Until I Found You

Chapter 13

I wake up surrounded by warmth. I open my eyes only to find arms around me, I can feel my back pressed against Eli's chest. My heart begins to race the more I think about the position I am in, but I close my eyes and try to ignore it. 

Ignore the feeling of peace and comfort I'm feeling, ignore the thoughts that are starting to cloud my mind about other positions we could be in, I'm trying to ignore it all. How did we even get like this? How will I explain this to Eli? 

Before I can even question what I should do I hear Eli yawn and slowly unravel himself from me sitting up in the bed. I lay there trying to pretend I'm still asleep, but I so desperately want to see what he's doing. I roll around to face him and he's sitting there on his phone, he looks down at me and smiles.

"Good morning" Eli whispers putting his phone down. He doesn't seem mad about how he woke up; did he even notice the position we were in? I mean I guess it doesn't have to mean anything right? We're friends, waking up cuddling with your friend is normal. Right? 

"Good morning" I finally respond sitting up. We sit there for quite a few minutes talking before heading downstairs to eat breakfast. The house was still quiet, and it didn't look like anyone had come home. 

We cooked some pancakes and bacon before heading back upstairs to get ready. Eli took a shower and came out looking as perfect as ever and well I, didn't have any of my things so I put on my clothes from yesterday until I can change at home.

Suddenly there is a bunch of noise coming from downstairs which makes Eli roll his eyes. "My mom's home" he laughs, and I smile. 

"Where has she been?" I ask curiously in which Eli shrugs, "she didn't tell me" Is all he says.

After a few hours of talking about various things and watching a show we had found on Netflix, I knew I had to go home so we headed downstairs and to the front door. 

"Is it Saturday?" Eli asks as he opens the front door and walks outside with me. "mhm" I nod. "Ugh I have to go to a stupid party tonight" he groans, and I laugh. "You don't have to go" I tell him walking down the porch. 

"Yeah, I do, it's like expected" he tells me dramatically. "Come with" he says to me giving me a sad face. "no way! I went last time" I argue, and he laughs. "was it that bad?" he questions and I nod "it wasn't great" I joke walking towards my car that I know Asher will complain about me having when I get home.

 "Come on, we had a great time last time" he pleads walking with me to my car. "Fine, but you better not ditch me" I warn, and he laughs "I would never!" he promises. 

"I'll pick you up later then" he says smiling at me and I nod. I start walking to the door and Eli speaks up "Oh and Miles" he says as I look back at him. "Thanks for being such a good friend" he tells me and I smile before getting in the drivers seat. I put on my seatbelt, start the car, and drive away.

A good friend... yup that is what I am. A friend. You know it's funny because I've been telling myself that we are friends and that's it, and that there's no way I could possibly like him because I like girls, and I have to like girls but hearing the word friend come out of his mouth hit me like a punch to the chest. He thinks of me as a friend. What am I even thinking, of course he thinks of me as a fucking friend, that's what I am, he isn't gay, and neither am I. We are friends, just friends.

Before I could think any more about this Asher interrupted my thoughts by waiting for me in the living room when I got home. 

Well to be fair he wasn't really waiting for me, more that he happened to be playing video games in the living room when I got home, and he had some questions.

"Where were you?" Asher asks me pausing his game. "Stayed the night at a friend's house" I tell him trying to walk off, but Asher got up instead. 

"What friend?" he asks following me up the stairs. "Why does it matter?" I ask avoiding the question. 

"Because you're my brother and I want to know" he says crossing his arms. I roll my eyes at his attempt. 

"I was at Eli's" I say sitting down on my bed. "that's what I thought" he says sitting down on my bed beside me. 

"Be careful, ok?" he tells me in a more serious tone. I give him a weird look "what do you mean?" I ask.

"I just mean Elijah is unreliable. He disappears for days at a time, quite honestly if he wasn't amazing at football he would definitely be kicked off the team by now due to missing so many practices. I don't even know how he stays captain, especially only being a junior. I just don't want you to invest so much time into a friendship that he doesn't care about, this is what he does, he strings people along it doesn't matter who it is, and I don't want him doing that to you like one of his side pieces. I've seen him do this to "friends" hundreds of times, he hangs out with them, invites them to parties, makes them feel special or whatever and then cuts all ties like he never even knew them" he lectures me and honestly it got to me.

Is that what he's doing? Does he do this to everyone he meets? Is this like some game to him?

 Regardless I don't want to inflate my brother's ego, so I shrug "I think I know what I'm doing" I tell him, and he groans getting up from the bed. 

"Be careful" is all he says before walking out of the room. My mind spins with millions of possibilities, is he playing me? Do I like him? Friend... that's what he called me. 

Ugh my brain just won't shut off. I decide to take a shower to clear my head, and it does work for some time. I get ready for the party that's later this evening and relax on my bed before dinner.

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Next One: 1/15/25 @1PM PST