Chapter 9 - Rebuilding the BridgeRyan took a deep breath, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I was mad because it felt weird," Ryan admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "It felt like my world was spinning out of control. You were my friend, and suddenly you were in my mom's life in a way I couldn't understand. But I love my mom, Ethan. And if she loves you... then I was being a selfish idiot."
I looked at my former best friend, moved beyond words by his maturity and courage.
"You weren't an idiot, Ryan," I said firmly. "You were a protective son. Any good guy would have reacted the same way. I should have handled it better. I should have come to you man-to-man before anything ever developed."
Ryan looked up, offering a small, genuine nod. "She misses you, bro. She won't admit it because she thinks she ruined my friendship with you. But she stares at her phone every night waiting for a text."
I stood up, grabbing my Camry keys off the counter without a second thought. "Let's go home."
Ryan smiled—a real, warm smile for the first time in weeks. "Let's go."
We drove back to the cream-colored house on the quiet street. The rain had stopped, leaving the pavement glistening under the warm neighborhood streetlights.
When we stepped through the front door, the house was quiet. Julia was sitting at the dining room table with a cup of tea, looking out at the dark backyard.
She turned around when she heard the door, expecting only Ryan.
May you like
When her eyes landed on me standing beside her son, her tea mug slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the wooden table.
"Ethan?" she whispered, her voice breathless and trembling.
