I will possess your heart - Rhys Montrose X Reader

───Part 11.

"I didn't get a chance to ask you this earlier," Rhys spoke through the phone, the electronic device not doing his voice justice. He'd called you right after his meeting; you were cooking dinner, your planner opened on the counter next to the stove, filling in pieces you'd forgotten to earlier. "But what'd you think of them?"

"Honestly?" Balancing the phone on your shoulder and pressing it against your ear, you let the excess water out from the pot of rice.

"Honestly."

"They're bellends. Can't figure out why you're still friends with them," Grabbing the bowl of rice you'd just filled in, you put the freshly done chicken into it, salivating at the smell of it - between spending the morning with Rhys and then meeting his friends, you'd forgotten to eat much.

"Phoebe is the only one I can understand, but that's it really, sorry. The rest of them were just... let's just say they're not the type of people I willingly interact with. Ever." You heard Rhys chuckle on the other end of the line as you turned off the lights above the stove (electricity bills have not been kind lately). "Oh! I did like Jonathan though, but he's more Phoebe's than yours, right?"

"Yeah, he does seem quite friendly though. Might have to steal him from Phoebe."

"See that's a friendship I'd be rooting for." You plopped down at the table with your food and planner, slightly confused as to why the laptop was in a different position than you left it in this morning, but you brushed it off nonchalantly.

It wasn't the first time you'd spotted one of your items in the wrong angle, or just a smidge out of order. With Lucille coming and going and Amanda staying every now and then it wasn't anything new, but it did seem to happen a lot more this past year.

If Amanda were here she'd blame it on the hobgoblins. Then again if she was, you'd be blaming it on her.

"Glad you'll be approving of at least one of them then."

"Two of them you mean - don't forget Phoebe."

His laugh, although distorted, sends butterflies to your stomach, making you wish that he'd still be with you right now.

"So, now that you've met my friends, when do I get to meet yours?"

Nevermind, you were glad he wasn't, otherwise he'd have seen the way youfroze up and nearly dropped your utensils. That would have been awkward to explain.

You gnaw at your bottom lip thinking of an acceptable answer - Rhys didn't know you've only had one friend for years (Amanda didn't count since she's your little sister).

Lucille's partner never really counted as a friend in your mind - they belonged to Lucille and you belonged to her. The two of you were friendly, but never hung out without Lucille. She was the bridge between you.

It wasn't that you didn't like them - you did - but you just didn't know how to let them in, and neither did they.