“Ezra,” Cyrus tried to speak, but Ezra landed another punch, sending him crashing to the floor.
“Ezra!” I cried out, stepping closer in a desperate attempt to intervene. But Ezra turned his furious gaze towards me.
“Seriously? Cyrus?” he demanded, his voice heavy with betrayal. The hallway was now crowded with onlookers, all staring at us with wide eyes.
“Don’t ever set foot in my house again,” Ezra spat at Cyrus, who struggled to get up.
Ezra then turned to me, gripping my hands with a vice-like grip. “Fucking bitch,” he muttered through clenched teeth, dragging me towards the exit. I looked back one last time at Cyrus, who was watching me with a mix of pain and regret in his eyes.
This was all my fault. I had caused all of this…
“I thought Cyrus was her brother,” I heard someone whisper.
“Me too,” another voice added.
—
Ezra slammed the car door shut and circled to the driver’s seat. He started the engine and sped off, the car jolting as he did.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he roared, his voice seething with anger. “Cyrus, of all people… my best friend? And I was just too blind to see it,” he continued, hitting the steering wheel so hard that it made a loud thud.
I sat quietly, my head lowered, fingers nervously fiddling in my lap.
“Just wait until Dad finds out you’ve been sleeping with Cyrus all this time,” Ezra said bitterly.
“You don’t need to tell Dad about this,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.
“You’re hilarious,” Ezra replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Please,” I begged, but he remained silent.
The rest of the drive was filled with a tense, heavy silence.
When we arrived home, I saw Dad’s car parked outside. My heart sank as I realized he was home and Mom wasn’t. I was in so much trouble.
Walking inside, I found Reggie and Dad in the living room, engrossed in a football match. Both had beers in hand and looked tense, clearly upset by the game’s outcome.
“Selena,” Dad called out, his initial smile fading when he saw the look on my face. “What happened?” he asked, his gaze shifting to Ezra. I turned to Ezra, who was glaring straight ahead, avoiding my eyes.
“Guess who I saw kissing your daughter today?” Ezra announced, his voice laden with frustration. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the inevitable.
“Who?” Reggie asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Cyrus,” Ezra dropped the bombshell. I opened my eyes to see Dad’s stunned silence and Reggie’s growing smirk.
“So, are we killing him or… what?” Reggie asked, grinning.
“Get out,” Dad said firmly to Reggie, who nodded and cast one last smirk in my direction before leaving.
Dad stood up and walked towards me, his expression a mix of anger and concern. He stopped right in front of me. “So tell me,” he said, his voice sharp. “Since when have you two been seeing each other?” he demanded. I opened my mouth to respond but then hesitated.
“And don’t even think about lying,” he warned. I swallowed hard, glancing at Ezra, who was staring intently, waiting for an answer.
“Um, it’s been a while now,” I managed to say, my voice trembling.
“Since when?” he pressed further.
“About ten months,” I said, and Ezra gasped in shock. Dad’s chuckle was dark and humorless.
“And you two… hooked up?” Dad asked, his voice heavy with disapproval. I nodded slowly.
“Wow,” Ezra murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Was he your first?” Dad asked, his tone cutting. I nodded again.
“What the fuck,” Ezra exploded, stepping closer to me. “You were the girl he’s been talking about. And he used you like trash. Are you really this naive, Selena?” he asked, turning to Dad. “Dad, he used her. He slept with her in a car for the first time, and guess what? He doesn’t even like her at all.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears began to stream down my face, my body shaking with quiet sobs. Dad’s stern expression softened slightly, though disappointment still lingered. Ezra looked at me, a mix of anger and sorrow in his eyes.
“Of all people to get involved with, Cyrus?” Dad asked, his voice laden with disbelief before he sighed deeply.
“I always knew a day like this would come, with you having a boyfriend and all. To be honest, you’re grown and free to make your own choices. But one thing we don’t want is for you to be with the wrong person,” he continued, his tone heavy. “I mean, look at your brother. Do you want to end up with someone like him?” Dad asked, a sardonic chuckle escaping his lips. If this weren’t such a dire situation, I might have laughed at the way he threw shade at Ezra.
“Cyrus doesn’t even like himself, let alone anyone else,” Dad added, his words cutting deep. I was tempted to defend Cyrus, to say he did care about me, but I knew that would only make things worse.
“I don’t have much more to say. Just stay away from him unless you want your heart broken even more,” Dad said, rubbing his forehead in frustration. “If I hadn’t known his father, he wouldn’t be walking away from this.”
“Go to your room,” he instructed me, his voice firm. I nodded silently, casting one last glance at Ezra before heading towards the hallway.
God knows if Ezra was in the same position as me and he told me not to tell my parents, I wouldn’t at all.
As I made my way to my room, I spotted Reggie standing in the corridor.
