Falling for my Enemy's Brother
Chapter 78: Lips Don’t Lie

Chapter 78: Lips Don’t Lie

’Who in this room knows your lips better than anyone else?’

The question card sat in Merlina’s palm like a loaded gun, small but dangerous.

Her mind flashed to El Capitan, the pine tree, her room, the study desk. His hand slipping beneath her shirt, warm and certain, like he had been dying to touch her. His mouth devouring hers, tongue pushed into her mouth as if he was starved for her, bottom lip dragging then sucking until it was wet and swollen.

He kissed her like he wanted to leave a mark not just on her skin but on her soul. When he pulled back, pupils blown and jaw tight, he looked at her as if he was two seconds from dragging her to the bed.

Now across this room, Craig froze. He didn’t even blink. His jaw was set and his posture too perfect, like the boy who had kissed her that way never existed at all.

His fingers twitched against his knee, the only part of him that gave away the composure he was trying so hard to hold onto.

Merlina’s fingers curled tighter around the card like maybe if she held it long enough it would disappear. Like maybe the question wasn’t real. Like maybe the universe wasn’t this cruel.

But it was.

And so were her friends.

She swallowed hard. Her throat tightened around the silence and she let out the softest whisper. "Who the hell wrote these questions?"

Her voice was not angry, just shaken. Trying to stay level, she forced a small laugh, the kind that did not reach her eyes. "Was it you Phoebe? Or Keith?"

"Just answer," Phoebe teased.

The room felt light. Phoebe smirked. Keith grinned. Megan half-scrolled through her phone. But Merlina’s chest was pounding. A lie lodged in her throat ticking like a time bomb.

She did not look at Craig, not even once. She couldn’t dare.

"No one," she said, aiming for casual, like it was the most boring, obvious answer in the world. "Obviously," she added breathlessly.

But it did not settle well.

Not with him.

Craig shifted suddenly, too fast. "This is a stupid game," he blurted louder than he meant to.

All heads snapped to him, including Merlina’s. Phoebe blinked. Keith frowned. Megan stared. Adriana tilted her head.

Merlina froze, her heart thudding faster. Not just from shock but because she was not sure what he would say next. Craig was impulsive and unpredictable. That mix always scared her.

Now that impulsiveness was radiating off him, sharp and volatile, like he could detonate at any second. She hated this.

"What?" Craig asked, trying to play it off but the tension in his voice gave him away. "It’s a pointless game. Let’s do something else."

Phoebe sighed and murmured "Buzz killer" under her breath but Craig did not hear it. Not when his head filled with thoughts.

He reached up and tugged at the collar of his shirt, fingers twitching as if something unseen tightened around his throat, a silent pressure he could not shake.

Maybe it was guilt. Maybe a memory. Or maybe it was the weight of the lie they both carried, swelling in silence while the space around them shrank.

He hated this. Hated sitting across from her pretending he did not know the taste of her lips. Like she had not kissed him with a desperate kind of need. Like she had not kissed him back.

And there she was smiling, laughing and saying ’no one’

No one?

As if he had not memorized her mouth like a prayer he would never be allowed to speak out loud.

Craig was not the type to hide how he felt or bend to anyone’s expectations. He did not care what people thought. Not usually. Holding it all in, burying everything beneath a mask was so not him.

But now, sitting there pretending for the sake of appearances, it felt like punishment. Like a weight pressing down on him. Unfamiliar. Sharp. Unbearable.

Like something unseen had its hands on his throat choking him slowly.

Merlina’s phone buzzed in her lap. She looked down relieved for the excuse. "Be right back." She stood and walked to the far end of the room, phone pressed tight in her hand.

Craig’s eyes followed her for a second like he could not help it. Then he caught himself and looked away. His throat bobbed tense as if hoping no one had noticed.

"Hey," she answered, voice lower now.

"Hey," Louis said warmly. "Just wanted to check if I should bring anything. Snacks? Wine? You guys still at the Villa right?"

"Yeah. We’re playing games."

He laughed. "Of course you are. I’ll be there in fifteen."

