Invisible String || H.S

Chapter 26

Finals fly by, and by the time I'm walking out of my last one on Friday, my brain feels completely fried. Snow is falling as I push through the doors to the main quad on campus and see some people already playing in the couple of inches that have accumulated. I zip my coat up even more as a cool breeze makes its presence known. Walking to the bus stop, I only have to wait five minutes until it pulls up and takes me back to my apartment. 

Once inside, I toss my bag to the side and plop down on our couch. Isabella finished her finals yesterday and left early to go home for the holiday break, so we sadly already said our goodbyes. I somehow find the power to pull myself up from our couch and head towards my room to finally finish packing for the break. I'm just about to zip my suitcase up and text my mom that I'm on my way when I hear a knock on the front door that startles me. 

Hesitantly I walk to the door; confusion fans my face as I see Ezra standing on our steps from the peephole. Opening the door, I'm welcomed with a whiff of snow and the faint smell of Ezra's cologne. 

"Hi, Evie." 

"Hi, Ez."

"Sorry to just show up like this, but I was just hoping to see you before the long break." He says as he unconsciously starts rubbing his hand through his hair. I step to the side and gesture him to come in. Closing the door and the cold with it as he steps inside. 

"You have perfect timing; I was just about to head back to New York. If you had come five minutes later, I would've been gone." I say as I walk back to my room, hearing his footsteps following mine. I turn and see a slight smile on his face as he takes his coat off and rests it on the chair of my desk. He's wearing dickies jeans and an oversized deep green Carhart crewneck.  

"How were your finals?" I ask as I tidy a few things up around my room. Hoping that Ezra isn't planning on staying long so I can make it home before it gets dark. 

"I think they went fine; what about yours?" he asks to which I respond with fine. He starts running his hand through his hair again, and I can tell some things on his mind. I walk over to my bed and sit on the edge, motioning for him to come and sit next to me. He does. 

"What's up, Ez? Why the surprise visit?" I ask as I feel him lean his head on top of mine. 

"If I'm being completely honest, I don't really know what I'm doing here. I got out of my final, and you came to my mind, and I thought of not being able to see you all break, and then suddenly I'm at your front door hoping you'll answer. I just really wanted to see you. And I feel like we haven't been the same after our date, I had hope that day at the coffee shop when we were studying together, but then you left, and there was nothing but radio silence coming from you, and I was worried." He blurts out, taking a deep breath after finishing. 

Guilt sweeps through me at the realization of how shitty I have been in my indecisiveness towards Ezra. Part of me wants to come clean and tell him the truth about Harry, but part of me also has Isabella's voice in the back of my head telling me that Harry never even made things exclusive. 

"Oh Ez, I'm so sorry. Life has been so hectic lately, but that's not an excuse for me having been a shitty friend. Please believe me when I say that nothing is off between us. I've just been in over my head with the things life has been throwing at me lately." I say reassuringly. He smiles at me, and I can tell it's genuine and can basically see the tension leave as his shoulders relax with my words. 

"Okay, good. Good, good, good. I just wanted to make sure we were good before we left for practically a month for the holiday break." he says as he stands and walks to his coat, putting it on. "I'll get going, though, because I know you have a long drive home," he adds on as he starts walking to the front door.