No Promises

chapter eight

He rolls his eyes at me. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, yeah? Then how did you mean it?" I hum my question as I tilt my head.

"Okay, so many I meant it like that," he says, holding his hands up in defense before looking to meet Stevie's eyes. "I'm happy for you, Vee. If this is what you want."

"What I want." She rolls her eyes at him as she moves into Felix's open arms. "You're acting like we're getting married tomorrow. We are in no rush."

"Do mom and dad know?" Riker asks. "Isaac?"

"Isaac was the first to know," she shares. "And I'm talking to mom and dad tomorrow, so we're going to tell them then."

"Okay, now, stop being such a boy and congratulate them." Lena swats his shoulder as she opens her arms to them. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thank you." Stevie returns the embrace and I'm startled by the feeling of Greyson's arm as he moves it around me shoulder. I'm stilled by the soft gesture, ridge by his sudden affection until I have no choice but to lean into it, easing the tension out of my shoulder.

"Congratulations," Riker says, giving up the fight, knowing he'll lose before wrapping his arms around Stevie and Felix. "Now, what's the plan?"

"Bowling!" Stevie grins brightly, before taking in her surroundings. "Wait, where's Isla? I thought she was driving up with the two of you?"

"She's asleep in the car," Greyson says, pointing behind him to the Jeep. "Didn't have the heart to wake her up."

"She fell asleep almost immediately," I say with a laugh. "So, right on brand for Isla."

"I heard my name," Isla says as she climbs out, settling on the pavement with a soft thud. A grin crosses her lips as she gets her bearings before running toward Stevie's open arms. "This feels good," she says, leaning her head against Stevie's. "Come on, Robby," she says, waving me over. "I need you in here."

I smile as I untangle myself from Greyson and move to wrap my arms around both of them. The three of us falling into a fit of giggles almost immediately, and it feels just like it always has. The three of us against the world, together even when we're apart, and I wouldn't want it any other way. They're my best friends. My entire world.

"We should get this show on the road," Stevie says, turning to her family. "Rik, Lena, did you want to take your car and then the rest of us can ride with Greyson?"

"Sounds good to me," Riker says, the two of them planning to head back to Stanford tonight while Isla, Greyson and me are spending the night. The drive from San Francisco to Stanford being the shortest distance, and one of the many reasons Stevie wanted to move. It's always been crazy to me just how close she is with her siblings.

I haven't seen my sister, Rachel, in nearly two years, and the last time I talked to my brother, Kyle, it was like we were strangers. I lived in the same house as Isaiah, and I couldn't tell you a thing about what's going on in his life. We're broken, distant, and we accepted it like it was the only thing we could do, but the Alexander's have always been more than that.

Siblings, sure, but they're also friends. Best friends, and it's days like today that I'm envious of that relationship. The way they care for each other.

"Who said I was driving?" Greyson asks.

"Me!" Stevie sticks her tongue out at him before tightly gripping my hand and pulling me towards the backseat. A snicker falls from my lips as I let go of her hand to run around to the driver's side, smiling when Greyson grabs the handle to the backseat and pulls the door open.

"Thank you," I say with the imaginary tip of my hat as I climb into the backseat with Stevie and Isla.

"Vee, did you even tell Riker where we're going?" Greyson asks as he climbs into the driver's seat and starts the engine.

"I'm texting him now."

"Have you somehow gotten more chaotic?" I tease.

"I have never been chaotic," she says. "How's the roommate thing going, by the way?"

"It's great," Greyson says before I can get a word out. "We're the best of friends, aren't we, Rob?"

Isla leans forward in her seat, shooting my a look with the kind of grin you only get from your best friend when a cute guy starts calling you by a nickname. It shouldn't leave me feeling warm, but it does. It's not anything new, he's been calling me Rob for ages, but it feels different now. Like it's somehow more intimate now that we live together.

"That sounded like sarcasm," Felix says with a laugh.

My lips curl up as I meet Greyson's eyes in the rear view mirror, leaning across Stevie. "It's the full truth. He's officially my favourite Alexander."

"He was always your favourite Alexander," Stevie says, pinching my hip to force me back into my seat as she leans forward to give the address to where ever we're going.

"She's got good tastes," Greyson says, taking Stevie's phone from her. I'm thankful for him being oblivious to the obvious nod to my crush. While Stevie is well aware of my crush on Greyson, it's never been something we've talked about further. She's always brushed it off as being a childhood crush I just can't shake, and I've been okay with that. Especially since Greyson's never seemed to notice the way they talk to me around him.

And frankly, I don't think he ever will. It'll just become something we talk about when we're older. Something to joke about like it meant nothing, and one day, it won't hurt that it'll only ever be just that. A crush with no real ending.