"Okay," she said trying to keep her voice even. "See you soon."

She hung up and walked back in. She could feel the shift in the room before she even sat down.

Phoebe raised a brow. "Who was that?"

Merlina sat back down trying hard not to look at Craig as she spoke. "Louis. He’ll be here in a few minutes."

And that was it.

Craig’s chest tightened. He was not going to sit through another round of lies wrapped in smiles and fake perfection looking him dead in the face.

He leaned toward Adriana voice low but sharp at the edges. "We should go."

Adriana blinked her fingers still loosely wrapped around her glass. "Babe, the party just started."

Craig did not even glance at her. "I don’t want to be here."

That was enough.

Adriana sighed loud enough for everyone else to hear, her face tightening for a second before smoothing into something more composed. She flicked a loose strand of hair behind her ear then pasted on her best social smile.

"Right. The gallery thing," she said standing.

Phoebe paused mid-sip lowering her cup slowly. Keith straightened in his seat eyes narrowing slightly. Megan just stared eyes darting between Craig and Adriana like she was trying to do the math in her head.

Adriana clutched her purse and faced the group. "Sorry, guys," she said with a light laugh too sweet to be real. "Craig and I promised we’d stop by a friend’s gallery opening. Totally forgot it overlapped. We’ll see you all soon, okay? Love y’all."

After blowing a few kisses she tugged Craig by the hand and they left.

Craig did not look back.

Merlina watched the door close.

She heard their footsteps echo down the hall.

Even when silence settled over the room again, something in her chest kept ringing.

Megan was the first to speak. "He left because of Louis, right?"

Keith shrugged.

Phoebe tilted her head. "But why? What does Craig have against Louis? What’s the thing between them?"

Keith exhaled slowly tossing a leftover card back in the jar. "It’s not Louis. Not exactly."

Megan frowned. "Then what is it?"

"Conor," Keith said flatly.

Everyone turned to him. Merlina had heard.

"Louis used to beef with Conor. Real ugly stuff. Craig took Conor’s side obviously. Craig always takes Conor’s side."

Merlina had heard some of this before but there was something about Keith’s voice calm and steady like he was holding back a deeper truth. She was still curious drawn to whatever angle he was about to share wanting to hear it all from his side.

Phoebe’s voice was quiet now. "So what? He just beefs everyone that has a problem with Conor?"

Keith looked up his eyes darkening as if shadows had gathered behind them. His voice dropped heavy and bitter. "Conor Lesnar is a manipulative prick. Always has been. He wants Craig to inherit his enemies. Hell, he does not even want Craig to have friends."

He paused jaw tightening. "He has been pushing everyone away for years claiming they’re not good enough to be around Craig. Even tried to drive a wedge between us once."

Phoebe frowns. "Wait. Why does Conor care who Craig is friends with?"

Keith’s gaze flickered away for a moment distant thoughtful before snapping back colder now. "Because Craig has it all — the looks, the brains. If he had the social life too he would be unstoppable. And I think Conor can’t stand that."

Phoebe blinked trying to process. "Really? At his birthday, they seemed like they loved each other."

Keith scoffed softly. "They do. Don’t get me wrong. At least Craig does. But the Lesnars...the dad...he’s like a dictator. Conor is his golden boy. I think Conor just doesn’t want Craig to take his place."

Megan nodded slowly. "So it’s like a dynasty thing. Twisted family politics."

Keith shrugged a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "Yeah. And Craig? He’s either oblivious or just doesn’t care. He knows Conor’s twisted but he overlooks it. That kind of guy is capable of some devious things."

Merlina sat still her hands tightening in her lap. Her breath hitched once twice as each word sunk in like cold water.

Her eyes didn’t leave Keith’s face watching the way his expression flickered the quick shadows behind his eyes the hesitation just beneath the surface. She swallowed hard trying to steady herself as she took in all this info.

Finally Keith’s voice softened almost reluctant but with a sharp edge. "Merlina, I’m sorry to say this out loud but I wouldn’t be surprised if Conor really had something to do with your mother’s death."