Page 5 of Falling for Ezra Thomas
She sighs, frustrated. When Beck proposed to Vivien, Ezra had promised Vivien he would make things right with me, but he still hasn’t. There was a time when our parents worried that Vivien and Beck might create friction between the families, back when they seemed to hate each other. But nope, that would be Ezra and me. We’ll drive a wedge in everything if we don’t figure out how to coexist in a room with one another.
“Well, don’t forget about the engagement party Mrs. Thomas is planning. They want everyone there, Lore, and I’m sure you’re not going to get out of it no matter how much you whine and complain, especially if they know you quit your job.”
I roll my eyes and look at her. “Let me guess, the Thomas boys will be bringing their new girlfriends?”
“Well, I’ll be there. You like me,” she teases.
“I like Emma and Ella, too. It’s just hard when I wish I was also one of those girlfriends.”
Vivien frowns and stands, offering her hand. “I don’t like this either, but we have to let it run its course, okay? For somereason, Ezra needs more time. I never said he was smart, but eventually he will see he’s being an idiot and you are the perfect person for him. That, or Beck might drown him. It’s hard to say which will happen first.”
I chuckle and follow her to the living room where Beck has, as promised, scooped our ice cream. He even put whipped cream in the shape of smiley faces and topped it with sprinkles—pink for Viv and chocolate for me because he’s a nice guy and remembers those things.
I flop on the sofa and turn the television back on, ready to stuff obscene amounts of ice cream down the gullet while memories of laughs and kisses with Ezra slowly kill me. If this is what it feels like to love someone, I never want to do it again.
Chapter Four
Ezra
“We need to talk.”Beck leans against my door frame and shoots me a glare.Theglare.
Yep. This is it. This is the moment I have been waiting for since I kissed Lorelai. My brother, mytwin,is about to commit homicide against me and I have no choice but to let him do it. He’s thrown that line at me several times, but never with that awful expression that borders on hatred. I’ve never gotten the narrow-eyed, pinch-lipped, death glare from him before. That’s for other people, not for me.
I sit up in my bed and drop my book on the nightstand. Groaning, I scrub my hands over my face. The scruff reminds me that soon I’ll be shaving every day. I’ll be taking orders and my time will be dictated down to the minute. There’s no time for love. No time for Lorelai, and she deserves more than a guy who might be somewhere across the world in a few months.
“I just left Vivien, who is currently taking care of a nasty bite wound Lorelai got at work.” He steps into the room and shuts the door.
“Oh, that’s awful,” I say, thinking about Lorelai’s job and how it sucks the life out of her…when I’m not. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, I think so, but it was awful enough that she up and quit her job, came home crying, and is now in misery at her apartment.” He flaps his arms around so much he might take flight, but this is serious. I can’t laugh at him right now.
“Beck, that isn’t—”
His glare stops me short. “Yeah, Iknowthe bite wasn’t your fault, but everything else is. They locked themselves in the bathroom, and when I went to tell Viv I was heading out, I overheard Lore telling her she doesn’t even want to come to the engagement party because she’ll feel out of place with all thegirlfriends.”
“I get it. I…I get it,” I say, raising a hand to stop him. “This isn’t how I want things to be, either.”
Beck sighs and buries both hands in his hair. “Look, I just want things to settle out. What is happening, Ez? You’re not telling me anything, and Iknowyou told Silas something. He keeps giving me dodgy looks and avoids being in the same room alone with me. And you still haven’t explained why you ran out of here in such a hurry the other night.”
I should have told Beck. He’s my twin, but the truth is, I’m not sure how he’s going to take my news. Silas was surprised enough, but Beck? It will be like telling him it’s the end of the world. Besides, I wanted to tell Lorelai first. Since I’ve already blown that up when getting advice from Silas, there’s no reason to keep it from Beck. Only, I’m still not sure how to say it, how to tell him that I made a decision without getting a shred of advice or input from him or anyone else in the family. I figure there’s probably only one way to say it. Spit it out and get it over with.
I lick my lips and brace for impact. “I joined the Army.”
Beck sighs again. “I get that you might be confused about—what?” He freezes mid-sentence and drops his arms to his sides. “What did you just say?”
“I said, I joined the Army. I leave for basic training in five days.” I clench my jaw, fear gripping me as realization dawns on my twin. “I ran out of here the other night to go tell Lorelai and try to work things out with her, but she was at work. I haven’t had a free minute to go over there again. When she’s off, I’m not. When I’m free, she’s working.”
“You…joined…the Army?” Flashes of betrayal cross Beck’s face while I work to figure out a good excuse for not telling him sooner. For not seeking his opinion. For doing something insane because it felt like a calling, with no idea how to explain that to anyone. Silas understands. He’s done it, but Beck? His change of plans after breaking his wrist was the most unplanned thing he’s ever done.
“I did, and I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t figure out how. So now you see why I can’t get involved with Lorelai, even though I want to.” Kissing Lorelai was never on my to do list, but the second it happened, I knew I could never take it back. I still don’t want to, but I’m not good for her. She’s already stressed to the maximum degree. Anything I do will only add to her burnout. No doubt, a long-distance boyfriend who may or may not end up getting shot at on a regular basis is not going to settle well with her.
Beck pulls out my desk chair and sits, his gaze tacked to the floor. I can only assume he’s processing the information, but we’re interrupted by Silas knocking on the door.
“Hey, food’s here,” he says and cracks the door open just enough to catch my gaze.
“How could you join the Army and not tellanyone?” Beck has recovered from his stupor, and his shout is enough to alerteveryone in the town house that something is wrong. Silas pushes the door open further and peers deeper inside, his gaze bouncing between Beck and me. “We’re your family, Ez. You didn’t think telling us would be a good idea? What were you going to do, go to basic training and never tell anyone you were leaving like he did?” Beck thumbs towards Silas, who scowls but keeps his mouth shut.
“I planned to tell you weeks ago, but things kept coming up. Mom planned the whole Christmas gathering, and every time I tried to bring it up, I just couldn’t. Then we had the New Year’s Party, and there were too many things going on at once. Mom was hurt enough when Silas went to Romania. Can you imagine—”
