My Boyfriend's Best Friend

Chapter Two

Connor

I woke up to the loud sound of a car engine and glanced at the time; 6:13pm. Groaning, I pulled myself out of bed and stretched. We had arrived home last night at some ungodly hour and despite the dark sky and the twinkling stars, I had been unable to sleep. Stupid jet lag. I walked over to the window and pulled aside the grey curtains. Looking out, I could see the Willow's house and the front door swinging closed. Rylie must have just gotten home. I smiled at the thought of seeing my old girlfriend again. Rylie had been my best friend for years before we had been dared to kiss and after that, well, neither of us was happy with just being friends. Thinking about her brought a whole heap of emotions to the surface. I was certain that even though three years had passed since I last saw her, if I hadn't have left, we would still be together.

I itched to go over and see her. Glancing at the time, I realised I had no reason not to. It wasn't that late and the sun was still shining in the warm summer evening. Grinning with a smile wider than the Cheshire cat's, I pulled a black T-shirt over my head and put on the pair of shorts I had been wearing yesterday. I was in no mood to look through my suitcase for fresh clothes. I sprayed a whiff of Lynx deodorant over myself and paused in front of the mirror hanging on my door. I spent about a minute styling my blonde hair with my hands and when I was happy with the intentionally-messy look, I stepped out of my room and bounded down the stairs. My mother was at the kitchen table sipping a mug of herbal tea and reading the paper.

"Morning- I mean, evening," I said, bending over to kiss her cheek. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but notice the wrinkles that had surfaced over the past few years. Looking after my sick Gran had really taken its toll on my family. As harsh as it sounds, it was probably a good thing she passed on. I'm not being selfish –she was really sick and had been suffering – but she had taken out her pain on us. I shuddered as I remembered all the arguments and threats we had faced over the years.

"Hi, Connor," she replied, glancing up from her paper.

"Where's Dad?" I asked, rummaging in the fridge for a bottle of juice. Finding nothing but a loaf of bread and eggs, I stuck my head under the kitchen tap and guzzled some water. I saw my mum frown but she didn't comment.

"Woolies," she said. Smart man. While most of our furniture had stayed in the house while we had been away, all the food was long gone and the last renters hadn't left anything behind. I was seventeen turning eighteen and I needed my carbs.

"I'm going to go see Rylie," I told her, making my way to the door. I heard her say something but I couldn't hear it so I kept going. I trotted down the porch stairs and couldn't help but jog over to her house. I was so excited to see her. Our decision to move back had been sudden and we had decided to surprise all our friends by not telling them of our return. I couldn't wait to see her reaction. I would knock on the door and when she came out, I would shout 'Surprise!' and then she would jump into my arms and I would kiss her for all I was worth. Three years couldn't quell the feelings I had for her. Sure, I had dated a couple of girls but nothing serious. I knew Rylie was the girl for me.

As I walked up to the front door, I noticed a black Audi S7 sitting on the driveway with a set of red P plates on the back. Wow, nice car. I nodded my approval to Rylie's choice of ride but couldn't help but be surprised. A little extravagant for a first car and surely out of the Willow's price range but I guess things must have changed for the better. Maybe her Dad had finally written a successful book? I took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. I tapped my hand nervously on my leg as I waited to hear Rylie's thumping steps race to the door. As small as she was, that girl had big feet and had never been able to achieve the grace she always desired. I grinned to myself as memories of her growing up flooded my mind.