Falling for my Enemy's Brother-Chapter 42: It’s official

The city noise fell away behind them, replaced by quiet roads and the hush of the countryside.

Merlina leaned against the car window, her thoughts drifting as the fields rolled past, golden and open, like something out of a storybook. Louis sat beside her, humming along to an old playlist he probably thought she would like.

They did not talk much on the drive. Not because it was tense, but because there was not much to say.

"You okay?" he asked as they turned onto a gravel path.

She glanced at him. That eager smile again, genuine, sweet and warm.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Just a long week."

He gave a thoughtful little "hmm" and parked under the shade of a wide oak tree.

Below the hill, a meadow stretched out, sun-drenched and quiet. He opened the trunk, revealing a neatly packed picnic basket and a checkered blanket.

"Told you I had something different planned," he said, beaming.

Merlina offered a soft smile. "You did."

They set up beneath the tree. He unpacked sandwiches, fruit, sparkling water in glass bottles. Everything was well thought out, clean, curated, safe. The kind of moment people post with long captions about being present and grateful.

She bit into a strawberry while he talked about their classes, some drama in the debate group, a movie he thought she would like. She nodded along, taking it all in. The breeze tugged at her sleeves. Somewhere in the distance, bees buzzed lazily over wildflowers.

Then he shifted on the blanket.

"I have been thinking," he said, clearing his throat. "This might sound kind of sudden, but... I really like you, Merlina."

She looked at him. His eyes were wide with hope, his knees slightly bent like he was not sure how to sit still in his own excitement.

"You are just, you are strong. And funny. And I see how much you carry, and how you keep going. I admire that."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the bottle of water.

"Thank you, Louis," she said after a pause. "That is really kind of you."

"I mean it," he said, scooting a little closer. "And I know there has been a lot going on with your family and everything, but I just want to be someone you can count on. Like, for real. I want to be more than just a friend to you, if you will let me."

The meadow around them was still. Calm. Perfect, maybe. Too perfect.

Merlina stared out over the tall grass for a moment, as if the wind might carry her a sign.

This should be easy, she told herself. Louis was kind. Consistent. The opposite of chaos. But her chest stayed quiet, her pulse unbothered.

Still, she nodded.

"Okay."

His whole face lit up. "Yeah? Seriously?"

She laughed softly, unsure why it sounded so hollow. "Yeah. I mean, you have been great, Louis. I could use some great right now."

He reached for her hand across the checkered blanket, his grin a mix of joy and disbelief. "Can I?" he asked softly. When she nodded, he laced his fingers with hers. His thumb moved slowly over her knuckles, like he was memorizing the moment.

Merlina did not pull away.

But inside, she was not thinking about Louis.

She was thinking about someone else’s voice. Someone else’s touch. Someone who made her feel everything all at once and nothing safe at all.

In that moment, she could not help but compare them. Craig pushed her against the wall without hesitation, held her hands like they belonged to him, lifted her chin as if it were his right. He did all those things without asking, like he owned every inch of her.

Louis, on the other hand, had not even touched her yet. He had not stood close enough to make her heart skip. He was asking for permission, to date her, to hold her hand, before he even made a move.

The difference was impossible to ignore.

Part of her craved the fire, the danger, the way Craig made her feel like she was drowning in something fierce and wild. But at the same time, she could not deny she respected Louis. He was a gentleman, the kind of man you rarely find these days, steady, kind, careful.

It was like choosing between a storm and a calm sea.

Neither felt quite right. But maybe, for now, she needed the calm.

Louis reached into the picnic basket and held up a little container. "Okay, do not laugh, but I brought mini croissant sandwiches. Chicken salad. My mom’s recipe."

Merlina blinked, then let out a soft laugh. "You packed those?"

"I wanted it to feel like an actual picnic, not just takeout under a tree," he said, clearly proud of himself. "Also, I brought strawberry lemonade and a chocolate tart I found at that new bakery on Maple."

"You are dangerously close to setting a new standard," she teased.

He looked down for a beat, then back at her. "Can I kiss you?"

Merlina’s breath hitched. There was a sweetness in the way he asked, none of Craig’s force, none of that raw magnetism. But there was sincerity.

She nodded.

Louis leaned in, slow and careful, brushing his lips against hers like he was afraid to break her. It was soft. Gentle. Warm.

She kissed him back, because it felt like the right thing to do.

Then her phone buzzed between them.

Merlina pulled back, her thumb swiping across the screen.

MEGAN: Pool party at The Wave House. Come when you are done being all datey. I am bored as hell over here.

Louis peered over her shoulder and chuckled. "Should we go rescue her?"

"I think we have to," Merlina said with a grin, packing up the tart and folding the blanket.

By the time they got to The Wave House, a rented-out frat-owned spot known for its college-sponsored bashes, the party was already wild. Music pounded from massive speakers, LED lights rippled across the water, and someone had cannonballed into the pool wearing a full costume. It had that signature Belford chaos vibe.

Merlina spotted Megan lounging on a pool chair with her legs crossed and an exaggerated sigh on her lips. She was watching Phoebe and Keith flirt by the pool, very much the third wheel.

"Save me," Megan groaned dramatically the moment she saw them. "They are disgusting."

"We are a thing now," Louis said, sliding his arm around Merlina’s waist with a proud grin.

Megan’s eyes popped. "No way, for real?"

Merlina gave a small nod, half-smiling. "Yeah, made it official at the picnic."

"Well, damn," Megan said, grinning. "Congrats. You two are actually kind of cute."

They chatted for a while, Megan peppering them with teasing questions while clearly relieved not to be left alone with the lovebirds.

A few minutes later, Louis nudged Merlina gently. "Come with me? Let’s grab a drink."

They started walking across the patio toward the drink station. The night air was warm, the scent of chlorine and barbecue clinging to everything. People laughed and splashed in the background.

Then, without warning, Louis slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned in and kissed her neck, softly at first, then again, just below her ear.

Merlina let out a small laugh, caught off guard. "Louis..."

He grinned against her skin. "Sorry. Could not resist."

But her smile faltered the moment her eyes lifted and locked onto him.

Craig Lesnar.

He stood on the other side of the pool, one hand curled around a red cup, the other hanging loosely by his side. His eyes were fixed on them, on her, sharp and unblinking. He did not move, did not speak, but the way he looked at her made the air thicken.

Slowly, his gaze swept from her face to Louis’s hands at her waist, to the spot where Louis’s lips had just been on her neck. Then back up again.

Disgust.

It was not dramatic, but she saw it. The way Craig’s jaw tightened, how his nostrils flared slightly, and the way his eyes moved over them, slow and sharp, like the sight of her with Louis made him sick.

Her laughter died on her lips.

Louis did not notice.

But she did.

Every nerve in her body did.