Semua Bab RIVAL'S TO LOVER'S: My Step Brother Is Now My Roommate : Bab 31 - Bab 40

STEPHEN’S POV:The bruise was already forming.I could see it in the mirror above the sink in the locker room bathroom, it was a dark purple creeping along my jaw, swelling just enough to make it obvious. Hayden had always hit hard. That was the thing about him. When he committed to something, he didn’t hesitate.Well, neither did I. But that didn’t mean I didn’t feel it.The coach's office smelled like old coffee and disappointment. Hayden stood on the opposite side of the room, arms crossed over his chest, jaw locked like he was already preparing for another round.Coach didn’t yell at first and that was worse.He shut the door slowly, walked behind his desk, and just looked at us. His eyes moved from my jaw to Hayden’s busted knuckles.“You want to explain to me,” he said evenly, “why my captain and my striker were throwing punches at a party?”We were silent.I kept my chin lifted while Hayden stared straight ahead like he was being evaluated for something bigger than this.“I saw

STEPHEN’S POV:The world felt quieter afterward, like the ocean below had swallowed every sharp edge inside me and spit back something calmer.We were stretched out on the hood of the car, side by side, the metal still warm beneath our backs. The stars looked closer from up here, scattered across the sky as someone had carelessly thrown glitter into the dark. The wind coming off the cliff cooled the sweat on my skin, and for the first time all day, my chest didn’t feel tight.Marcus shifted beside me, propping himself up on one elbow so he could look down at me.“You good?” he asked quietly.I nodded, staring at the sky. “Yeah.”He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. His fingers traced lazy patterns over my stomach, slow and grounding. It wasn’t sexual anymore. It was something steadier and real.After a few minutes, he spoke again. “How did it start?”I turned my head slightly. “What?”“You and Hayden. This war between the two of your because I'm so sure it wasn't just about H

STEPHEN’S POV:Practice ran longer than usual.Coach had us doing sprint drills until my lungs burned and my vision blurred at the edges. Hayden and I barely spoke, just sharp passes and tighter formations. If anyone else noticed the tension between us, they didn’t say anything. On the field, it translated into results. Off it… It just sat there, heavy and unresolved.By the time we were dismissed, the sky was already fading into that deep purple that comes before night fully settles. The air smelled like cut grass and sweat.Marcus was by the bleachers, talking to someone I didn’t recognize.He looked relaxed, one hand shoved into his joggers, the other gesturing as he laughed. When he spotted me walking over, his face softened in that way it always did lately. It did something stupid to my chest.“Hey,” he called.“Hey.”The guy beside him turned.He was tall with broad shoulders, a confident stance, and dark curls pushed back from his forehead as he’d just run a hand through them.

HAYDEN’S POVThe hallway felt too small.I didn’t realize how fast I was walking until I nearly collided with a freshman turning the corner. I muttered an apology without slowing down. My lungs burned as I had just run drills for an hour straight.I needed air.I pushed through the side exit of the dorm and stepped into the night as the old wind hit my face. It should’ve helped but it didn’t.I dragged a hand down my face and leaned against the brick wall.I kissed him.and not just kiss him. I wanted to kiss him and that was the part that wouldn’t settle in my chest.It wasn’t some drunken mistake, it wasn’t a dare, it wasn’t curiosity. I actually liked it.The memory flashed in my head without permission where Stephen’s hands were fisting into my shirt, the moans he made when I pulled him closer, the way his mouth moved against mine like he’d been holding back for months.My stomach twisted. “This is insane,” I muttered to myself.“Are you talking to the wall now?”I flinched and lo

HAYDEN’S POVI knew he was out there.Even with my bedroom door closed, with Lilian’s laughter filling the space and her fingers tracing idle patterns across my chest afterward.I still felt him.Stephen had this way of existing that made it impossible to ignore him. It didn’t matter if we weren’t speaking. It didn't matter if I told myself I didn’t care. The air shifted when he was near. It pressed against my lungs and tonight it felt suffocating.Lilian propped herself up on one elbow, studying me. “You’re distracted.”“I’m not.”She raised a brow like she didn’t believe me.The truth was, I shouldn’t have kissed Stephen earlier. I shouldn’t have let it happen and let it mean anything. But it had and that was the problem.Because when it happened, it didn’t feel like a mistake. It didn’t feel like confusion or curiosity or some stupid rivalry-fueled impulse. It felt….real and that scared the hell out of me.So I did what I always do when something scares me.I tried to erase it.Lil