Falling for my Enemy's Brother-Chapter 61: The Universe said Hi

His voice was quiet and firm, but to her, it felt too loud. Cutting through the swirl of emotions she’d been holding back and leaving her exposed.

As she wrestled with her thoughts, hearing her name from his lips caught her off guard, stirring a nervous uncertainty about what might come next.

She turned her face back to him, slow and careful, as if her heart weren’t pounding and her spine hadn’t stiffened. Calling her name like that, out loud and in front of everyone. What was he up to?

"What?" she blinked. Around the half-built campsite, everyone was still talking and laughing, but for her, the world had tilted.

Adriana looked up, sensing the shift. Her smile faltered just a little, eyes narrowing as she followed Craig’s gaze to Merlina.

Craig’s gaze didn’t move. "You’re stepping on the tarp."

She frowned. "What?"

His tone didn’t shift. "The tarp."

Then his eyes dropped. So did hers.

"Oh."

She stepped off the thin, rough sheet of tarp, the waterproof cover meant to keep their tent dry—and heat rose to her cheeks. Why did she have to step on it? Why now, of all times ?

And why did it even matter to him? Why call her out over this ? It made her feel clumsy and a mess, she wished she could disappear—wished he hadn’t noticed, wished she hadn’t been so careless.

Embarrassment prickled under her skin, sharper than the warm afternoon air. She’d had enough of this group, this stupid circle that felt too tight and suffocating.

Slowly, she drifted toward a smaller group of people nearby. They were playing like kids again, knees dug into the sand, fingers tracing X’s and O’s across makeshift tic-tac-toe boards, laughter bubbling up like a forgotten memory.

She leaned into that warmth, letting it steady her frayed nerves.

Once the tents were finally up, someone shouted, ’Beach time!’ and it didn’t take much to get everyone moving. The group headed down to the shore, the salty breeze messing up their hair and the golden sky lighting everything up.

Some walked into the water, letting the waves splash around their ankles. Others stood in small groups or pairs, barefoot in the sand, watching the sun slowly sink into the ocean. It felt like a little party—soft music playing from a speaker, food grilling on the BBQ, and paper lanterns glowing as the sky grew darker.

Phoebe had her phone out, snapping pictures and shouting, ’Smile!’ while Louis struggled to carry three corn cobs at once. Adriana just rolled her eyes. Then someone brought out a football, and for a moment, it felt like summer would never end.

Later that night, after the group fun died down and everyone retreated to their tents, six of them gathered inside their perfectly set up tent—Louis, Merlina, Keith, Craig, Phoebe, and Adriana.

Phoebe clapped her hands, breaking the quiet.

"Who wants to play a game? Truth or dare?" she suggested with a sly grin.

Adriana immediately shook her head, laughing. "No way. I’ve got trauma from that game. Actual trauma."

"Fine, boring," Phoebe pouted. "What then?"

Louis spoke up. "Let’s do the story game. One word at a time. No pauses. Stall, you’re out."

"Perfect," Phoebe smiled. "Quick and cruel. My favorite."

They formed a loose circle on the tent floor. The rules were clear: say one word quickly to build a sentence. Mess up, and you’re out.

The first round was a mess of laughter. It started with "My," then "dog," "ran," "into," "the," "library," and the tent erupted when someone added "naked."

By the third round, things got more daring.

Keith started, "I—"

Adriana chimed in, "Still—"

Louis, without missing a beat, said, "Love—"

Phoebe smirked and added, "Merlina—"

The tent went quiet.

All eyes flicked toward Craig. It was his turn.

Craig blinked, he opened his mouth, ready to play his turn but instead of playing along, he sat up a little, said, "No, you—wait, what?"

When her name landed, it was like everything in him stalled.

Silence hung for a second, then the whole tent erupted in loud laughter. "Out!" Keith, Louis, and Phoebe shouted at once.

"Four words!" Adriana called out, pointing. "You’re so out!"

Craig slumped back and muttered, "That wasn’t even a real sentence," hoping no one caught how fast his brain short-circuited the moment Merlina’s name entered the mix.

"Yeah yeah...loser." Phoebe teased

But Merlina barely heard the teasing. Something about the way he said it, so fast, like it slipped out before he could catch it, lingered in her chest like a held breath. Why did it sound like her name had knocked the wind out of him?

