rumors | byler and reddie

Chapter 13: Coping and trying to move on

It had been exactly 5 months since the losers club split up and Eddie and Richie and Mike and Will broke up. Mike and Will both handed the breakup better than Eddie and Richie did.

It was so long ago, but it still hurt like hell. Richie just tried to not cry because like his father would always tell him, "Boys don't cry."

Bill had stayed friends with Richie. Henry Bowers cousin, Connor, had moved to Hawkins from Arizona. He wasn't anything like his cousin though. He was nice and kind of reminded Richie of Eddie. Connor, Richie, and Bill became friends immediately. 

Richie was still waiting for Eddie, but it was getting stressful. He just wanted to be able to kiss the boy again. He stopped being an f boy and focused on himself and his friends only in hopes it would change Eddies mind about not dating him again, but he was unsuccessful.

Things between him and Mike were awkward considering Richie was kind of the reason him and Will broke up.

Eddie didn't really have friends now. He wasn't even close with Will anymore. The person he hung out with the most was Ben who wasn't pissed he went off on basically all their friends. He missed the summer greatly.

Another thing that had happened was Connor and Richie getting a little to close for Eddies liking. Eddie felt jealousy every time he saw them together.

***

The three friends were hanging out in Richies room. Him and Mike finally had separate rooms after almost 18 years. Connor had his head in Richies lap as Richie played with his hair. Bill was on the floor sorting through the old records he found in the basement. "So these were your moms?" Bill asked Richie.

"I mean i'm assuming. My dad doesn't like music and my mom loved Nirvana, ABBA, and that kind of shit." Richie answered.

"She sounds like she was a pretty cool mom." Connor smiled.

"She was." Richie nodded with a smile that quickly faded. "But, she left us and said she would come back some day for us, but look where me and Mike are now. We're still in this shit hole."

"Who knows. She could still come back you know." Connor stated.

Richie sighed and ruffled Connors hair who gave Richie and death glare and flattened out his hair. "I envy your positivity love." Richie laughed. "But, who wants to come home to a 18 year old?"

"A mom who loves her kids." Richie just shrugged and ruffled Connors hair again. Connor sat up and flattened out his hair again. "Asshole."

"Oh you know you love it Bowers." Richie joked as he bumped shoulders with Richie.

"No. No I don't." Connor corrected.

"Sure." Richie smiled, resting his head on Connors shoulder. Connor was used to this by now. Richies love language was touch.

"Gays." Bill sighed shaking his head.

"Your the one to talk." Richie stated, raising an eyebrow.

Bill just shrugged. "Fair point. Fair point."

"Now go say sorry to Stan the man before I kill you Denbrough."

"I'll pass."

"Your friend group and couple stories is hella confusing. It's been 5 months so do you really have to be this mad at each other."

"Yes because Eddie and Richie have undying love for each other."

Richie threw a pillow at Bill. "We do not!" Richie defended. "We came to an agreement after you shit heads left. We agreed that we weren't meant to be together. I begged him to stay, but he said it was pointless. I wanted to tell him I would wait, but I didn't. We said bye to each other nicely and he ran off."

Connor looked hurt. "So what Richie? This." He motioned between him and Richie. "Is some kind of coping mechanism because you can't have Eddie?" Richie opened his mouth to say something, but Connor spoke again. "Save it Richie. I'm leaving."

He walked out the door. Richie yelled after him. "Come on Connor! I'm sorry! Connor!" The boy didn't stop. Richie groaned.

"See this is what happens when you say and do dumbass things. Shouldn't you know better by now?"

"I didn't mean to! He misunderstood me."

"I think he understood you quite clearly Richie."

"He didn't though. I don't like Eddie anymore, but it still hurts knowing I hurt him! I like Connor now Bill so stop acting like you know how I feel. Also how about you go talk to your ex who you still like while your dating another guy." Richie snapped. Bill look pissed as he ran out of the Tozier residence.

Richie let out a sigh and grabbed Eddies hoodie out of his nightstand drawer. It still smelled like him. Every time Richie was stressed or sad he would put it on and cry. It was the closest thing to Eddie he had to comfort him. He sat there sobbing on his bed, feeling like an idiot as he held Eddies hoodie.