Falling for my Enemy's Brother Chapter 9: Butterflies & Secrets

rlina’s POV

A loud bang yanked out of sleep, my heart stuttering in my chest. I blinked hard just in ti to see our dorm room door fly open and Phoebe tumble in like a whirlwind.

Her energy was wild, chaotic, alive — the complete opposite of how I felt right now.

She launched herself onto gan’s bed like it was so kind of trampoline and grinned, all bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Morning, rlina!" she chirped, her voice way too loud for the hour.

I sat up slightly, squinting at her as she tugged at gan’s feet with relentless enthusiasm.

gan groaned under her blanket, clearly not in the mood. "What now?" she mumbled, half-buried in her covers.

Phoebe twirled dramatically like she was about to deliver the climax of a soap opera. "You guys, I think I’m in a rom-com. Like, actual movie material."

I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my lips. "What happened this ti?"

Phoebe practically radiated chaotic joy. "Okay, guess what? Best. Night. Ever. Like, I’m still recovering—ntally and emotionally."

gan let out another groan, dragging the blanket over her head like it could shield her from Phoebe’s chaos. "Later, Phoebe," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep and mild dread, like she already knew this story was going to be too much for this hour.

But there was no stopping her now. Phoebe bounced where she sat, too excited to sit still. "Okay, I might have accidentally started dating soone. Keith and I might be a thing!"

That snapped us both awake.

"What?!" gan and I blurted in perfect unison, the word slicing through the air as we sat up, eyes wide, like Phoebe had just dropped a live grenade in the middle of our morning.

She nodded like she’d just won the lottery. "Yeah! He asked out last night, and obviously, I said yes!"

"You barely know him," gan said, her voice still thick with sleep but laced with concern.

Phoebe shrugged like it was no big deal. "Love at first sight. Why wait?"

gan shot her a look, one eyebrow arched with disbelief. "Please tell you didn’t sleep with him."

Phoebe paused, then flashed that infamous, unapologetic grin. "It wasn’t planned. But, honestly? It felt right, like our bodies just needed each other. Right there, right then. I couldn’t help but give in." She leaned back, all confidence and no regrets. "What can I say? When it’s ant to be, it’s ant to be."

ant to be ? Already ?

gan groaned again, this ti with more irritation than exhaustion. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I’m not judging," I added quietly, trying to et Phoebe where she was, but honestly, it was like trying to talk sense into a hurricane. "But maybe... slow down a little?"

Phoebe barely looked up, just flicking her wrist like we were being lodramatic. "I know what I’m doing. Keith? He’s the package—handso, charming, and knows how to keep up with ." She paused, letting it sink in. "Basically, he’s the full-throttle, no-speed-limit version of boyfriend material."

gan shot a look like, Why do we even try? But I couldn’t help it—I had this sinking feeling that Phoebe’s "full-throttle" might end up with more crashes than victories.

Phoebe grinned, flipping her hair dramatically. "Okay, okay, I’ll try to be responsible—but no promises. I an, co on, I’m just out here living my best rom-com life."

gan snorted, clearly unable to stay mad at her. "You’re sothing, that’s for sure."

I smirked. "Just make sure Keith can handle the sequel when it cos out."

Phoebe threw her hands up. "Oh, he’s ready. And so am I!"

We all burst out laughing, the tension lting away like it never existed.

Phoebe’s eyes locked onto , sharp and playful. I could already tell she was gearing up for sothing.

"So, rlina," she said, voice teasing, "how’d things end with Craig Lesnar?"

I froze for a second, just long enough that my mind seed to race a million miles a minute. Hopefully, it wasn’t obvious. I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but my voice ca out a little softer than I ant. "It was fine, nothing special. Just chill."

Phoebe’s eyebrows shot up. "Nothing special? You’re telling Craig Lesnar—the Craig Lesnar—was just ’chill’?"

I fought to keep my face neutral, but my mind was already starting to overheat. "Yeah, seriously. We just talked for a bit. No big deal."

She didn’t buy it for a second. "No big deal? You’re telling a guy like him—with his whole, ’I’m too cool for school’ vibe—just talked to you? And that’s it?"

I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. I wasn’t about to spill the whole he saved from a reckless motorcycle and held so close like every bone in his body wanted to protect .

"We were just... talking, you know? Like normal people do." I wanted to lie convincingly. I really did. But Phoebe was built for interrogations, and I was running out of rehearsed apathy.

She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes, clearly not satisfied with that answer. "Uh-huh? Sure. And what did you guys talk about? Cause there’s nothing normal about Craig Lesnar."

I opened my mouth, but nothing intelligent ca out—just a vague noise that sounded like guilt and hormones.

gan cut in, lounging back against the headboard with a smirk. "Phoebe, chill. Not everyone sleeps with the first hot guy who looks at them."

Phoebe gasped, hand to her chest like gan had just insulted her entire way of life. "Excuse you, I don’t sleep with every hot guy—just the ones who pass the vibe check."

"And what’s the vibe check?" I asked dryly, grateful for the distraction.

Phoebe grinned like she’d been waiting for this mont all week. "Simple. Step one: tall, at least emotionally mysterious. Step two: looks like he’s hiding deep trauma but still knows how to flirt. Step three: eyes that say ’I hate everyone... but maybe not you.’" She held up three fingers like it was a sacred ritual.

"And let guess, Keith passed all three?" gan asked.

"Keith passed with flying colors," Phoebe said proudly. "And Craig? Co on. I know he’s rude, can’t hold a conversation to save his life, but we’re not gonna pretend he’s not walking, talking, abs-in-a-hoodie-level hot. There’s a reason he’s the most wanted guy in Belford."

Then she turned to , eyes narrowing like a heat-seeking missile. "Which is exactly why I know you’re lying when you say it was ’just chill talk.’ Girl. Please."

I swallowed hard, my stomach doing flips. I couldn’t tell her how my heart did that dumb flutter thing when Craig stared deep into my eyes, or the way he leaned in—just a little too close—made feel things I really didn’t want to feel.

And there was no way I was admitting I was kind of into Craig Lesnar. He was rude to us. He has a girlfriend. I an, seriously, that would be embarrassing.

Unlike Phoebe, I’m not one to over share. I looked at her, eyes wide, "Phoebe, please. Can we drop it?"

But she wasn’t done. "Oh, no way. We are so not done. You’re telling there’s no spark, no tension? Please."

gan, watching us like it was better than the red table interview. "Phoebe’s just dying for a partner in cri. Honestly, she probably wants to drag you into so cursed double date situation."

Phoebe laughed. "Okay, no lie, that would be iconic. But I don’t think Craig would be thrilled. The way he looked at this morning after I left Keith’s room? Death. Stare. I honestly thought for a second he might be in love with Keith."

We burst out laughing.

But behind the laughter, sothing caught in my chest. Craig’s death stare. Yeah. I knew that look well. It used to be the only one he ever gave , until he didn’t. Until he showed sothing softer.

Sothing real.

I smiled faintly, trying to keep my face neutral. But inside, sothing ached. I could still feel the way his gaze lingered like he was holding back a thousand things he was too cool to say. The silence between us had started to feel like its own kind of language. Dangerous. Unspoken. Magnetic.

Fuck, I can’t be distracted.

I reminded myself, sitting up straighter.

Not by him.

Not by any of this.

I cleared my throat, the laughter still clinging to the corners of the room, and reached for the one thing that had been sitting heavy on my chest since day one. The thing I’d been dying to say, but didn’t know how. "Did you guys hear about the female Professor who died here at Belford?"

Just like that, the room shifted. The air thinned. The laughter faded.

Stillness settled in, cold and sudden.