All Chapters of Unraveled (M x M romance): Chapter 61 - Chapter 69

ASHERElliot gave her a sheepish smile.Before he could speak, a tall lady, with her brown hair packed up in a bun, approached us. I recognized her as the librarian.Her lips were pressed together and she looked obviously displeased.“I’m going to need you guys to leave,” she said sharply. “You’re disturbing everyone.”We apologized and then left the library quickly. People shot us looks as we passed.We only make it a few steps outside the building before his friends stop, arms folded, clearly waiting for an answer.Lucas blinked, like his brain was rebooting. “Okay,” he said slowly. “So… I’m just going to ask what we’re all thinking.”He pointed between me and Elliot.“What the hell was that back there?”Silence fell.Elliot exhaled slowly, like he was gathering his words.I left him to it. It was up to him to decide how much he wanted to tell his friends. It was fine with me whatever he chose to go along with— no matter how little it was.“It’s not—” he started, then stopped.I kn

ASHERThe ball hit my palm with a sharp thwack.I caught it easily, barely needing to move, then tossed it back across the yard.Simon caught it with a grunt, stepping back slightly as he adjusted his grip.We’d been doing this for a few weeks now but it still felt strange standing here like this playing baseball like it was normal.Like we were father and son.Still, this… routine had grown to be something I truly enjoyed. It was safe. Peaceful.No yelling. No tension.For once, I felt what it was like to have a father. A father that cared.It was something I’d never admit to my mum, but when I was younger, I was jealous of my classmates when they spoke of their fathers.Because I didn’t know what it was like to have someone that truly felt like one.I could tell Simon really liked me too. He has asked me to call him Dad several times but I’ve always refused.Maybe it was because, the moment I called him that, I’d have to accept Elliot as my brother.And that was just… weird.“You’ve

ELLIOTNews kind of travelled faster than I imagined.But then again, it was campus and people tended to be bored. They thrived on gossip.And what was juicier than stepbrothers dating?Asher and I had become the topic of attention. They didn’t know the true facts of our relationship, they only knew that we were closer than usual. Closer than stepbrothers should be.But that was the thing. People didn’t care about facts, they only cared about the next big story— and Asher and I were that at the moment.I could feel it in the way conversations dipped just slightly when I walked past. In the way people looked at me a second too long before pretending they weren’t staring.For some reason, I wasn’t as affected as I thought I’d be.Sure, I felt aware, exposed. The way one would feel if the whole world was in their business.But I didn’t feel panicked like I thought I would. I definitely didn’t regret walking hand in hand with Asher throughout yesterday.I chose to do that. I chose Asher.

ELLIOTIt was remarkable how much things had changed. How much I have changed.If you’d told me three to four months ago that I’d be in this position, I wouldn’t have believed it.And yet, here I was.I didn’t regret anything. If anything, the only thing I regretted was not giving in earlier. Because if I knew it would feel this good, I’d have surrendered much earlier.I didn’t realize how much I needed this. How much I needed him.Ever since my mum and brother died, there had been this void that existed within me. This gap that I didn’t think anything could fill.Sometimes, I even wondered what the point of existing was, when all I felt was emptiness.Which was why I was so angry. With my father, with the world, with myself.At least, being angry was better than feeling nothing.But now, being with Asher, I realized that maybe, just maybe, life was worth living again.Happiness was close, I just needed to have the courage to reach out and grab it.We were in Asher’s room.After dinne