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.”
