Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 52 (Angel's POV) I scrubbed my laundry and my mind was a million miles away. The sharp scent of detergent stung my nose but it was the least of my worries. Hande was besideand she was chatting about something, but I wasn't really listening. My mind was lost in the chaos of everything that had been happening lately.

I felt eyes onlike tiny needles pricking my skin. I glanced around and caught a few of the girls quickly looking away. Their murmurs were getting louder and harder to ignore. They weren't even trying to be discreet anymore. "Did you hear? She's been sneaking around with her stepbrother. Can you imagine?" one girl muttered, and her voice was just loud enough forto catch. My stomach twisted.

"Hey, Angel," Hande nudged me. "Ignore them, okay?" I nodded, but it wasn't that easy. The whispers grew sharper and crueler.

"Seriously? And she acts all innocent!" "I heard they're really close. It's disgusting." "Enough!" Hande's voice cut through the noise, clear and sharp. "Mind your business! You don't know anything about her." A girl with frizzy hair scoffed and stepped forward. "Why are you defending her? Maybe you're in on it too." Hande took a step closer and squared her shoulders. "Say that again. I dare you." The tension in the room thickened and I felt like I was going to be sick. "Let's just go," I whispered and pulled Hande back. "Please, let's just leave." "But Angel-" "Please," I begged and my voice cracked. Hande finally gave in and letdrag her away.

We barely made it into the hallway when we ran straight into Ava. Her smirk toldeverything I needed to know.

"Oh, look who it is," she sneered. "And she brought her little lapdog too." "Move, Ava," Hande snapped. "We don't have tfor your nonsense." Ava's eyes flicked towith contempt. "You know, I always thought you were pathetic, Angel. But this? Messing around with your own brother? That's low, even for you." My heart stopped. "You don't know anything about us." "Oh, but I do," she said and stepped closer. "Everyone does. And now, they're finally seeing you for the fraud you are." My hands shook. "Leavealone." "Or what?" Ava challenged with a nasty grin spreading across her face. "You gonna run to your brother for protection?" "I'm warning you—" "Warning me?" Ava laughed and the sound was cold and cruel. "You're in no position to warn anyone, Angel. You're just a joke. And guess what? Everyone's laughing." I felt the blood rushing to my face, the humiliation burning hotter and hotter.

Ava's laughter was cold and mocking. "Poor little Angel, always hiding behind someone else." Her expression turned malicious. "You should've seen the way Hendrix looked atlast night. Maybe if you weren't so pathetic, he'd be looking at you that way instead." That was the last straw. I hurled my laundry basket to the ground and my voice echoed through the hallway. "You don't know anything about us!" I yelled and my chest heaved with anger. "You're just jealous because you've never had anything real in your life!" For a moment, Ava looked stunned. Then her expression twisted with rage and her eyes flashed with anger. "How dare you-" "I dare because it's the truth!" I yelled back as tears blurred my vision. "You're nothing but a liar and a coward!" Before I knew it, Ava lunged atand grabbed my hair with a force that made my eyes water. I screamed and tried to fight her off but she was persistent.

Hande didn't hesitate. She threw herself at Ava and pulled her away from me. "Get off her, you psycho!" The hallway filled with shouts and cries but all I could see was Ava's face twisted with anger. She was saying something, something vile and ugly, but I couldn't hear it over the pounding in my ears.

"Stop it!" a voice shouted, and suddenly, the chaos paused. I glanced up, heart racing, as Miss Stefan approached with a stern expression.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

I took the chance to wrench myself free and shoved Ava away. I didn't wait to hear her response I just ran, tears streaming down my face, ignoring Hande's calls behind me.

I didn't stop running until I reached the lounge. I stumbled inside and needed a moment to breathe and think. But instead, I crashed into someone's chest.

"Whoa, slow down," Thomas said and steadied me. His face softened when he saw my tears. "Angel, what happened?" I tried to pull away but he wouldn't let me. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured softly. "You're safe. I've got you." And just like that, everything fell apart. I crumbled against him and sobbed uncontrollably. He didn't say anything. He just heldtighter and ran a hand through my hair. "Shh," he whispered. "It's going to be okay." It felt like hours before I finally stopped crying and my breath cin shaky gasps. Thomas pulled back slightly and used his thumb to wipe away my tears. "You deserve so much more than this," he whispered.

I looked up at him and for the first tin a long while, I felt safe. "Thomas..." He leaned in, so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. "You deserve someone who sees you," he murmured as his lips brushed mine.

I froze. Then I pulled away. "I can't," I whispered and felt my heart break all over again. Thomas stepped back and pain flickered across his face. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to " "No," I cut him off and shook my head. "It's not your fault. I'm just... I'm so confused right now." His eyes softened but he didn't try to stopas I turned and walked away.

(Thomas's POV)

I watched her go and my chest ached with every step she took. What was I thinking? Trying to again kiss her like that? But then again, what else could I do? How else could I show her that I cared? That I saw her, really saw her, in a way that no one else did?

I leaned against the wall and ran a hand through my hair. I needed to be patient and give her time. But it was and so hard when all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and never let go. I couldn't lie to myself. She was becoming more than just a distraction.

(Angel's POV)

By the tI made it back to my dorm, I was barely holding it together. I pushed the door open and ignored the concerned looks from Cylan and Charlotte. I couldn't deal with their questions, not now. "What happened?" Cylan asked gently. "Nothing," I whispered and collapsed onto my bed. "It's nothing." But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. Everything was changing and I was terrified of what would happen next.