FRIENDS - BWS

22 | Ride or Die

Emma's POV

A month has passed since that night at the park and since Brad and the guys left for their European tour. A month since I last saw him. A month since I realized I have feelings for him, feelings one shouldn't have for her best friend. It's all I can think about, overthinking everything like I always do. The closer it's getting to the day they're coming back to town, the more anxious I'm getting. Am I going to be able to act normal around him? We haven't really talked since he left. He called me that day, complaining about his hangover and apologizing for whatever he told me during the night, not able to remember any of it himself. Since then, we probably talked a maximum of five times on the phone and texted a few times a week. Our conversations were mostly about the tour and my job hunt. Very superficial talk to be honest. There's something weird between us now. As if something's broken and we're both scared to open up to the other. I wonder if he's mad at me for what happened with Ashley. Is he blaming me for their breakup, or is it all in my head? But why is he so distant then? The boys are coming back in a day and the idea of seeing Brad is giving me anxiety. I have been lying on my bed for hours, looking at the ceiling without being able to sleep. I've finally moved back to my place after spending a few weeks at my parents'. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. Of course, the memories are still here but my heart is already healing and thinking of Jay isn't as painful as it was at first. No, the hardest part of moving back is the memories of all those nights with Brad, lying in his arms. I hate myself for craving his touch so much. Why did I fall for the one person I can't have? I get pulled out of my thoughts by someone knocking on the front door and I check the time on my phone: 12:17 am. I decide to ignore the knocking, not willing to go open the door at that time of the night and come face to face with a serial killer. Don't ask me why a serial killer would knock. Better be safe than sorry. Another knock resonates, louder this time. Fuck. I get out of bed and walk towards the entryway. There, I grab my umbrella, ready to attack whoever's behind the door. Thinking about it, I should probably have gone for a knife, shouldn't I?

"I know you're here, I can hear you", I hear coming from behind the door. I let out a deep breath at the sound of his voice and finally open the door.

"Holy shit, you scared the crap out of me!", I say as he comes in and I lock the door behind him. "What are you doing here? I thought you guys were coming back tomorrow"

"Well, I missed you too love", Brad says as he pulls me in for a hug. That sudden contact gives me shivers and I have to gather all my willpower not to let it show. Get it together girl, I think to myself as he pulls away from me.

"You okay?" he asks as he stares at me, clearly trying to read me. "You can put that deadly weapon down you know, I promise I'm not here to kill you", he adds, nodding towards the umbrella still in my hand. "But do me a favour, next time someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night, please grab a knife, not an umbrella"

"I don't usually have weirdos come to my place at this time", I say, still wondering what he's doing here. 'Weren't you guys supposed to be back tomorrow?'

'Yeah, but we were all missing home so we drove all night"

There was something different between us. I can physically feel it,and it's bothering me. I don't want to lose him because of what happened, or because of those stupid feelings of mine. I just want things to be back to the way they were before all that mess happened. We look at each other in awkward silence for a second before the both of us start talking at the same time:

"You must be exhausted, why did you come here?"

"Sorry I didn't really think this through, did I wake you up?"