Falling for my Enemy's Brother-Chapter 64: Love in the Dark

Merlina wasn’t sure who moved first, maybe him, maybe her...but the moment their eyes locked, the gap closed without warning.

Their lips collided. Instantly.

There was no hesitation this time, no soft build-up or gentle test, just mouths crashing together in a rush that blurred reason.

A shiver ran through her the second their mouths met, but she didn’t pull back. Neither did he. It was like every heated glance, every loaded silence, every buried lie had been dragging them to this wild, reckless moment.

Her fingers tangled in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer as if she could somehow anchor herself in the chaos of desire. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Craig’s hand cupped her cheek, warm and steady, before sliding down her neck, deepening the kiss with a hunger that seared through her skin and set her pulse racing. His lips crushed hers, demanding, claiming — raw and desperate, like he was trying to swallow every doubt and fear between them.

He tasted like trouble.

And she kissed him back, surrendering without apology, like the world outside had ceased to matter.

Her body pressed into his, burning with a need she couldn’t put in words. Her mouth parted under his, and when his tongue grazed hers, she trembled — a low moan escaping before she could stop it. She clung to him, hips shifting, heat pooling between her legs—wet, wanting, and utterly undone.

It was messy. Desperate.

Then—

"Merlina!"

The voice sliced through the night like a shot.

She jerked back, breath caught in her throat, her heart hammered. Craig’s lips had barely left hers before the world crashed back in.

Their foreheads still touched.

Their noses brushed.

And Craig... he hadn’t let go.

"Merlina!"

Closer now. Louder.

Louis.

She gasped, and instinctively held onto Craig’s wrist, his hand still pressed to her cheek. Her eyes widened, her lips still damp, her chest heaving. The tears she thought had dried began to pool again.

Craig froze, breath ragged, lips parted as if trying to hold onto the moment that was abruptly cut short, trying to believe it was real.

But she couldn’t breathe.

Her heart was thudding so loudly it drowned out everything else. Her boyfriend was looking for her in the dark. The boyfriend she had just betrayed.

"Merlina!"

The voice drew nearer.

She shot up. Panic lit every nerve in her body.

"Louis!" she called, shifting so suddenly away from the pine tree she nearly stumbled. Her body moved before her brain could catch up—like she could shield what just happened with speed alone.

The shadows shifted, and then there he was. Louis, squinting into the dark, his brows furrowed with concern when he saw her.

"Hey," he said, his voice laced with worry. "Are you okay? I’ve been looking everywhere for you, why didn’t you answer?"

Merlina plastered on the best version of a calm she could fake. "Uh...I’m fine," Though her body hadn’t caught up. Her lips still tingled as she exhaled, the taste of Craig still clung there, warm and wrong and addictive. She licked them, almost absentmindedly, like she could dull the sensation, like she could erase the trace.

Her voice wavered. "I just..." She glanced over her shoulder, ensuring Craig was out of sight. "Needed a second."

Louis stepped closer, each step deliberate as he moved toward her. "What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing." Her hand rose almost instinctively, stopping him by resting on his chest. "Uh... I just needed air...yeah, that’s all. Let’s go."

"You sure?" Louis asked softly, brushing her hair from her cheek. "You seem...shaken."

She nodded. Said all the right things.

But something felt... off.

Louis tried to shake it off.

"I’m fine," she repeated, softer this time, with a small nod. "Please, let’s just go."

She wrapped her arms around herself, still blocking his view of Craig, who hadn’t moved, still sitting in the shadows, a statue carved from heartbreak.

Louis turned with her, but she felt the weight of what she was leaving behind—of who she’d left behind. Her steps felt heavy, her hands cold, her mouth still tingling from a kiss she wasn’t supposed to want.

And behind her, she didn’t need to look back to know—Craig was still there, watching her walk away.

But Craig still hadn’t moved.

Not even an inch.

His hand felt numb now from all the stillness, the very hand that had just caressed her face, unsure if the touch had been real or imagined.

