My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Twelve

The next few weeks were hard. Eddie avoided Richie and Lexi at all costs. His once-familiar routes through school were carefully altered, each hallway and stairwell chosen with the sole purpose of dodging them. The cafeteria was out of the question—too many chances of running into them together. Instead, he took his lunch outside when the weather allowed or retreated to the library when it didn't. Every day felt like a battle to stay invisible, to slip through the cracks unnoticed.

His time with Stan and Bill was quieter than usual. Eddie would sit with them during breaks and lunch, but he barely spoke unless prompted, and even then, his answers were clipped and distracted. Stan shot him worried glances every now and then, nudging Bill to say something, but neither of them knew how to reach Eddie when he had clearly built walls around himself.

"You're gonna talk about it eventually, you know," Stan said one day as the three of them sat in the corner of the library. "You're not as subtle as you think."

Eddie glanced up from his untouched notebook, frowning. "There's nothing to talk about," he muttered, his voice flat.

Stan raised an eyebrow but didn't push. Bill, on the other hand, leaned forward, his voice gentle but firm. "Eddie, w-we're worried about you. You're not yourself."

Eddie's jaw tightened, his eyes darting away from Bill's gaze. "I'm fine," he said quickly, grabbing his bag and standing up. "I have to go to class."

"Eddie," Stan called after him, but Eddie was already halfway to the door, his steps hurried and uneven.

Meanwhile, Richie wasn't faring much better. He tried to focus on his relationship with Lexi, pouring his energy into their time together in an attempt to drown out the guilt gnawing at him. He'd pick her up for school, hold her hand in the hallways, and laugh at her jokes, but it all felt hollow. Every time he smiled, it felt like a mask; every time he kissed her, it felt like a lie.

Eddie's devastated face haunted him. The way Eddie's voice had cracked, the anger and pain that had laced every word—it played in Richie's mind over and over again, an endless loop he couldn't escape. He tried to convince himself he'd made the right choice, that staying with Lexi was the logical thing to do, but it didn't stop the guilt. It didn't stop the ache in his chest every time he thought about Eddie walking away, shutting him out completely.

Lexi, though oblivious to the full extent of what had happened, wasn't blind to the tension that lingered in the air. She noticed how Eddie avoided her, his once-playful attitude replaced with a cold distance that stung more than she cared to admit. She noticed how Richie's jokes seemed forced, his laughter hollow, his mind often somewhere else even when they were together.

One evening after school, Richie and Lexi decided to ditch the typical homework grind and spend some quality time together. Richie had suggested they grab burgers at the diner down the street, a spot they'd both loved since they started dating. The place was cozy, with vinyl booths and a jukebox in the corner that played oldies for a dime. Lexi was already flipping through the menu when Richie slid into the booth across from her.

"You always get the same thing," he teased, propping his chin on his hand. "Why even bother looking?"

Lexi smirked, not taking her eyes off the laminated pages. "Because one day, I might surprise you and order a salad or something."

Richie snorted. "Yeah, right. You'd riot the second you saw my burger and fries come out."

"Fair," Lexi admitted, setting the menu down with a grin. "But maybe I'll steal some of your fries. For balance."

"Balance, huh?" Richie leaned back, his arms sprawled across the booth. "This is why I love you. You've got a master plan for everything."

Lexi rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You love me because I let you get away with being a dork."