Water Under the Bridge || Evan Buckley [2]

chapter nine

digging up a friend

Maddie jolted when the door flew open mere seconds knocking on it. She was met with a distressful Buck ushering her inside the apartment. This morning, she received a text from her younger brother in need to confide someone. Sounded quite desperate for sought out for his older sister's advice to the unknown dilemma.

"So, what was so urgent that you needed me to come down in person rather than telling me on the phone?" Maddie inquired as she settled at a seat in the kitchen.

Buck leaned on the counter and took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with Josie...again." He observed his older sister's face who enveloped an intrigued expression.

From there, Buck proceeded to entail Maddie everything. The moment he recognized his feelings for Josephine to embarking on this love confession to only have bad timing. Which led to burying those feelings and move by entering in a relationship with Ali where it lasted a few months. Then, his friendship shifting due to her distant behavior to him damaging it with the lawsuit to which he lost her trust for the next few months. Within those few months consisted of the cold shoulder the second he returned to the firehouse. It all changed on the night they were at the bar to having a drunken hook up that evolved into a friends with benefits at the top of the year.

Despite promising to not catch feelings for one another, Buck's unresolved feelings for Josephine have surfaced even stronger.

Once finished, Buck studied Maddie's face as he anticipated for her response.

Her lips parted, glancing up with knitted brows. "Wow, it makes so much sense. Every time you had to rain check our plans, you..."

"Yeah."

Maddie nodded along, "I shouldn't be too surprised because it was bound to happen but wow."

"I get that you're processing but can we get back to my problem, please?" He pleaded to earn his sister's nod to continue. "At first, this no strings attached idea wasn't bad. I never intended for my feelings to...come back." He huffed.

"Can I be honest?" Maddie pressed her lips together, waiting until Buck gestured. "I love you, but you were fooling yourself to agree to this. Your feelings for Josie were only suppressed because she found someone else. To find this sense of closeness such as sleeping together would bring up those feelings even after months. Plus, you two have established a good relationship in the first place..."

His shoulders sunk, grumbling out. "You're right."

"What you need to do stop sleeping with her. At least tell her your true feelings because you're just taking advantage of her for your fantasy at this point." Maddie cited in a firm tone.

"I don't want to lose her again. She's one of my best friends."

"You won't. The both of you have declared how important this friendship means to you. Besides, you never know what she'll say." Maddie hid a tiny smirk at the last part.