All Chapters of My Enemy [BL]: Chapter 561 - Chapter 570

ELLISHe stopped immediately and turned around. "What is it?"I’m not sure what happened. One moment I was standing there, telling myself not to be dramatic, reciting an internal pep talk about being a grown-up who could handle a two-night separation.The next second... my feet were moving on their own, my pep talk apparently overruled by a more primal part of me that decided dignity was optional.The polished floor felt suddenly too smooth under my socks, as if it had conspired with whatever reckless part of my brain had taken the wheel.I crossed the room in three quick steps and threw my arms around him. The impact made him stumble back a half-step, one hand flying out to grab the doorframe to steady himself.The solid wood of the frame creaked faintly under his grip, and the faint scent of cold air from the hallway slipped in around us."...Ellis?"I buried my face against his chest before my pride could stop me, inhaling the familiar, unfairly expensive scent of his cologne like

ELLISThree dots appeared almost instantly. I watched them bounce for a second longer than necessary.Julian: Why are you still awake?I looked at the screen. Because someone decided to abandon me for forty-eight hours. Instead, I typed... The truth felt too soft, too revealing, so I settled for something safer.Me: Couldn’t sleep.His reply came less than a minute later. I could almost hear the quiet authority in the words even through text.Julian: Go to sleep, sunshine.I rolled my eyes. The nickname still managed to land somewhere soft and annoying at the same time.Me: Don’t tell me what to do.There was a brief pause, then,Julian: So stubborn.Me: Takes one to know one.A final message popped up.Julian: Goodnight, Ellis.I stared at those two words longer than I should have, the cursor blinking at me in the reply box like it had all the time in the world for me to figure out what to say.The soft blue light of the screen felt almost intimate in the otherwise dark room.My fing

JULIANWilliam’s voice cut across the room, sharper now."Your mother is preparing to announce her candidacy for the state senate. A scandal of this nature would not merely embarrass the family...it would destroy the campaign before it begins! The Cross name has never been associated with this kind of public spectacle, and it will not start now because you decided to indulge yourself with some scholarship student from nowhere!""The press would have a field day! Every political opponent I’ve spent years dealing with would use this against me!" his mother yelled."I know.""And you don’t care at all?!"Julian replied without hesitation, his voice steady as it had been throughout the conversation."No."Not one bit.William stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides."You selfish little—!"Mrs. Cross raised a hand, stopping him mid-sentence, the motion practiced and precise, as if she had done this a hundred times before."No," she said quietly. "I’d like to understand."She looked at

ELLISThey smiled innocently, both wearing expressions of feigned sincerity that were anything but. Sera’s eyes sparkled with the joy of someone who just managed to get under someone else’s skin."We know," Sera said."We wanted you to."I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. The motion didn’t discourage either of them."I don’t miss him...that much."Sera raised an eyebrow. The skeptical arch of it said more than any full sentence could have."You’ve been checking your phone every five minutes.""I have not.""Bitch, please! You literally just unlocked it while denying that."I glanced down. My phone was indeed unlocked. Curse it! The blue light of the screen glowed up at me like a traitorous witness."I was just checking the time.""You wear a watch.""...Shut up."Sera laughed into her coffee, nearly choking on it. A small cough escaped her as she tried to recover, one hand hovering near her mouth."So," she asked, resting her chin on her palm, "why did Prince Charming

ELLISAfter what felt like the hundredth time cleaning the espresso machine, I finally took a moment to appreciate the quiet that settles in at Sandy’s Cafe after closing. It’s that special kind of calm that comes right after the last customer leaves, when everyone can finally drop the cheerful act.I stacked the chairs and dimmed the lights. Serafina and Lucas had already made their dramatic exit, blowing exaggerated kisses my way and playfully insisting I "have fun on my totally-not-a-date" and to be careful...Their voices faded into the distance, a mix of silly coos and laughter lingering for a second or two before the night swallowed it whole.I’d joked about throwing a muffin after them, but they were quick to escape, still giggling, leaving me alone to face the task of locking up, which felt a bit like confronting my doom.The soft click of the lock turning felt final tonight, almost as if the café itself was nudging me out into whatever awaited beyond its comforting walls.Ste