Page 87 of Friends That Break Us
I think back to what Michael had told me about not telling anyone. But it’s Ez; he won’t say anything. “I got their text messages from our phone carrier.”
“Wow. I didn’t know they did that.”
I chuckle softly. “Me neither.”
Ezra lets out a loud laugh. I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or what, but I’m shocked he’s laughing at all this. As I watch him, the sound of his laughter makes a giggle escape my lips.
“Why are you laughing?” I ask.
He lets out a groan. “This is just all so… So…” He shakes his head. “I feel like we’re in a damn soap opera.”
He’s right, this feels like a damn soap opera. You always hear about those friends that go behind the other’s back and sleep with their partner. Even though it’s so common, you never think it’s going to happen to you.
I think back to the night that I found Ezra and Rya sleeping together. She wanted him and she got him. So why, after all thistime, did she go after Zayn? Or did he go after her? Doesn’t matter anymore; what’s done is done.
Ezra jumps off the couch. “I’m going to order room service.” He picks up the menu. “You want room service?” he asks while sitting back down right up against me and opening the menu.
I smile down at the menu, feeling my tension ease off me. Being around him is the right call to make. He brings out a calmness in me that no one else ever has. His patience and empathy for people bring out the happiness in people who have shut it down. He’s doing it to me right now without even trying so hard.
Just him being him.
We’ve been eating and laughing at all the good times we had growing up. Even the good times we had with Zayn and Rya. It feels like we’re at their funeral, laughing and reminiscing about the good times before we say our final goodbyes.
The food we ordered covers the floor all around us. Some plates are half-eaten, some haven’t even been touched, laid out as if we’re two people who have been starving for decades.
The warmth of Ezra beside me comforts me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. Something so simple, yet it makes me feel so safe. Every move he makes, his arm brushes against mine. His touch alone has made the weight of everything disappear.
“Time for dessert,” I say as I reach down and grab the bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries with a side of whipped cream—because that combo is elite for me. Especially now, as the alcohol has taken me all the way over, helping dull the betrayal and heartache as if they were never there. From the looks of it, it looks like the alcohol has been working wonders on Ezra too.
I bite into the strawberry and juice drips down my face, making me laugh at the mess. Ezra grabs a strawberry, dips it in the whipped cream, and takes a huge bite off it. I take myhalf-eaten strawberry and dip it back into the whipped cream. Something cold touches my nose as I finish my strawberry. Ezra looks over at me, laughing.
“What?” I giggle.
He leans in, his eyes glossy from the alcohol. He stares at me with a wide grin on his face. “You have whipped cream on your face.”
“Get it off,” I say, chuckling.
He reaches in, wrapping his fingers around the back of my head. His palms press against my cheeks, holding my face so gently. I swallow the lump in my throat as his gaze locks with mine. His grin that once was wide has now dropped, and his lips part slightly.
The warmth between us heats the air around us, increasing the intensity of the moment. I look down at his lips; a mix of nervousness and excitement lingers over me. The background blurs, as if we are the only two people who exist. Two heartbroken people seeking the comfort of one another.
The rush of anticipation of his lips crashing against mine makes my heartbeat faster against my chest.
He slowly places his lips on mine as if he wants to savor this moment. His strawberry-sweet lips press against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. He pulls me closer. Our kiss deepens, more urgent, more desperate. As if we’ve waited our whole lives to do this. The world spins faster. I reach for him, pulling him closer to me, needing him closer to me. Our chests crash against each other, making our need for one another more desperate.
Before I know it, my back is against the floor, and he’s between my legs. The feel of him hard against my center sends electricity through my body, making me feel alive. More alive than I’ve felt in a long time.
My hands run up his body, grazing his muscles beneath his shirt. In one swift movement, he’s kneeling above me. Gazingdown at me with so much desire. He throws his shirt off. Looks back down at me, grabs the hem of my shirt. “Can I?” he asks in a low, husky voice.
I nod with my chest rising and falling. He looks at me, his eyes filled with…
Pure love?
Pure lust?
He throws my shirt off. “God, you’re beautiful,” he says as his soft gaze roams my body. He leans back down and brushes his lips against mine.
The tension between us is thick, sparking something in us I never knew was there. I thought nothing like this would ever be here. He kisses me so desperately, but yet so tenderly.
