Passionate Exchange

Chapter Forty-Eight

I announce to Brody and Penny as I fall back onto his bed, "Your mum's pancakes are the best." It's now the next day and we've just come back to his room after Christina made us pancakes. Let me tell you, they were the best pancakes I've ever tasted. I can tell where Brody got his talent from.

"You won't be saying that after you've tried mine." He laughs.

Penny walks across the room to his CD collection and starts flicking through them. We're submerged in silence for a few moments, none of us saying anything. It's the day he promised to tell us what was wrong. We can't pretend everything's okay anymore.

"I guess I owe you both an apology." He drops his gaze to his bed, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I've been a crappy friend this past week."

Penny sits on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs, "can't argue with that."

My stern eyes meet hers. She shrugs, signalling to me that it's the truth. Despite her being right, I still correct her. "What she meant to say was you haven't been a crappy friend. We're here to deal with the ups and the downs, it's part of the job criteria. If everything were butterflies and rainbows it'd be boring." I reassure him.

He shoots me a grateful smile and scratches the back of his neck anxiously. We wait patiently for him to reveal the reasoning behind his sudden change of mood over the past week.

"The night we spoke on the phone I told you everything was going good because it was. We were all getting along the best we could considering the circumstances. It's hard to reconnect with someone you haven't seen in god knows how many years, but we made it work," he pauses, letting out a shaky breath.

The tears have started to well in his eyes causing my heart to ache. Penny covers his hand with hers in an attempt to comfort him. "I don't think I can say it without crying." He admits.

I want so badly to tell him that he doesn't have to tell us, but we can't help him if we don't know what's happened. He can't carry the weight on his shoulders alone. I know that talking to us about it will help him feel better even if it's just a little bit.

I say the first solution that comes to mind. "Don't say it then," he tilts his head in confusion. "Send it to us in a message."

He sniffles and agrees before grabbing his phone as he starts to type what he has to say. We leave the room, giving him some needed space, and go downstairs to help Christina with the dishes. He doesn't like to show people he's sad, that's one of the things I've learned about him. He's the friend in the group that boosts our spirits and is always there when we need him. I don't think he's used to the roles being reversed.

It doesn't take long for us to both get a message through from him. I wipe my hands on a towel before joining Penny on the sofa. My eyes scan over the text. My heart cracks with each word I read.

I don't really know where to start so I guess I should just start when everything went wrong. We had just gotten back from the restaurant that night when I called you. We were laughing at something that had happened in the car on the way back. The endless amount of Pepsi I'd drunk and the laughing didn't go well together. I had to rush to the toilet before I wet myself right there in the kitchen. That would've been embarrassing.

A chuckle emits from my lips. I wouldn't put it past Brody to laugh so much that he almost wets himself. Laughing is second nature to him. But when he starts it's hard for him to stop.

I came back down after and saw my dad and Caroline cuddling on the sofa. I found myself smiling as I watched them which is a first. It was the first time I'd seen them both together and not been reminded of when he and my mum used to do that. I didn't want to disturb them so I was going to go to my room, but I couldn't when I noticed that his hand was on her stomach.