บททั้งหมดของ RIVAL'S TO LOVER'S: My Step Brother Is Now My Roommate : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

STEPHEN’S POVI didn’t go back to my hostel right away. I sat on the steps outside the arts building instead, elbows on my knees as I stared at space. My phone buzzed twice in my pocket. It was probably Hayden, or not, but I ignored it. My chest still felt badly injured from Ella’s words and the way she looked at me. If it were her being angry, I could handle it. It would have made sense to me because it had a direction. But this felt like I was standing in a room after the furniture had been dragged out. It felt empty. I dragged a hand through my hair and let out a breath, I didn't know I was holding.“You are fine, Stephen,” I told myself. “You will always be fine.” If football season weren't close by, I would have drowned myself in alcohol and some fucking weed. A laugh cut through the night, close enough to make me look up. Someone was coming down the steps, carelessly and loudly. He stopped a few feet away from me, his phone in his hand, squinting at the screen before he gl

HAYDEN’S POV The morning came with all sorts of insults. The house was quiet as if it knew what had happened last night and was waiting for me to react. I lay there for a while staring at the ceiling, my jaw tight and replaying everything I didn't want to remember. I heard some footsteps in the hallway, some giggling and then a door opening and closing. It was Stephen’s bedroom door. I sat up immediately. A few seconds later the front door opened and after some mumbling it was finally shut. Someone had left and I knew it was the stranger. I waited exactly thirty seconds before I stormed out of my room. Stephen was in the kitchen, shirtless, his hair messed up, drinking water from a can like nothing had happened. I groaned and he smiled as he greeted me. “Good morning.” “Fuck you…you are unbelievable,” I said.He glanced at me lazily. “Morning to you too, Hayden.” “You did that on purpose. You wanted to see my reaction.” He capped the bottle and leaned against the counter. “

ELLA’S POVIt was a total mess………… That’s the only way to describe it.From the second Miss Paige told us to stay back, I knew this wasn’t going to be some quiet little “reflect on your actions” session. It was about the punishment, yes, but it was also humiliating for me.Detention wasn’t supposed to have my name attached to it.I don’t get detention.I will perform, I lead the chants, I win the titles. I don’t sit in empty classrooms after school with the girl who’s been slowly picking apart everything that used to be mine.But there I was in detention with the girl who I thought was my friend. The classroom smelled faintly of whiteboard cleaner and dust. The late afternoon sun filtered through the blinds in thin stripes across the desks. Mrs. Carter, the supervising teacher, barely looked up when we walked in.“Phones on my desk, ladies, and sit separately.”Lilian placed hers down without a word. I hesitated for half a second before doing the same. We chose desks on opposite side

HAYDEN’S POVBy the time i stepped onto campus the next morning, I already knew something had happened.You could feel it in the air.The way conversations cut off when i walked past. The way heads leaned together, whispers were heard when i walked by. A couple of freshmen actually turned to look at me like I was part of some boy band.I didn’t need to ask what it was about.I already knew it was about Ella and Lilian, the captain spot and apparently… me.I shoved my hands into my pockets and kept walking toward the athletic building, jaw tight. I hated drama, especially when my name was sitting right in the middle of it like a trophy no one asked to win.“Yo,” Marcus called from behind me. “You good?”I stretched out my hands and shook him “Ya, I'm fine.”He fell into step beside me anyway. “Word is detention turned into a showdown.” I didn’t respond. He glanced sideways. “You know they’re saying it’s not just about the captain thing.”Of course they were. At this school, nothing was

HAYDEN’S POVFor a second after she kissed me, I forgot where I was. The noise, the lights, the entire gym that was watching. All of it blurred. Then reality snapped back in like a rubber band.The screaming didn’t die down this time. It multiplied as phones shot into the air. Someone yelled, “I KNEW IT!” Another voice shrieked, “NO WAY!” I felt heat crawl up my neck as Lilian slowly pulled back, her fingers still curled slightly against my jaw like she wasn’t sure if she should let go.Her eyes widened. “Oh my God,” she whispered. I blinked and she blinked and then she stepped back as the kiss had physically burned her.“I……” She glanced over her shoulder at the chaos unfolding behind her. Glitter cannons were still going off while her teammates were chanting her name. The coach was trying to regain control of the mic. “I’m sorry.”I finally found my voice. “For what?”“For that.” She gestured vaguely between us, cheeks flushed. “I didn’t plan that. I just….. You were there and you n