My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Fourteen

Richie didn't mean to notice Eddie as much as he did. He thought that keeping his distance, giving Eddie the space he had asked for—demanded, even—would help smooth things over. After all, he had promised Lexi he wouldn't meddle, and he had convinced himself that letting Eddie figure things out on his own was the right thing to do.

But no matter how much Richie tried to focus on Lexi, on his friends, or even on his schoolwork, his eyes always seemed to find Eddie. In the hallways between classes, at lunch in the cafeteria, even outside by the bike racks after school. It was like some invisible force was drawing his attention, even when he knew he shouldn't look.

At first, Richie told himself it was just habit. After all, Eddie had been on his mind for weeks now—how could he not notice him? But lately, something was different.

Eddie wasn't alone anymore.

Richie first saw him with some guy, Luke—in passing, a fleeting glimpse in the hallway. Eddie was walking next to Luke, his notebook clutched tightly to his chest, and he was smiling. Not the polite, forced smile Richie had gotten used to seeing from Eddie, but a real one, wide and unrestrained. Luke was saying something, his hands gesturing animatedly, and Eddie was laughing in a way Richie hadn't seen in months.

The sight of it made Richie stop in his tracks, his chest tightening with something he couldn't quite name. He stood there, watching as Eddie and Luke turned the corner, their voices fading into the crowd. For the rest of the day, Richie couldn't shake the image of Eddie's smile from his mind.

After that, Richie started seeing them everywhere. In the cafeteria, Eddie and Luke sat together at a table near the corner, their heads bent close as they shared inside jokes. Luke would nudge Eddie with his elbow, and Eddie would roll his eyes, but the grin on his face never disappeared. It was almost like watching a completely different person—this Eddie was lighter, freer, like some weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Richie told himself he should be happy. This was what he'd wanted, wasn't it? For Eddie to find his footing, to feel better, to move on. But every time he saw Eddie laughing with Luke, a pang of something sharp and uncomfortable settled in Richie's chest.

He tried to brush it off. It didn't matter. Eddie was Lexi's brother, and Richie had no right to feel anything about his life outside of that context. But the ache didn't go away. If anything, it grew worse.

One afternoon, Richie found himself lingering by the library doors, pretending to look at a bulletin board as he caught sight of Eddie and Luke inside. They were sitting at a table by the window, Luke sprawled out in his chair, and Eddie leaning forward, animatedly pointing at something in his sketchbook. Luke laughed, and Eddie swatted at his arm, his own laughter spilling out a moment later.

Richie clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. He hated the way his stomach twisted, hated how his first instinct was to storm in there and... do what? He didn't even know.

"Dude, what are you staring at?" A familiar voice broke Richie's thoughts.

He turned to see Stan standing next to him, an eyebrow raised. Richie quickly straightened up, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Nothing," he muttered.

Stan followed Richie's gaze into the library, his expression turning skeptical. "Right. Nothing."

Richie rolled his eyes. "Drop it, Stan."

"Whatever you say," Stan said, shrugging as he walked off. But Richie could feel Stan's lingering glance as he left, and it only added to the frustration bubbling under Richie's skin.

That night, Richie lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His phone was on the nightstand beside him, buzzing every so often with texts from Lexi. He didn't have the energy to respond. His mind was too tangled, his emotions too messy. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Eddie's face—smiling, laughing, carefree—and that same knot of confusion and guilt twisted tighter in his chest.