“Cyrus, huh?” he asked, his tone tinged with both curiosity and disdain.
“Just leave me alone,” I said, trying to push past him. But Reggie stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“You think I’m all mean and harsh, but Cyrus is the wrong person for you. He’ll end up with other girls, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Haven’t you heard the warnings about attractive bad boys?” he said.
“I just want to be alone,” I pleaded, my voice breaking.
“Fine,” Reggie said with a sigh. “But seriously, stay away from him.” He then turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the corridor, feeling the weight of his words and the pain of the evening’s events.
—
Walking into my room, I burst into tears. The weight of everything that had happened crashed over me. Just when things were getting better between Cyrus and me, it all fell apart. I wished we had more time together, free from prying eyes and overprotective brothers. I wished he wasn’t Ezra’s best friend, so we could be together without all this drama.
I had promised to see Eva today, but I didn’t feel like going out anymore. Besides, my car was still at school. I lay on my bed, my mind replaying the humiliating moment we were caught. I knew Cyrus wouldn’t want to talk to me after what happened. I just hoped we could find a way through this.
Just then, my phone rang, startling me. Seeing Cyrus’s name on the screen made my heart race. I stared at it for a moment, unsure of what he wanted to say. Did he want to break things off? I answered the call, pressing the phone to my ear, my heart pounding.
“Lena,” he said, his voice instantly calming me.
“Cyrus,” I replied, my voice trembling.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
Tears welled up again as I heard the concern in his voice. “Yeah,” I managed to say, though my voice betrayed me.
“I’m so sorry about what happened. I forgot we were in the corridor. I just missed you so much,” he said with a soft chuckle, making me smile weakly through my tears.
“Me too,” I admitted, my voice cracking.
“I hope you weren’t shouted at too much. It would break my heart to see you sad,” he said. His words wrapped around my heart like a warm blanket, even after losing his best friend and taking a punch for me.
“Can we talk?” I asked, needing to see him, to explain, to make things right.
“Yeah, where and when?” he replied, a note of hope in his voice.
“I’ll text you,” I said, and he hummed in agreement.
“Take care of yourself, okay?” he said gently.
“Okay. How are your bruises?” I asked, worry lacing my words.
“They’re not too bad. I’m okay,” he reassured me.
“Alright. See you tomorrow,” I said, wary of my brothers overhearing our conversation.
“Goodnight,” he said softly.
I ended the call and placed the phone on my chest, tears streaming down my face. I thought of Cyrus, his kind eyes and gentle voice. I hoped he was alright and that we could find a way to be together despite everything. The thought of losing him was unbearable, and I clung to the hope that love would somehow find a way through this mess.
EZRA
Ezra stood outside Eva’s house, nervous energy coursing through him. He had messed up, and he knew it. But he had to try to make things right. As he lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open, revealing Eva’s mother.
“Ezra,” she said, her expression a mix of surprise and disapproval. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to Eva,” he replied, his voice steady despite his nerves.
She hesitated, then stepped aside. “She’s in the living room.”
Ezra walked in, his heart pounding. He found Eva sitting on the couch, her arms crossed and her face set in a hard expression. The moment she saw him, she stood up, her eyes narrowing.
“What do you want, Ezra?” she demanded, her voice cold.
“I need to talk to you,” he said, stepping closer, but stopped when Eva approached him, held his hands, and led him out the door.
Eva’s face twisted with anger. “You’ve done enough talking, Ezra. Get out.”
She moved to close the door in his face, but Ezra quickly reached out and held it open. “Eva, please. Just hear me out.”
She glared at him, her grip tightening on the door. “Why should I? You’ve lied, and you’ve been distant. I don’t want to hear your excuses.”
Ezra’s eyes pleaded with her. “I know I’ve messed up, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I can’t leave things like this. I need to make things right.”
Eva let go of the door and stepped back, her arms still crossed. “You’ve got two minutes. Make it quick.”
He took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto hers. “I’ve been an idiot, and I’ve hurt you. I was scared, and I handled everything terribly. But I’m here now, and I want to make it right.”
She shook her head, her eyes filled with frustration. “Words, Ezra. That’s all you have. Words. And they mean nothing to me anymore.”
“I get that,” he said, his voice quiet but determined. “I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. But I’m going to prove to you that I can be the man you and our baby need. I’ll change your mind, Eva. Just give me a chance to show you.”
Eva looked at him, her expression hard to read. For a moment, it seemed like she might soften, but then she turned away. “You’ve got a lot to prove, Ezra. Don’t think for a second that I’m going to make this easy for you.”
He nodded, relief mixing with the challenge ahead. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. I’ll do whatever it takes, Eva. I’m not giving up on us.”
With that, he turned and left, leaving Eva standing in the doorway, a storm of emotions brewing in her eyes. It was a start, and for Ezra, it was the first step in a long journey to make things right.
TBC