My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Twenty Four

The next morning, Eddie woke up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through Richie's messy blinds. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was, the unfamiliar weight of the blanket and the faint smell of Richie's cologne disorienting him. Then it all came rushing back—the night before, Richie's breakdown, the chaos of it all.

Eddie groaned softly, sitting up and rubbing his face. He glanced down at the floor where Richie was sprawled out, his mouth slightly open, snoring softly. For all the turmoil of the previous night, Richie looked peaceful now, his features relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Of course he sleeps like a baby after all that," Eddie muttered to himself, shaking his head.

He carefully climbed out of the bed, trying not to wake Richie as he stretched and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. It was early, earlier than he'd expected, but he figured he should probably head home before Sonia started asking questions. Quietly, he grabbed his shoes and tiptoed toward the door.

"Going somewhere?"

Richie's groggy voice stopped him in his tracks. Eddie turned to find Richie sitting up, his hair sticking up in every direction and his eyes barely open.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Eddie said softly. "I was just gonna head home."

Richie rubbed his eyes and yawned. "You could've just told me. No need to sneak out like you're running from a one-night stand."

Eddie rolled his eyes, fighting back a smile. "You're unbelievable."

Richie smirked, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Breakfast before you go? I think we've got some eggs... somewhere."

Eddie hesitated. "I should really get home."

Richie's smirk faltered, replaced by something softer. "Stay for a bit, Eds. Just a little while."

Eddie sighed, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. "Fine. But I'm not helping you find those eggs."

Richie grinned, dragging himself to his feet and ruffling Eddie's hair as he passed by. "Deal."

The two went down to the kitchen where Richie made some terrible breakfast, he wasn't the greatest at cooking but Eddie appreciated the effort. Richie swirled his coffee lazily, staring at the dark liquid like it held some kind of answer. "So," he began, glancing up at Eddie, "are you coming to my birthday?"

Eddie blinked, caught off guard by the direct question. "Uh, yeah. The losers asked me to come. Figured I'd show up for a bit."

Richie smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Wow, Eds. Way to make me feel special. 'Show up for a bit,' huh? You sure know how to make a guy feel loved."

Eddie rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his toast. "Don't start with me, Richie. You're lucky I'm even coming after all the crap you pulled this week."

Richie chuckled, but the sound lacked its usual edge. He looked down at his coffee again, swirling it one last time before setting the mug down. His voice was quieter when he spoke next.

"What about Lexi?" he asked, his tone carefully casual. "She coming?"

Eddie froze for a moment, his fingers tightening around his mug. "I don't think so," he said carefully, avoiding Richie's gaze. "She, uh... she didn't mention anything."

Richie nodded slowly, his jaw tightening. "Figures."

Eddie looked up, frowning. "Why do you care? You two broke up, remember?"

Richie sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I don't know, Eds. I guess... I thought maybe she'd still want to come. For the group, you know? To keep the peace."