he shook his head in disappointment.

“Behave. You're not animals, what is wrong with both of you?” He asked in disappointment before slamming the door shut and locking it behind him, leaving me all alone with fucking Stephen.

“Tell me, Steve, if Ella were brought in here, who do you think she'll choose? Me, right?” I asked, taunting him but he simply took a seat and closed his eyes.

Why was he avoiding me?

“You're such an asshole, you know? Acting like the world belongs to King Steve. You're nothing, you hear me? Nothing.” I spat, feeling even more annoyed when he remained silent.

“You don't wanna talk huh?” I muttered, a smirk forming on my face as I moved close to him so that I was in his personal space. I knew he hated it when I was in his personal space, and I could finally rile him up.

“You're so obsessed with me, aren't you?” I heard him say as he suddenly opened his eyes and I scoffed in disgust.

Me? Obsessed with him? Hell no—

He suddenly moved and pushed me backward so that I was against the wall and trapped in his space. He pinned me to the wall with his arm over my neck, and I didn't mean to notice, but our faces were only inches from each other.

“You're either gonna shut up and sit quietly for the next five hours, or else—”

“Or else what?” I teased him with a grin, feeling his breath on my face and his jaw tightened. “Tell me? What? Are you gonna kiss me or something? Should I be scared?” I asked, sneering in amusement and he stared at me for a while without answering.

The moment his eyes moved from my face to my lips, my brows knitted in confusion.

And then—

Stephen suddenly leaned closer and placed his lips on mine, causing me to freeze.