𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 → 𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

53. don't leave me

sunday,
december 12th, 2020

LUKE HEMMINGS

It's way beyond two in the morning and although my eyes are lidded with exhaustion, I can't find it in me to fall asleep. No, that would be a sin considering Ezra Theo Greystone is laying beside me in bed, talking about anything with me and wanting to know everything about me.

"When'd you get this?" I tiredly mumble, finding her butterfly necklace and taking it gently between my fingers. It glimmers in the soft lamplight and she smiles.

"For my 16th birthday," she tells me, "My friend bought it for me."

"Lola?" I absentmindedly hum, running my thumb along the little silver butterfly.

"No, Ollie."

"Ollie?" I ask, dropping my hand to my side again, "You're close with him, huh?" I purse my lips, reminiscing on all the occasions where I saw the two together. Even at Rocky's bar, with his arm around her.

Ezra juts out her bottom lip, as if she has to think about it, before she shrugs and says, "Of course. He's probably my best friend other than Lola."

I nod my head, not welcoming the guilty pang of jealousy that hits me right in the gut at all. It's so stupid — I've always known that she's close with her male friends but the fact that she wears a piece of jewellery religiously from one of them makes my stomach curl. I hate myself for it because it really isn't a big deal. Maybe I just wish it was something of mine she'd wear nonstop instead.

"When did you dye your hair?" she asks me, tucked comfortably beneath my bedsheets and facing me with her hands folded beneath her cheek.

I have to lay on my back, considering any other position hurts my ribcage. I make the effort in turning my head towards her though, wanting to see her pretty smile and glowing eyes with ease.

"I think I was twenty," I murmur, "Cal convinced me. He had blue hair at the time."

Ezra giggles and I grin, "Calum had blue hair?" she repeats.

"A buzzcut, at that," I add, watching as her dimples cave in, "I like the paler blonde, so I've maintained it. My natural hair is a darker blonde," I tell her, obsessed with how she hangs on to my every word despite how tired she seems.

"I'm sure you look just as handsome with the darker colour," she mumbles and my heart skips a beat, "Was this the same phase as the lip piercing?" she chuckles.

I shake my head, mirroring her little sound of laughter, "No, no. I got my lip pierced when I was... 17, I think? It didn't last long, I took it out halfway through first year uni."

Ezra pouts playfully and my breath gets caught in my throat when her delicate fingertips approach my jaw. They dance over my overgrown stubble, finding the little hole in my lower lip like it's second nature to her. A smile tugs at the edges of her lips.

"I'd still like to see it, you know," she chirps, "Bet you'd look hot."

I chuckle, tipping my head to the side ever so slightly to press a ghostly kiss on her fingertip. Then, I grab her dainty little hand with both of mine, bringing them to rest on my chest. I play with her fingers, watching as I twirl her silver rings around them.

"How did you meet Lola and them?" I ask her, my voice quite low because I revel in the peace we bask in.

Ezra giggles, "Lola and I met the boys in year eight. We were all around twelve at the time. Lo and I were friends since around the age of ten though, near the end of primary school," she informs me, watching our fingers meld together effortlessly as she recalls the stories, "I met Ollie first, I had forgotten my lunch and had no money for the shitty canteen. He gave me his sandwich, sat with Lo and I, and introduced us to Leo and Milo. Rest is history, I guess."