All Chapters of My Stepbrother's Secret Obsession : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦The stairs creaked softly under my sneakers as I followed Xavier up to the second floor. The weight of my backpack pulled at my shoulders, but I kept my eyes fixed on his back as he carried the heaviest box of my finance books ahead of me like it was nothing.At the top of the landing, he turned down the left hallway and stopped outside an open door. He pushed it back with his foot, stepped inside, and set the box down near the closet before turning around to face me."This is you," Xavier said quietly, his voice dropping to match the stillness of the house. He pointed out toward the hallway. "The bathroom is the second door on the right. Laundry room is at the very end. If you have extra coats or stuff that won't fit in here, the linen closet out there is shared storage. There’s plenty of room."I stood in the middle of the bedroom, looking at the large window facing the dark backyard, then back at him. The room was nice—way bigger than my old

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦The morning sun hit the kitchen island in soft light, filtering through the blinds.I was leaning back against the counter with my mug, watching the steam rise off my coffee. My eyes kept drifting over to the spot near the sink where Xavier and I stood last night.I took a slow sip and shook my head.*I’m overthinking this,* I thought. *He was just being normal for once.*A few seconds later, footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor. Xavier walked into the kitchen wearing a dark hoodie and sweatpants. He didn't look at me right away, heading straight for the espresso machine."Morning," I said softly."Morning," he grunted, pressing the button on the machine.Usually, this was the part where one of us left the room to avoid the awkwardness. Instead, I stayed put. I picked up the pot of hot water I had just boiled and pointed toward his mug."Want some?"Xavier looked down at the mug, then up at me. He paused for a beat before sliding his cup closer. "Yeah. Than

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦I woke up the next morning still replaying everything from the blackout.No matter how much I tried to ignore it, my brain kept going back to the same four things: Xavier catching me in the dark, his heartbeat hammering against my hand, him punching a hole in the drywall upstairs, and then acting like a totally normal human being the next morning.I pulled my pillow over my face and let out a sigh.*Maybe he’s just weird,* I thought, trying to laugh it off. *Maybe he just has issues and no sense of personal space.*But then the second thought hit me right away: *Why am I even still thinking about this?*Annoyed with myself, I kicked off the covers, got out of bed, and started getting ready for class.By ten in the morning, I was sitting in the middle row of my finance lecture, watching the professor pull up our assignment schedule on the screen."Alright, everyone," the professor said, stepping out from behind his podium. "Project work officially starts this

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦I hadn't slept much.Every time I drifted off, I kept hearing Xavier’s voice from yesterday. *If I slow down, Dad finds two more things to pile on me.* It wasn't even a long conversation. Somehow... it stayed with me all night.By eight the next morning, I was already at campus, sitting in the economics building with my laptop open. The fellowship deadline was coming up fast, and everyone in my department was on edge."You look like you barely slept," Adrian said, sitting down next to me with an iced coffee. He set one down by my notebook."Thanks, Adrian," I said, taking a quick sip. "Just trying to make sure my market analysis is perfect before the first rankings come out today.""It’s fine, trust me," Adrian smiled. "You’ve had the highest score in our class all semester.""Congratulations on making the fellowship shortlist," a slick voice said behind us.Tristan Brooks walked over, holding a leather folder under his arm. He was dressed in a tailored navy

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦I didn't sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, the hallway found me again. The dim floor lights, the heavy heat coming off Xavier's chest, his palm planted against the wall beside my head... and that quiet, lethal voice.Because I don't like the way he looks at you.I rolled over for the hundredth time, staring blankly at the shadows on my ceiling. He was just being controlling. Overprotective. Possessive for reasons I still couldn't understand. That’s what I kept telling myself.So why was my heart racing like I’d just run a mile every time his words repeated in my head?By seven in the morning, I gave up on sleep entirely, showered, and headed downstairs. My plan was simple: get in, grab something quick, and leave for campus before anyone else woke up.I walked into the kitchen, only to freeze in the doorway.Richard was already gone, but my mom was standing by the stove, humming softly to herself as she set down a plate of warm pastries. Sitting at the marbl