All Chapters of Enemies to lovers : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Sunday afternoon settled comfortably over the Carter home.The smell of roasted chicken drifted from the kitchen while soft worship music played from an old speaker on the counter. Mrs. Bridget Carter stood at the stove, humming to herself as she stirred a pot of stew.Benjamin sat at the kitchen island, happily stealing pieces of fried plantain whenever he thought nobody was looking.Unfortunately everybody was looking.Mrs. Carter turned just in time to see another piece disappear into his mouth. “Benjamin.”He froze. “…Yes?”She pointed the wooden spoon at him. “Hands.”Benjamin swallowed dramatically. “I was quality testing.”Mrs. Carter sighed. “You’ve tested enough for today.”Austin leaned against the refrigerator, laughing. “I’ve been telling you.”Benjamin looked offended. “I’m making sure nobody gets food poisoning.”Mrs. Carter laughed despite herself. “What a thoughtful young man.”“I know.”Austin snorted. “Liar.”Benjamin threw a piece of plantain at him. Austin caught i

Tuesday morning arrived with a restless, volatile energy hanging over the campus like heavy humidity. The Engineering Faculty had barely settled into the day before the announcement tore through the hallways like wildfire. The interfaculty tournament was happening in two weeks. By the time Brian stepped into the crowded lecture hall, the room was already a deafening war zone of cross-classroom shouting. He slammed his heavy backpack onto the floor beside his chair, dragging a tired hand down his face before slumping back to listen. "Engineering is taking the fucking trophy this year," someone yelled three rows up, slamming a hand onto a wooden desk. "I’m telling you!" "You said that exact same bullshit last year, man!" a guy near the window shouted back, scoffing loudly. "And we would have won if that goddamn referee wasn't fucking blind!" "That excuse is older than your ancestors!" A faint, cynical smirk tugged at the corner of Brian’s mouth. Same old fucking noise. He’d liste

The thunderous, violent slam of the heavy wooden front door echoed off the high ceilings of the Callahan house.Brian barely even flinched.He stood frozen at the bottom of the grand staircase, still draped in the sweat-drenched black training shirt he’d worn on the pitch, his swollen football bag hanging heavily off one shoulder. The damp fabric clung uncomfortably to the back of his neck, but the physical exhaustion from Coach Thompson’s brutal conditioning drills was a joke compared to the white-hot, suffocating rage currently incinerating his chest.His mother was here. Again.And the fucking audacity, she’d actually brought a goddamn lawyer with her.Brian’s jaw clenched so hard the muscles in his face throbbed. He could already hear her smooth, sickeningly sweet, cultured tone drifting from the formal living room."--I am not trying to take Ruth away from you, Arthur, you have to understand that.."That single sentence hit Brian like a bucket of ice water poured directly onto an

Brian stood outside on the porch for several long, suffocating minutes. The damp evening air had turned frigid, cutting through his sweat-slicked shirt, but the white-hot rage incinerating his blood refused to cool. He stared out into the dark, shadowy suburban street, his hands clamped into white-knuckled fists at his sides before he slowly, deliberately forced his fingers to uncurl. He’d wanted to run. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to tear down the driveway, jump into his car, and drive until he couldn't hear his mother’s sharp, cultured voice or see those goddamn custody papers ever again but Lydia is inside, he reminded himself, the thought hitting him like an anchor. My six-year-old sister is in that house and Arthur was still in there, carrying the weight of the world on his tired shoulders. Brian drew a long, ragged breath, letting the icy air sting his lungs, and finally turned back toward the heavy front door. He couldn't run from this nightmare. Not tonight.

Austin stayed perfectly still, his muscles locked into concrete rigidity. His heart pounded so violently against his ribs he was convinced the heavy, erratic thud would ring out through the small room and betray him. He kept his eyes almost completely shut, peeking through the faint, dark shadow of his lashes, meticulously holding his breath to mimic the slow, heavy rhythm of deep sleep.What the fuck am I looking at? his mind screamed, panic coiling sharp and cold in his gut. Why the fuck aren't I closing my eyes?!On the glowing screen, the top man grabbed the bottom’s hips, driving into him with heavy, ruthless thrusts. Every time he pulled out, the camera caught the raw, glistening expanse of stretched skin before filling it again. The wet slap-slap-slap of bodies colliding merged with the slick, rhythmic sound of John’s hand stroking his own flesh.Austin’s stomach twisted into tight knots. Turn away. Just roll over. Wake up and tell him to turn it off. He wasn’t supposed to fee