I sat beneath the window of the treehouse that the three of us have called our second home for two decades now. Ethan, Marie, and I had a rough childhood, and now that our parents are living without their three children, they have decided to move out. Between the pair of them, they have decided to tear down the treehouse as the first step of packing up the house.

I mostly snuck out to reminisce, but it also helped that Ethan's best friend--Charlie--wasn't here. I could've sworn that if someone left the two of us in a room together, I would kill that son of a bitch. And I would like it.

I find a wooly blanket in the cabinet and wrap it around me. I, then, close my eyes and rest my head against the wall, letting sleep overcome me.

I didn't realize just how exhausted I was.

I snort myself away what feels like five hours later, but when I check my watch, I see that it's only been forty-five minutes.

"You're cute when you snore," says a voice that I know all too well.

I turn to match the voice to the face and--yep, it's Charlie. Of course it's him. Why would the universe choose to be nice to me when I'm having a rough weekend? It wouldn't. Because it hates me.

"What are you doing here?" I grumble, turning to face the other way and closing my eyes once again. Maybe if I fall back asleep, I can wake up and he won't be here.

"Your mom said you'd be in here." He grabs the blanket and covers himself in it, huddling inside the warmth with me. I fight the urge to tug the cozy material off of him. He doesn't deserve it. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said."

"No, you look. I don't care that you're sleeping with other people. I don't care that you wanted to be roommates, just so I could make our apartment look girly to draw in women you take home. I honestly truly whole-heartedly don't care. About any of it. What I do care about was that you lied to me."

"I'm sorry, April." He sighed, but I didn't believe his apology. It was fake.

"I know that you don't like me. I've known that my entire life. But hearing you talk about me the way you did... that hurt, Charlie. That really fucking hurt."

"I'm--"

"I don't want to hear another apology."

"But I am sorry. You know that, right?"

"Just be quiet for a bit, okay?" I hated the gentleness of my voice. I was supposed to be mad at him, but I was just so tired. "What did my mom want anyway? Wait, don't answer that. I told you not to talk." I shifted my gaze and looked at him. "Was it important?"

He looks into my eyes for what feels like a long time before slowly shaking his head. I tear my gaze away, not being strong enough to hold it. There's too much hurt in his eyes that he only shows around my family. I don't know why he's vulnerable around us. After all these years, I can't bring myself to understand. Ethan says that Charlie and his family have never gotten along, but I don't quite believe that. Charlie has always been annoyingly outgoing. I could never imagine him having family problems.

I let my eyes fall closed again.

I wake up with my head on Charlie's shoulder. I hate how comfortable this feels. I hate how most people have bony skin, but Charlie's is soft. I hate how I know he's awake right now and has been for however long I've been asleep, just letting me rest beside him.

"Morning, sunshine," he says, but it sounds strained.

I look up at him. "What did my mom want?"

"She was gonna come and check on you, but I said that I'd go. I had more to say than she did."

"You do realize that my mom probably wanted to apologize for having to tear down the treehouse, right? Something that actually means something to me. Besides, you only had to apologize for being a dick, she just doesn't know what else to do with her problem."

"I said I was sorry!"

"Yeah, I know you did."

"Why won't you forgive me?"

"Because I've put up with so much of your bullshit. I've slept over at my friends houses, so that you could have the apartment to yourself. I've done so much for someone who constantly pisses me off. I just thought that you respected me."

"I do respect you."

I let out a long sigh. "No, if you honestly respected me, you would've never called me a self-entitled bitch."

"But I didn't--!"

"Mean it?"

"Of course I didn't mean it! I was playing a part. I was just trying to get a girl into bed and she saw something that you left lying around. She was starting to get jealous, so I made up a lie."

"It sounded real to me," I grumbled.

"Yeah, that was sort of the point." He paused before continuing. "I didn't mean it, April."

I let out an audible scoff, and before I could turn away, I felt Charlie's fingers gently grip my chin and direct my gaze to his. "I didn't mean it," he whispers.

"Okay, fine. Apology accepted. Whatever. Can you go now?"

"No."

I groaned in frustration. "I'm gonna kill you. I'm actually going to kill you."

"Got a murder kink?" He was smirking. Well, at least he was back to his usual self.

"Do YOU have a murder kink, you weirdo?"

He shakes his head. "I have an April kink." His eyes suddenly heat up with something the both of us have been trying to hide for too long and I look away.

"You're hogging the blanket."

He pulls the blanket off of him and wraps it tightly around my body. He moves to sit in front of me, waiting for me to look at him before continuing.

"I get that you're not ready for this to happen. That's okay. I'm a patient man and I honestly would have given up by now if I thought you didn't want this. But you do want it, don't you? So, take your time. I'll be waiting."

He pressed a kiss to my cheek, slowly stood up, and climbed down the treehouse.

Somehow that was all the closure I needed for this structure. It was just a playhouse made out of wood, if you really thought about it. I followed Charlie inside and swallowed my fear.

"Wait, Charlie! I have something to tell you!"