Best Friends [UNEDITED]

Chapter 18 (finale)

Noah's POV

For a second, I'm frozen in place, then I realize what's happening.

Scotty is kissing me. My child hood best friend. The boy who abandoned me when I told him I was gay. The boy who hopped back into my life to beat up my new best friend and tell me he loves me is kissing me.

He is my first kiss.

I feel a pang of unexplained guilt in my stomach, but why? Why should I feel guilty? Lucas isn't my boyfriend, I have no obligation to him.

But my heart says differently. It says I'm cheating on Lucas, and that's what it feels like. It feels like I'm cheating on him.

I shove Scotty off of me, stepping away from him, far away from him.

"What is it?" Scotty asks, stepping closer to me again. "Did I do something wrong?"

I continue to back away from him. "I have to go," I say, "I'm sorry, Scotty, I don't feel that way about you, I told you that, you shouldn't have kissed me."

"I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, I thought--"

"You thought wrong, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"I have to go." I take out my phone and text Tristen to pick me up.

"I'll wait for your ride with you--"

"No, you won't. We can't be anything more than friends, Scotty. I'm sorry. I'm in love with someone else."

Scotty looks like I've shot him. He exhales slowly. "Fine," he says, "i just want you to be happy."

"I want you to be happy as well, just with someone else."

"I guess I understand." Scotty puts his hands in his pockets and nods in farewell. I give him a small, extremely awkward wave. I see Tristen's truck pull up and run to it, jumping in the passengers seat and muttering one word:

"Drive."

...

Lucas's POV

I wake up in my hospital bed, checking the time I see it's 6am, meaning it's the day I should be let out of the hospital. I was out for a long time.

The door opens, and I expect Noah, but Zach comes in.

"Heya kiddo," he says with a grin. "I just came to say goodbye."

"What? Are you going somewhere?"

"No, you are."

I smile giddily. I put out my arms for a hug but Zach shakes his head.

"I want a real hug." He says. I don't know what he means until he appears at my side, helping me out of the hospital bed.

"Is this safe?" I ask. I haven't walked since the accident. Frankly, it's scary to picture myself on my feet again, especially if I'm walking out of here and onto the street again.

"Yep. I was talking to Dr Kent and he said you should be good to go. You slept for so long though that your boyfriend looked like he was going to pass out out of exhaustion."

"My boyfriend?"

"That Noah kid."

"He's not my..." I trail off. Thoughts flooding my head about why Zach would make that assumption. Did he act like my boyfriend, or did I act like his? Was this something Zach agreed with, or was he saying it ironically? Did Noah feel that way about me? More importantly, do I feel that way about him?

My brain thinks about this last question, processes it, but another voice pops up; my heart. And all it has to say is, "yes."

I don't finish my sentence. Zach helps me to my feet and immediately pulls me into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you, kiddo. You're entourage really made this job entertaining." He says.

"Who?" I ask.

"The two boys involved in the accident with you. They've been here the whole time, sitting in the waiting room."

"Oh... I should say thanks to them. For staying I mean, not for hitting me with their car."

Zach chuckles. "That's what I thought." He pulls away and looks me up and down, now that I'm up on my feet. "How does it feel to have your land legs?" He inquires in a pirate voice.

"Wobbly." I reply simply. Zach laughs.

"Well, that's no surprise. Get changed and grab your stuff and you can go home, if you'd like."

"Thank you."

"No problem. I hope to see you again, but not here."

"We'll surely meet again, hopefully with different circumstances."

"Goodbye Lucas."

"Bye Zach."

And he leaves. I feel sad to have him go, though the only time we'd talk was while he wheeled me down the hall. He was kind and funny and I enjoyed having him around.

I change into some of the clothes my mom had dropped off to me a couple days prior. She didn't stop by much, but she never forgot about me.

I put on a light blue hoodie and a pair of jeans. I grab the night bag my mom had packed the clothes in, grab my phone and charger and shove it in. I go to leave, but hesitate. I actually feel sad to be leaving this little hospital room. I take one last scan of it before flicking off the light and leaving.

I walk down the hall, planning on saying a thank you to the guys that came to make sure I was okay, and a definite thank you to Noah. I plan to sign out at the desk, maybe even find Dr Kent and say goodbye.

Then, I see him.

Noah stands up the second I walk into the waiting room. He looks happily surprised to see me on my feet, and suddenly, having him here, my entire world crumbles, and all I see is him. There's nothing else. Every thought in my head abandons me, and all I have left is him and my heart.

"Yes," i hear it say, "you love him. Yes you do."

I drop my bag and run to him. Noah lets out a happy gasp, rushing over to me as well. I run into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I love you." I say without a thought.

"I love you too." He says, squeezing me closer to him.

Then, he kissed me. And that's the end of the story, because that's the end of me and Noah's friendship, and the beginning of our relationship. Our life together.

Forever.