Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
ALEX
River set the overflowing popcorn bowl on the coffee table, causing some to spill. “So, what are we watching?”
“I thought you were deciding,” Carson said.
“No. You always complain about what I choose.” River made eye contact with me before tossing the remote my way. “Alex can choose.”
Picking up the remote and handing it to Carson, I said, “Pass.”
It was one of the rare nights I didn’t have my niece, so I was spending the night at River’s.
It was something I did most nights I was free, and it started to become our routine.
The difference this time was that it was Carson and River’s dedicated movie night of the month, and instead of moving it, they invited me to join.
I felt like I was interrupting their time, yet they both urged me to stay. River's main reasoning was that Carson and I hadn't really clicked, and he wanted us to be close. In reality, we just hadn't had the chance to really chat with each other.
Now they wanted me to pick a movie, but I refused to have everyone bored by my choice. Millie always said I was bad at picking what to watch.
River’s lips quivered into a grin. “We can let Lola decide.”
Carson’s eyes widened. “Lola?”
I perked up when I heard her name. I hadn't seen Lola in ages, and even though we only knew each other for a little while, I was excited to get to see her again. “You invited Lola?”
“Sure did. I figured if we’re doing a movie night with three, why not four?”
Carson looked from me to River and back, totally shocked, then shook his head. “Fuck. Why didn’t I think of inviting her?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You aren’t as smart as I am?”
Carson rolled his eyes and gave his friend the middle finger. Grinning, River moved to the storage closet, grabbed a couple of blankets, and tossed them at us. Then he went to the fridge, grabbed a couple of sodas, and put them on the table.
River checked his imaginary watch. “She should’ve been here ten minutes ago.”
“Maybe she’s lost,” I guessed. “I was so lost the first time I came here.”
“With River giving you directions, I’m surprised you made it here at all,” Carson quipped with a smirk.
“I gave them the address to put into the GPS, dumbass.” River messed with his hair, half-annoyed, half-amused. “I’ll step outside and see.”
River closed the door behind him before we could say another word. An awkward silence permeated the air as Carson and I sat at opposite ends of the couch. It was basically our first time alone together. Ever.
This was River’s best friend. In a sense, he was the person I'd have remained if things hadn't gone down the way they did seven years ago. Even though I didn't dislike Carson, thinking about it made me feel off, like pure envy was running through my veins.
Carson was all wrapped up in the blanket River gave him, while I just sat there hugging my knees and resting my chin on them. We were both silent. I wondered if I was the only one making things awkward between us. Fuck, I probably was.
“River is really into you,” Carson blurted, his eyes glued to the blank TV. My body stiffened. “Sure, he went out with some girls in high school, but they weren't as big a deal to him as you are. I don’t think he ever liked them.”
Feeling a sudden chill, I wrapped myself in the cozy blanket. “Oh.”
“At least not the same way he likes you. I guess the difference is, he always had a thing for you. That’s why it took him so long to tell me how you knew each other—he was too embarrassed. He never gets embarrassed around me. That’s how I knew it was so important to him.”
I was so important that he was too embarrassed to even tell his closest friend about me? Someone needed to come pinch me.
Hearing that was nice, but I found myself wondering if Carson had always been just his closest friend. Were they ever more? He mentioned River was never shy around him, showing they were close. Could it have been on another level?
Feeling a sudden dryness in my throat, I pushed the intrusive thought to the back of my head. Thinking like that would only create unnecessary problems.
“Wow,” I chuckled sheepishly. “He likes you way more than he used to like kids at school. He never told them anything.”
“I’d fucking hope so.” I glanced at Carson, and he had a far-off, happy smile. “I’ve lived with him since sophomore year of high school. If he didn’t like me, that might’ve been a issue.”
River never bothered explaining the details of why Carson moved in with him. It was clearly a personal matter that he didn’t want to share, so I never pushed it. But damn, not knowing why River’s parents agreed to have someone else live with them was killing me.
Carson made himself comfortable on the couch, propping his leg up. Sensing my curiosity, he sighed. “Let’s just say that my parents and I have never seen eye-to-eye. The Moore’s were so nice to bring me in, and now I couldn’t imagine life without River.”
“I don’t think he could imagine a life without you either,” I muttered.