The game carried on without pause, but she was still back there, frozen in that split second of confusion on his face. Her turn came sooner than she realized.

"Melina!" Phoebe snapped her fingers from across the tent. "Hellooo—your turn!"

Merlina blinked. "Um..."

She looked around, eyes wide, caught completely off guard. She hadn’t even heard the last few words. Her mind was still spinning.

"Out!" Then entire group yelled out, howling in laughter. Well except Craig, his eyes just stayed on her, wishing he knew what she was thinking about.

Merlina gave a tight smile and sat back, but inside she felt like her pulse was giving away too much. She could still see Craig’s face in her head, the way his brow had pinched and his voice caught when her name entered the game like a spark.

Why did he react like that?

Laughter kept rolling through the tent, high and easy and echoing off the nylon walls, until suddenly, the flap zipped open, and a camp counselor stepped in, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on his face.

"Alright, what’s all this noise?" he asked, voice firm.

Phoebe blinked, still grinning. "Nothing, just playing games. We’re good."

The counselor scanned the group, unconvinced. Then he turned his head backwards. "Jamie, Christine. Please come."

The mood shifted instantly.

Everyone fell quiet as two students entered the tent, faces stiff, with pillows and blankets in their hands.

"There was a fight in Jamie and Christine’s tent," the counselor said. "We’re moving them here. To balance things out, two of you will need to switch tents."

A few gasps broke out.

"Uh...sorry, what?" Phoebe asked, frowning.

The counselor ignored the tone and pointed sharply without even glancing up. "You," he said, nodding toward the left—Craig. "And you," his hand moved to the right—Merlina. "You’re moving. Let’s go."

Merlina’s heart dropped. "Me?" She looked across the circle to Craig, already stiffening.

Adriana straightened up like she’d just been doused with cold water. "No. No, that can’t happen."

The counselor cut through the protests. "This isn’t up for debate."

"Wait," Adriana insisted, "Craig can’t go. Let Louis go instead."

Louis, sitting up, gave a half-shrug. "I mean, yeah. It’s fine. I don’t mind."

The counselor raised an eyebrow, clearly out of patience. "Okay, okay. Let’s get one thing straight, I don’t suck up to spoiled kids. You two," he pointed again at Craig and Merlina, "grab your blankets, pillows and everything you’ll be needing. Move. Fast."

Craig knew he could’ve said something, raised his hand, offered resistance—but he didn’t. Because deep down, it felt like the universe wasn’t mocking him for once. It felt like it was gently nudging him toward something it knew he wanted but couldn’t ask for. Out of all the people in that tent, it chose her. And him. Together. Like it had been holding its breath, waiting for the two of them to stop running.

Perhaps this was fate’s quiet challenge. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t resist—it was a chance to be with her, and that was enough.

He glanced at Adriana and Keith, his expression guarded. "Sorry, guys. Guess this is it."

Adriana looked devastated. Keith gave him a little salute, like he was watching his captain go down with the ship.

Merlina moved slower. She was still trying to catch up with what was happening. Her hands found her blanket, her pillow, her overnight bag—but her mind was stuck on a single thought: Why her? Why him?

It felt like a setup. A joke. Or maybe fate had a really twisted sense of humor.

"Louis." She leaned in and gave him a quick, lingering hug.

As Merlina reached for her pillow, Louis leaned in and whispered, "Be careful."

She looked at him.

His jaw tightened slightly, but he forced a smile and added under his breath, "And make sure you get some rest."

She gave a small nod, her heart beating a little faster.

"Bye, Merli," Phoebe said softly, clutching Keith’s arm like she was afraid he might slip out of the tent too.

The group watched as the two of them—Merlina and Craig—gathered their things under the counselor’s shadow. The atmosphere in the tent felt different now, like the air had just been sucked out.

The counselor held the flap open. "Let’s go."

Merlina stepped out first, the cool night brushing her face, carrying the distant scent of sea salt and smoke. Craig followed, quiet.

As the flap zipped shut behind them, Merlina met Craig’s eyes. Both knew this swap wasn’t just about tents—it was about being stuck with each other, whether they liked it or not.