My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Ten

The weeks following Eddie's tearful call to Richie were marked by a strange, suffocating quiet. Richie hadn't texted, hadn't called, and barely acknowledged Eddie at school. It was a stark contrast to the way Richie used to act—the easy smiles, the casual ruffling of Eddie's hair, the protective way he'd step in whenever Henry Bowers came too close. Now, Richie seemed distant, almost indifferent.

At first, Eddie tried to brush it off. He told himself that Richie was just busy with senior year, or that Lexi had been pulling him away for more couple time. But deep down, Eddie knew the truth: Richie had taken Lexi's advice. He was creating space, giving Eddie room to "focus on himself."

Eddie hated how much it hurt. He told himself this was for the best. Richie was Lexi's boyfriend, not his. Whatever feelings Eddie had, whatever fantasies he clung to, they were never going to amount to anything. The distance was a blessing in disguise—or at least, that's what he tried to convince himself.

But the silence felt like a knife twisting in his chest.

At school, Eddie found himself glancing toward Richie more often than he liked to admit. He'd spot Richie at the Losers' lunch table, laughing at some joke Bill or Beverly had made, his grin as wide and carefree as ever. It stung to see Richie so unbothered, so unaffected, while Eddie felt like he was falling apart.

There were moments when their paths crossed—brushing past each other in the hall, standing a few feet apart in the cafeteria line—but Richie never stopped to talk. He didn't even make eye contact.

One afternoon, Eddie overheard Richie talking to Lexi near the lockers.

"Are you coming over tonight?" Lexi asked, her tone light but expectant.

"Yeah, after practice," Richie replied. "Your mom still making lasagna?"

"Of course." Lexi laughed. "You know she makes it just for you."

Eddie ducked around the corner before they could spot him, his stomach twisting. He hated how easily Richie had slipped back into his role as the perfect boyfriend, like nothing had changed. Like Eddie didn't exist.

At home, things weren't much better. Lexi seemed to hover more than usual, her eyes flicking to Eddie whenever he was quiet for too long. She didn't bring up Richie or their conversation from that night, but Eddie could tell she was watching him, waiting for him to crack.

"Are you okay?" she asked one evening, leaning against his doorframe as he sat at his desk, pretending to do homework.

"I'm fine," Eddie replied flatly, not looking up from his textbook.

Lexi sighed, stepping inside. "Eddie, you've been so quiet lately. Did something happen?"

"No," he said sharply, flipping a page for emphasis. "I'm just tired. Can you leave me alone?"

Lexi frowned but didn't push further. "Okay," she said softly. "But if you need to talk..."

"I won't," Eddie muttered under his breath as she left.

The days blurred together in a haze of monotony. Eddie stuck close to Stan and Bill, using their company as a distraction from the aching void Richie had left behind. Stan, ever the observant one, noticed the shift in Eddie's mood almost immediately.

"Are you okay?" Stan asked one afternoon as they sat in the library, pretending to work on a group project.

"I'm fine," Eddie said automatically.

"You've been saying that a lot lately," Stan replied, his tone calm but probing.

Eddie shrugged, keeping his eyes on his notebook. "Because it's true."