My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning, Eddie sat on the living room floor, lazily flipping through an old magazine but not really reading anything. His mind was a tangled mess, filled with everything he couldn't quite process. The compass from Richie sat on the coffee table, catching the light in a way that seemed to mock him. Why had Richie given it to him? Why did it feel so significant? And why, despite everything, did it make Eddie's heart feel heavy?

"Eddie!" Lexi's voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.

He blinked, looking up to see his sister leaning casually against the doorway, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. She was grinning, clearly excited about whatever plan she was about to propose.

"Richie and I are going to the mall," she announced, stepping into the room. "You should come with us."

Eddie frowned, his instinctive reaction to refuse kicking in immediately. "No thanks," he said quickly, his tone sharper than he intended.

Lexi's grin faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly, crossing her arms as she moved closer. "Come on, Eddie. It'll be fun. We'll get lunch, maybe check out some post-Christmas sales. You could use some fresh air."

"I don't need fresh air," Eddie muttered, looking back down at the magazine in a weak attempt to dismiss her.

But before Lexi could reply, Richie's voice cut through the room, dripping with his usual teasing tone. "Yeah, Eds," Richie called from where he was lounging on the couch, one arm draped over the backrest. "Get some fresh air. It's good for your brooding artist vibe."

Eddie shot him a glare, but Richie just smirked, clearly enjoying himself.

Lexi stepped closer, hands on her hips. "Seriously, Eddie. Come with us. You need to get out of the house before you start growing roots into the carpet."

Eddie hesitated, his eyes flicking to Richie, who raised an eyebrow in challenge. Staying home meant being alone with his thoughts, and after the previous night, that didn't feel like a great idea. On the other hand, spending time with Richie felt equally complicated.

"Fine," Eddie said finally, letting out an exaggerated sigh as he stood up. "But only if you're paying for lunch."

Lexi grinned triumphantly, clapping her hands. "Deal. Let's go!"

Richie stood up, stretching lazily. "I call shotgun," he said, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "You're not even driving."

"Exactly," Richie shot back, grinning. "That's why I get shotgun."

Lexi laughed as she grabbed her purse, nudging Eddie toward the door. "Come on, you two. Try not to kill each other before we get there."

As they piled into Lexi's car, Eddie found himself wedged in the backseat, silently regretting his decision. Richie turned around from the passenger seat, smirking at Eddie as Lexi started the car.

"You look thrilled," Richie teased, leaning his arm over the headrest.

"Shut up," Eddie muttered, crossing his arms and slumping back into the seat.

Lexi glanced at them through the rearview mirror, her grin widening. "This is going to be fun. I can feel it."

Eddie wasn't so sure about that, but as the car pulled out of the driveway and the familiar streets blurred past, he decided to just go along with it. After all, how bad could a trip to the mall really be?

He'd find out soon enough.

The rest of the car ride to the mall was filled with Lexi's animated chatter about the sales she wanted to hit and her plans for New Year's Eve. She bounced between excitement about finding a perfect outfit for the holiday and brainstorming resolutions she was sure she wouldn't keep past January. Richie threw in the occasional comment to keep her going, but even he seemed unusually quiet. He mostly stared out the window, fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. Meanwhile, Eddie remained glued to his phone, texting Luke, grateful for the distraction.