My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Fifteen

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at the Kaspbrak house was always a big deal, and this year was no different. The dining room table was already laden with platters of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and an assortment of pies by the time Richie arrived with Lexi. Sonia was bustling around the kitchen, directing traffic like a general commanding an army, while Eddie was nowhere to be seen.

His relationship with Eddie had only grown more strained in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The texts they had exchanged after the party barely scratched the surface of what needed to be said, and Richie had been avoiding any real confrontation ever since.

"Richie! Lexi!" Sonia called, wiping her hands on her apron as she hurried over to greet them. "You're just in time. Dinner's almost ready."

Lexi hugged her mom, then turned to Richie with a grin. "See? Perfect timing."

Richie nodded, his smile tightening as his gaze flicked around the room. He finally spotted Eddie sitting in the living room. Eddie looked up briefly, his eyes locking with Richie's for a split second before quickly looking away.

Richie's chest tightened, and he forced himself to look back at Lexi. "Yeah. Perfect timing."

"Richie, come help me with the drinks," Lexi called from the dining room, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, coming," Richie muttered, following her voice.

By the time everyone sat down to eat, the tension was palpable. Sonia tried to keep the conversation light, asking Richie about his plans for the holidays and teasing Lexi about how she always seemed to forget to RSVP to family gatherings. Eddie stayed mostly silent, focusing on his plate and ignoring the occasional glances Richie threw his way.

"So, Eddie," Sonia said, breaking the silence. "How's school going? You've been so quiet lately."

Eddie shrugged, his fork poking at his mashed potatoes. "It's fine."

"Just fine?" Sonia pressed, her tone gently encouraging. "You haven't talked much about it."

Eddie hesitated, glancing briefly at Richie before mumbling, "It's the same as always."

Richie couldn't help himself. "Same as always, huh? Thought you'd have more to say now that you're, you know, getting out more."

Eddie's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lexi shot Richie a warning look. "Richie, don't."

"What?" Richie said, raising his hands defensively. "I'm just saying it's nice to see you doing more than sitting in your room all day."

"Richie," Lexi said, her tone firm but confused. "That's enough."

Eddie's face flushed, and he dropped his fork onto his plate with a clatter. "You don't know anything about me," he said, his voice low but sharp. "So don't act like you do."

"Eddie's been doing great," Lexi chimed in, clearly trying to fill the awkward silence. "He's got better grades than I ever did at his age."

Sonia smiled proudly. "Of course he does. Eddie's always been the responsible one."

Eddie shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting toward Richie for the briefest moment. Richie caught the look, but Eddie quickly turned his attention back to his plate.

"What about you, Richie?" Sonia asked, turning her attention to him with a warm smile. "How are things going with school and work?"

Richie cleared his throat, trying to shake off the tension. "Oh, you know, same old stuff. Trying to survive senior year, keep my grades up."