My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Twenty

The first day back at school after winter break was as chaotic as Eddie had expected. Hallways were packed, everyone buzzing with stories of their holidays and groaning about returning to homework and early mornings. Eddie tried to keep his head down, hoping to slide through the day unnoticed.

Of course, Richie had other plans.

"Morning, Eds!" Richie called out, leaning casually against Eddie's locker as Eddie approached. His grin was wide, infuriatingly smug, and Eddie already felt his patience wearing thin.

"Don't call me that," Eddie muttered, brushing past Richie to open his locker.

"What? Eds? You love it," Richie teased, leaning closer. "How was the rest of your New Year? You know, after I walked in on you and Luke getting cozy in my room."

Eddie slammed his locker door shut, his cheeks flaming. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly, glaring at Richie.

Richie smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, come on. You don't have to play coy with me. Everyone needs a midnight kiss, right?"

"Go away," Eddie snapped, shoving past him and stalking down the hallway.

"See you later, Eds!" Richie called after him, his laughter echoing down the corridor.

Eddie's mood soured further when he spotted Luke waiting for him by the cafeteria. Luke's eyes lit up when he saw Eddie, but his expression darkened as Richie walked past, smirking like he owned the place.

"Hey," Luke said, pulling Eddie into a one-armed hug. "What did he want?"

"Nothing," Eddie said quickly, brushing off Luke's arm. "He's just being Richie."

Luke frowned, his jaw tightening. "He's always hanging around you. It's weird."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "He's annoying, not a stalker."

Luke crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he watched Richie disappear into the cafeteria. "Still. He's got no business messing with you."

"Luke," Eddie said, his tone firmer now. "It's fine. Let it go."

Luke's expression softened slightly, but he still looked unconvinced. "Alright. But if he crosses a line, you let me know, okay?"

Eddie nodded, though his stomach churned uneasily. The last thing he needed was Luke and Richie clashing. He just wanted to get through the day without any more drama. Unfortunately, with Richie and Luke in his orbit, that seemed like an impossible task.

Luke set down his drink and leaned closer, the playful glint in his eyes replaced with something softer, more serious. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Eddie blinked, startled by the shift in tone. Luke's usual easygoing demeanor seemed more tentative now, and it made Eddie sit up straighter. "Uh, yeah. Sure," Eddie said, trying to ignore the sudden nervous flutter in his stomach.

Luke hesitated for a moment, looking down at the table before meeting Eddie's gaze with a small, crooked smile. "I was wondering... do you want to go out with me? Like, on a real date?"

Eddie froze, his heart skipping a beat as the words sank in. "A date?" he repeated, his voice a little higher than he intended.

"Yeah," Luke said, his grin turning a bit sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, we've already spent a lot of time together, and I've been having a great time. I thought maybe we could, you know, make it official? Give it a real shot?"

Eddie's chest tightened with a whirlwind of emotions. There was excitement—it felt good to be wanted, to have someone like Luke see him as more than just a friend. But there was also a pang of nervousness, an edge of doubt that whispered in the back of his mind. His thoughts flickered briefly to Richie, unbidden, and as if on cue, he glanced across the cafeteria.