We lie there staring up at the ceiling.
Silent.
Too aware.
Too close.
After a while he turns onto his side, facing me.
I follow.
His hair falls into his face and I have to physically stop myself from reaching out to fix it.
“What are we gonna do when we’re older?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not gonna live next to each other forever.”
Something in my chest tightens.
“What do we do?”
“Well,” I say quickly, “we just live together then.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh.
“You’re the one with the good grades. You’ll go off to some fancy college. I’ll still be here. In my dad’s house.”
That —
That hadn’t even crossed my mind.
I’ve never thought about a future that didn’t automatically include him.
I swallow.
“Okay, then I’ll just sneak you in. You take all my classes for me. Boom. You get a degree for free.”
He laughs, punching my arm lightly.
“That’s so dumb.”
But the mood shifts after that.
Something heavier settles between us.
“Then promise,” he says quieter now. “We’ll stay together. Always.”
My throat feels tight.
“Of course.”
A beat.
“You’re my best friend, Ro.”
Right.
