My Best Friend's Boyfriend | BxB

28. I'm Sorry... Again

Emily grabbed Gale's key from the kitchen counter, left the house and skiped over to the neighbouring one. She knocked on the door, refraining from using the doorbell since she knew Gale's dad was most probably having his daytime sleep before he could go for his night shift.

She was going to knock a second time when the door opened, revealing Gale on the other side. He stared at her while she gave him an assessing look.

"Whoa, Gale. Are you okay?" She asked, taking in his face. His dark hair was all over the place, and his eyes were slightly swollen. She had expected him to look a little better, since it was already almost noon.

"I'm fine," he said then retreated into the house.

Emily took off her sandals and went after him. He led them to the living room, where he plopped down on the couch, his face going into his hands.

"What happened last night when you got here?" Emily asked, taking a seat beside him.

"Grounded, no allowance, no parties, mum and dad mad." He mumbled, one hand fidgeting with the hem of his shorts. He had them paired off with a basketball vest, leaving his arms and legs bare.

Emily placed his keys on the coffee table in front of them then leaned back. "Why didn't you want to stay at mine?" She asked, because if he had, he wouldn't be in any trouble.

"It's okay, Em." His hand fell from his face and he finally looked at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, his teeth clamping onto his bottom lip.

He could only hope that everything was fine between her and Matt, after everything he had done. Emily nodded, a faint blush coming onto her face. That alone confirmed his hope, that they were fine, but instead of feeling relief and happy for her, he felt his heart tug painfully and ache.

If that didn't secure him a place with The Worst Best Friends ever, then it secured him a place with Not Even A Friend In The First Place.

He picked out a strand of his hair and pulled on it, his elbows resting on his knees. "How was your date?" He asked, because that's what any normal best friend would be asking. That, and probing for details, which he was sure he didn't want to hear.

Emily turned even redder. "It was...great." A smile appeared on her face, and it kept getting wider, until he had to look away. Then her hand was on his bare arm, and he looked at her again. "I'm sorry about the game, Gale. I should have been there."

"It's okay, Em," he reassured her, then got to his feet. "Come on," he said and led them into the kitchen. "You can raid the fridge if you want," he invited.

"Not for your apple stash, no," she said with a head shake.

He snorted. "I think there's some orange in there," he said. "What will you eat? I'm ordering take out." Then his face scrunched up and he groaned. "Wait, I should probably not do that, right? I'm not getting any allowance for the next one month, I should probably not throw the little I have around on food while I can cook something."

He slumped against the counter, face in hands. Emily took hold of his hands and pulled them down. She smiled at him. "I'll pay."

"No, it's okay, I'll cook."

"It's a treat, dumbass. Order up."

Gale groaned. "Why are you so good to me?"

"You're my best friend?" She said in a duh tone, then skipped over to the fridge.

His throat clogged up. He didn't deserve her. Guilt coursed through him as the weight of what he had done pressed down on him for the hundredth time since the previous night.