My Best Friend's Brother // Young Love Book 1 ✔️

My Best Friend's Brother Ch. 46

Chapter 46

Waking up is when the blinding sunlight slaps your eyelids with such force that the harshness of reality reduces you to a ball of early morning frustration. Of course, if you asked me another day I would've told you to preach those words. But today? Well, today was different.

Today, I feel this warmth, this feeling of being embraced--held, even though I'm not. There's a soft buzzing from somewhere beneath my pillow, and it annoys me so much that I force my arm to try and feel for it. As my brain begins to transition into a more wakeful state, I finally get a hold of said source of buzzing. It's only my phone though, going crazy for a reason I don't know yet. The lights, they filter through the curstains, casting light shadows here and there. I try to fight waking, but it doesn't work. So finally, I open one eye with caution, and then the other.

You know what I saw first? Charlie. He has his arms folded on top of the mattress, his chin resting on his arms. He must have fallen asleep...staring, maybe? I shake my head, along with my silly assumption. His back must've been hurting from sleeping on a beanbag in the middle of the night and went to sleep in a different position, no need to overthink things.

Although, the more I stare at him, the more I feel inclined to like him. There's just something about Charlie; the way he understands me. It's not the same with Andrew. Andrew only sees me for the parts of me that I selectively showed, which is the ridiculously polite, always proper, and somewhat awkward Eli. Drew's never seen the part of me that's overtly embarassing and immaculately clumsy. He doesn't know that sometimes I have stalker tendencies when I'm on any form of social media network. He doesn't know how much I love my stolen bicycle or that I really suck at Chemistry; that oceans bring out my philosophical and poetic side; that I got a job at SCÖÖP because of a deal. He doesn't know that I'm setting up my blonde twin--who has a boyfriend--with this guy that I might actually be in love with. I mean, that's gotta be something, right? Drew has no idea how disfunctional things are. And I mean that in a totally first-world-problem sort of disfunctional.

"What's going on?"

"Huh?" I said, looking back at the now awake Charlie.

"You looked like you were trying to think of a cure for cancer," he remarked, his voice deep and hoarse, eyelids still threatening to close on him. "I'm surprised you haven't blurted anything out."

I blinked, unsure. "I had to learn how to keep to myself when I'm around you."

Charlie straightened up a little. He rested his head on his hand, sleepily eyeing me with curiosity. "Why's that?"

"A girl's got to keep a certain air of mystery," I said, shaking it off and trying to evade my real answer. "Plus, you don't have to know everything that goes on in my head."

Charlie tilted his head, his pretty, gold eyes softening. "It would be nice to know, though."

Suddenly, the excessive buzzing resumed and it startled the both of us. Since I already had my phone in my hand, I quickly lifted it up and read the caller ID. My eyebrows scrunched together as I saw Drew's name flashing on my screen. Why would he call me so early? Is there something wrong? Maybe its little Agatha again?

"Hey," I said slowly as I glanced at Charlie. He quietly sat and watched me intently.

"Uh, hi," answered Drew. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

I laughed quietly. "Well, technically, you did but its no biggie. Why'd you call?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see you again."

My eyes darted to the ceiling. I could just feel Charlie's stare. "When?" I asked.

"Tonight," Drew said, "I want to take you out, if that's okay with you."