He snatched the popcorn, plopped it on his lap, and began munching. “I’m happy for you guys.”
My mouth curved up into a tight smile. I got a good feeling about Carson, and since River trusted him completely, he had to be a good guy. Still, every time I looked at him, all I saw was my replacement.
It was so childish of me to get upset with him, especially since he'd only been good to me, and I felt so guilty I couldn't even chat casually anymore.
I wasn't just worried about Carson being my replacement as a friend, but also as a partner.
Honestly, I had no clue if Carson swung that way, but the mental image of him and River hooking up made me want to gouge my eyes out.
I guessed River and I’s time apart had a greater effect on me than I thought.
The quiet didn't last long once the door opened and River and Lola showed up, all smiles. She breezed in, and her vibe just lit up the whole place.
“I hear no one has chosen a movie yet.” Her hands on her hips drew my attention to her plaid holiday pajamas and the messy way her hair was styled. I’d never seen Lola dress so casually. “Luckily, I’m here now.”
The couch dipped as River sat beside me. “I found her on the fourth floor.”
“Yeah. First, I got lost on the way here. Then once I made it, River was trying to explain to me where the apartment was, but he might as well have been speaking in a different language because I wasn’t understanding a thing.” Lola's exasperation was evident as her hands shot upwards.
Carson patted the space beside him, inviting Lola to sit, and after she did, he shared his blanket with her. “I told you River can’t give directions.”
“I know, it’s because he’s—”
“A dumb jock?” River interjected. Lola grinned cheekily as she nodded, and River rolled his eyes. “I accept my title.”
The smug smile on Lola's face began to dissolve into a frown of concession. “Well… I guess you can’t be that dumb. You did your part in acing the project.”
Shock and pride mixed in my gaze as I narrowed my eyes at River. “You guys aced it?”
His brown eyes gazed deeply into mine. “Somehow. I thought it would be impossible without you doing it for me.”
“The professor was so impressed with our presentation that he wants to use it as an example for his classes next semester!” Lola announced with enthusiasm.
Lola and Carson exchanged a high five as we all burst into cheers and congratulations. Even though their group went from three to two after I left, which was a major disadvantage, they still came out on top.
“Bull. We would have gotten an A+ had we had you there.”
Lola rested her head on Carson's arm. “I agree.”
“But you know who else could have used you there?” River asked cynically. “Rory and his group. Their presentation was worse than I would’ve done by myself. Serves them right.”
“It was embarrassing to watch,” Lola added as she cringed at the memory. “You should see the video River took.”
River had the secretly recorded video of Rory, Andrew, and their partner's presentation on his phone a few seconds later.
The whole thing was a three-minute train wreck of confusion, messed-up slides, and a giggling audience.
Not only was it shorter than required for the class, but it also failed to answer half the key questions.
That monstrosity was a great pick-me-up.
The romance movie Lola ended up picking was, in her opinion, the absolute best piece of media she had ever seen.
It turned out that River and Carson weren't new to rom-coms; I never would have guessed.
After Lola teased them about it until they begged her to stop, she and Carson went to the kitchen to whip up more popcorn since one bowl didn't cut it for the four of us.
River yawned, and then his arm moved casually behind me.
I hummed. “Smooth.”
My head rested against his shoulder, as it normally did, but this time I hugged him extra tight. I was pretty sure the action tipped him off, and he raised a brow. “Everything good?”
A sigh escaped me. I couldn't quite tell him I was unnecessarily jealous of his best friend—not now, at least.
The bergamot in his cologne was a familiar and soothing smell as I snuggled closer. “Perfect now that I know you like romantic comedies.”
His head cocked to the side. “Who doesn’t like romantic comedies?”
“Plenty of people, but I like them.”
“Good.” He kissed the top of my head. “And I like you.”
I spoke before I could think. “How much?”
My first instinct was to take back what I said and rephrase the question, but I stopped myself. I wanted to hear it. I was looking for some peace of mind, however dumb that was.
River paused, taken aback by the question. It was almost like he expected me to backtrack before he had to answer.
But then he looked at me with that look, the one that made me feel like the most important person in the whole world. “So much that tomorrow, you’re going to be the only one in the entire stadium wearing my jersey number.”
My heart fluttered in my chest. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, because you’re finally mine.”