Page 58 of Friends That Heal Us
My mind goes back to when we were seniors in high school.
Ez pulls up to a park we go to sometimes to study. Instead of getting out of the car right away, I let out a sigh and stare out the window. The pink flowers on the trees are blooming. I have always felt relieved at that sight, knowing school is almost over and summer is coming. But right now, that doesn’t give me the relief I usually get.
“What’s wrong?” Ez asks.
“I’m so sick of school.”
It’s the week after spring break, which means graduation is close. My senioritis has kicked in to the max. My motivation has been so low all year, but right now it’s even worse. We get a week off for spring break, and then we have to go back to school. It’s pure torture. They should let seniors graduate before spring break so we can be done. For all the years and hours we have already put in, that should be our reward.
Ez shifts his body towards me. “We’re almost done, Vi.”
“I have no motivation.”
“You don’t need motivation. You need discipline.”
I shoot him a dirty look—brows pinched together and my lips pressed in a thin line—unimpressed by his words.
He chuckles. “Why the dirty look?”
“Because I hate when you’re right.”
He chuckles even louder.
“I hate school. Half the shit we’re learning I’m never going to use.”
“Like what?”
“Like pi.” I roll my eyes. “Who the fuck is going to use that? And then the stupid Y equals X, Y, and Z or whatever bullshit it is. Am I really going to be using these dumb formulas for the rest of my life?” I scoff. “I doubt it.”
He throws his head back and howls with laughter.
“I’m glad you find this funny while I’m over here dying in misery.”
He lifts his head back up, catching my gaze as he rests his hand on my thigh. “You’ll get through it. We’re almost done. And I’m here to help you.”
The moment his hand lands on my thigh, my breath catches. A rush of warmth spreads through me, followed by a flutter that makes my stomach twist. Part of me freezes, unsure whether I should pull away or stay still. My heart pounds so fast as I sit here nervously.
Ezra and I have grown so close over the past few months with all the time we’ve spent together; it’s bound to happen, right? But what no one knows is that my feelings for him have grown beyond just friends. Every day, I’ve questioned whether he has the same feelings, but I can never tell. Does his hand on my thigh show he likes me?
I look up at him, still questioning what I should do next. His cheeks are rosy as if he’s just as nervous as me. He clears his throat, turns his head away from me and releases his hand from my thigh.
“I just…” I pause, shaking my head. “Are you sure this is all okay? I mean, it’s one thing to have the bakery under your name but another to have it under your dad’s.”
“My parents love you. They always have. If they didn’t want to do this, they wouldn’t have.” He glances over at me. “Trust me. Everything is fine.”
“Thank you. I hope my reaction didn’t make it seem like I didn’t appreciate it because I really do.” I let out a sigh. “You know me. I like to do everything myself. It’s hard for me to depend on other people.”
“I know. It’s a great quality you have. But it’s okay to let others in and help you when needed,” he says, lifting my hand and placing a kiss on top of it.
Warmth spreads through my body slowly until it settles low in my stomach. Something so simple, yet feels so intimate. It’s enough to make my pulse race. My lips twitch into a shy smile as a quiet spark ignites between us. Like it did thatnight.Does he still think about that night like I do? We haven’t talked about it yet, and sometimes I can’t stop thinking about his body against mine, and feel his hands all over me again.
“Good morning,” Ez says, shifting his gaze over to me as I walk into the kitchen.
The savory-sweet smell hits my nostrils. “It smells good. What are you cooking?”
“Pancakes, eggs and bacon.”
I cover my mouth as a yawn erupts from me. I didn’t sleep well last night. Thoughts of everything kept running through my mind all night. I was second-guessing the bakery, which led me to think, If I can’t put it under my name, then I’m not ready to get a bakery, so I shouldn’t. That led me to figuring out the first steps in filing for divorce because the way I see it, Zayn isn’t going to put forth any effort there. Then I couldn’t stop thinkingabout Ezra. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed with him. My mind kept running, and I wanted his presence to shut it off. Then that made me second guess what the hell am I doing with my life? I thought by now I would have my life all figured out. Well, I did. Until recently. I never thought I would go through any of this. You hear about those people whose lives get turned upside down overnight from one person’s actions and never think you’ll be one of them. Until you are. It’s selfish and unfair.
