Page 20 of The Bro Pact
Pulling the covers back, I place a couple of extra pillows in the middle of the bed, fluffing them up to create a wall.
“There.I’ll keep my cooties on my own side,” I joke, glancing over with a smirk.
“Ha. Ha,” Kyle deadpans, pursing his lips before he grabs both pillows and whacks me with them like he wants to start a pillow fight.
A loud laugh bursts from deep within me as I dodge his blows, and he tries to chase me.
This feels like old times.
This feels like us.
Kyle tosses the pillows to the ground and falls to bed with a soft smile and gentle laugh. His chest rises and falls steadily as he lounges with an arm above his head and one leg bent.
I love seeing him happy and carefree.
My heart is hammering faster than it should be as I climb into bed next to him, trying not to stare.
Kyle rolls to his side and faces me, tucking his hands under his cheek. He looks so young and innocent like this, despite the fact that he’s six-foot-four inches of solid muscle.
“Thank you,” Kyle whispers earnestly.
I pull the bedding up to our necks, tucking us both in with a lopsided grin. “It’s nothing, Ky.Seriously.Just a bed.”
“I wasn’t trying to imply that you have cooties or anything,” Kyle blurts out, making me chuckle. “I just didn’t want to impose on your personal space.” His kind blue eyes dart to the side, and I know he’s feeling vulnerable and maybe even slightly uncomfortable.
But this is his home, too, not just mine.
He needs to understand that.
“Kyle. This RV is our shared space. You can sleep anywhere you want, including my bed. Okay?”
He doesn’t answer right away, continuing to space out, so I dip my head, catching his eye. “Okay?” I repeat.
“Yeah, okay.” His smile is crooked and boyish as we gaze into each other’s eyes for a moment too long.
My heart skips a beat, but I ignore the weird little pitter-patter.
“I should have said something last night. Don’t know why I didn’t,” I whisper.
We continue to stare at each other in silence, neither of us saying another word until Kyle’s eyes grow heavy and flutter shut. His soft breaths fill the space between us, and as I watch my best friend sleep, I’m pulled into memories from eight years ago.
Tears blur my vision as I bike across downtown Haven Creek and into Kyle’s neighborhood. As soon as I see his two-story house with the cream shutters on the corner, I hop the curb, letting my bike fall to the grass. I sneak around back and climb the old tree that reaches toward his bedroom window.
I’ve never done this before, so I have no idea if it’ll even work, but I have to try.
I need my best friend right now.
Once I make it to the largest branch that’s level with Kyle’s bedroom, I lie there for a moment, panting heavily as I try to catch my breath. The rough bark scrapes against my skin and I sniffle, wiping my nose on my sleeve.
I have to get Kyle to notice me somehow, so I snap off a twig and toss it at the glass. The dull thud gains his attention, and he opens the window, instantly spotting me clinging to the thick branch with tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Ren!” he whisper-shouts in alarm before sticking half his body out of the window to help me climb through. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head no, continuing to cry silently.
“What’s wrong? You can tell me,” Kyle insists. “You can tell me anything.”
He’s wearing his favorite Spiderman pajamas, while I’m in jeans, a T-shirt, and my rain boots. The first pair of shoes I could find.
