Chapter 16
Ryan
T he jingling keys hit the wall hook of the Airbnb as I closed the door behind me. Kicking my shoes off, I looked up to see Eric's head peeking out from the kitchen. My skin warmed.
"Oh, hey, man. You've been gone long; I thought you got lost out there. Almost sent someone out to look for you," he said. His hand was stirring something, though I couldn't see the bowl. Dude's even wearing an apron. It threw me for a bit. Can't say I've ever seen him in one.
"Yeah." Pulling my phone from my pocket to check the time, I realized it's off, so if he called, I must have missed it. "Just give me a few minutes, I'll jump in the shower, and we can hit the waves soon," I said, seeking distance as if I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't.
"About that. I think I'm just going to stay in today. Want some breakfast?" he asked, the pan sizzling as he poured in the beaten eggs.
I cocked my head before turning on my heel to face him. That's odd. "No, I'm good on the breakfast. What's up with you? When did you become a little homemaker? You hate being locked away inside. Thought you were gonna see if you could catch some waves today while I film some content for your channel and take some pics for my social media?"
"Yeah, sorry, bro. Just not feeling up to it," he said.
Taking a deep breath to settle the uneasiness in my stomach, I stepped forward, guilt persuading me to sit at the counter. "Still thinking about yesterday, huh?" I asked.
His brown hair was out in blond-streaked waves against his toned shoulders as he braced himself over the counter. "I keep thinking I should go see her, you know? Help her understand? I don't want to just give up." He groaned. "I don't even know if she still lives at the same place." He shook his head.
Should I fess up and tell him that I know where she lives? That I saw her today? Would that be betraying her trust?
"I don't know, man. She seemed pretty adamant yesterday about how she felt. You can't just stalk her into forgiving you," I said, my stomach burning because the worry of betraying her trust wasn't the only reason I didn't want him to show up at her house and get her to forgive him. Damn, I should've met her first, but if I were in his shoes, the last thing I'd want is for my best friend to want her too.
Smoke rose from the frying pan, diverting his attention. He swore, shutting the stove off before turning back to me with a drawn sigh. "You're right. I need to respect her wishes."
Dewy, red eyes and drawn cheeks let me in on his inner turmoil. I should tell him, but I didn't. Because it'll suit me if he lets her go. Why, though? I know I'm an asshole for even thinking this way at all, but they're just thoughts. I'm not a big-enough asshole to act on them. Although, I'm acting on them by not saying anything.
"Oh, hey, guys. Where's Matt?" Ethan walked out of the bathroom, saving me from the sheet of invasive guilt, pressing against my skin and shrinking the room.
I took the opportunity to pull myself away toward the couch, where I sank down and turned on the TV for distraction.
"He's out exploring and getting some vlogging content," Eric said from the kitchen.
"Thought he'd be joining us at the beach?" Ethan looked between me and Eric.
"Yeah, I changed my mind," Eric mumbles around a sip of OJ.
Ethan cleared his throat, no doubt reflecting on yesterday as well. Except he's still on the 'avoid Lily train.' I saw the real her today. It was pretty hard to stay away from her after that.
"Oh, all right. I wanted to see if he'd join me on this thing. I know we said we'd be leaving the day after tomorrow, but you don't mind if we stay an extra day, do you?" Ethan asked, choosing a careful approach.
I suppressed my groan. The best thing we could do was get the heck out of Durham so Eric could move past this Lily thing. And before I let lust get in the way of our friendship. If I'm on the other side of the world, I can't act on a fleeting feeling that could end up hurting one of the people I value the most.
"Why? What's up?" Eric asked, his tone low and deep inside his body.
Man. I'm an awful person. My eyes were focused on the television, but I didn't know what I'm watching. All I could think of was either Lily or leaving.
"So, I wanted to see if Matt was interested in some charity. You know wherever I go, I try to donate to a rehab facility? I stopped by the local Women's Shelter with a check this morning, and they insisted on throwing a banquet. I tried to get out of it, but they were insistent, so I thought I'd check in with you. I figure you must be itching to leave this place," Ethan said.
Eric took a breath. "Look, guys. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. If you want to go to the banquet, go to the banquet." He jutted the glass of orange juice in the air as he walked past Ethan and dropped down next to me on the couch.
"Lily made her choice, and I'm a grown man. I can deal with rejection. I'm not just going to fall apart if we stay in Durham an extra day or two. It's not like she and I are going to bump into each other again." He gave a wry laugh. "Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, and fate wouldn't be so cruel." Stuffing his face with food, he stared ahead at the television screen. "Besides, there's even less chance of that happening if I don't leave the house," he mumbled to himself.
He's not wrong. It sounded like the best solution for both of us. Locked away here with Eric for a couple of days meant avoiding the force that was Lily and keeping our lives as they were, which had been pretty good so far. Why ruin a good thing?