Because she had faded into the dark. Just like that.

But it happened.

They kissed.

She kissed him back.

His chest rose and fell as if he’d just sprinted miles, but it wasn’t air he was desperate for—it was her. That kiss—God.

He hadn’t been prepared for how it would tear through him. The heat, the hunger, the way her body pressed into his like she was starving for something only he could give.

She came apart so sweetly in his arms, molded to him like she was made to fit there—like she belonged with him.

Gosh.

The things he wanted to do to her.

He could still feel her, taste her, and it was driving him insane. He dropped his head back, eyes shut tight, his breath coming in ragged bursts like he’d just been torn from a dream too sweet to survive in the daylight.

What would’ve happened if Louis hadn’t shown up? If he’d had just a little more time to hold her, kiss her deeper, let the rest of the world disappear?

They hadn’t even gone that far. But Gosh, the way her fingers clutched his shirt like she didn’t want to let go, the soft gasp against his lips.

It had undone him.

And then she was gone. Carrying the taste of him with her, while he sat there, breathless. Reeling. Wanting.

She hadn’t even looked back. She didn’t even flinch.

Would she come back? Had it meant something? Or was he just a distraction in a moment of chaos?

Because in the end... she still ran.

Back to Louis.

The guy who called her name in the dark like a prayer. The guy she smiled for. Lied for.

Craig exhaled, slow and shaky—like he’d been holding his breath ever since she walked away.

But it wasn’t Louis her lips had sought out in the dark. Not Louis whose touch made her lose herself, forget where she was, forget who she was.

It was his.

And the thought that he was with her right now, was fucking killing him.

What happened between them wasn’t a mistake. It was a beginning neither of them could deny. And if he was honest, he never wanted to lose that feeling. He never wanted it to stop.

Louis didn’t press her for answers as they walked. He kept his hand gently on the small of her back, guiding her through the tall grass and dim lantern-lit paths of the campgrounds. She was quiet, too quiet, and though she nodded and smiled when he spoke, it was clear her mind miles away.

"Can I crash with Jay or Maya tonight?" she asked suddenly, her voice light, casual—too casual. "I just... don’t feel like staying in the tent."

Louis blinked, surprised, but nodded. "Yeah, sure. Of course."

"Thanks," she said, already turning. "I’ll just go grab my stuff."

She didn’t wait for him to follow.

The tent stood there like a place to confess secrets as she unzipped it slowly. Her heart was still racing, and her lips still felt warm. She could barely look at herself. She couldn’t think straight about what had just happened.

And of course, the moment she stepped inside, there was Adriana. Just what she needed for the night to completely blow up in her face.

Perched on the air mattress like a bored queen, phone in hand, Adriana looked up from where she was lounging inside the tent and offered a small smile immediately she saw her.

Merlina forced something back, a trace of a smile that barely touched her lips. The guilt hit her like a breeze, not strong enough to knock her down, but cold enough to notice.

She didn’t want to be here.

Didn’t want to face anything or anyone, least of all, a girl who hadn’t wronged her.

Merlina cleared her throat. "Just came to get my stuff."

Adriana nodded. "Okay, sure."

Merlina shoved her things into her bag, avoiding Adriana’s gaze. No words. No eye contact. Just zipping, folding, grabbing—fast.

Adriana sat there, silent, watching and also glancing on her phone. Merlina reached past her for the camp flashlight, the one they weren’t supposed to lose.

And then—

A hand. Adriana touched her, barely but enough to make her stop.

Merlina froze, heart pounding. Her eyes slowly lifted, locking onto Adriana’s.

"I’m sorry," Adriana said, a soft, almost amused whisper.

Merlina blinked, confusion swirling with something sharper — unease, maybe panic.

"I’m sorry..." she said again, the laughter still faint in her voice as her gaze sharpened on Merlina. "It’s just..." Her words slowed, like she was tasting each one. "you smell like my boyfriend."