Habits Of My Heart

CHAPTER 4

TO BETTER DAYS

Everything about yesterday was great.

Getting to meet Emily and her friends was refreshingly good. Being around people my age felt good. Emily's friends were funny, and they all had their own set of humor. Being around them got my mind out of a lot of things. They all caught me up on everything because football season was starting, and I had to be at every game. I didn't know how football worked, but Emily said she would be there, so I agreed.

Emily insisted I go with her to this small pool party all her friends would be there. I insisted that it wasn't a good idea. I wasn't a big fan of swimming anyways.

But here I was.

While everyone was in the pool enjoying themselves, I stood in the corner with my feet in the water. It's been a long time since I wore a bikini, but here I was, good thing I brought a sweater to wear over it.

I told Emily there was no point in me being at a pool party if I wasn't going to get in the pool. She insisted that not everyone would be in the pool, which she wasn't lying. It just felt so weird being in the corner and not around everyone; it made me feel like the odd one out.

I could walk over there and join in on the conversation, but it wasn't like I couldn't hear what everyone was talking about.

Emily was beside me, speaking about how we should meet before classes tomorrow. She even adds that if we are both free, we can watch the guys practice. I didn't mind. I was current my classes ended around twelve, and I was free the rest of the day.

In the middle of our conversation, Emily would stop and get distracted looking at Michael; it's happened three times already.

"You can go and talk to him; you know," I say, looking back at them both.

"What? No, that's so rude. I'm with you," she says, shaking her head.

"I see the way you're looking at him, and I'll vomit if I have to see more," I joke.

Lightly pushing on her arm, I smile her way.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you by yourself. And I invited you here. I feel like a complete bitch ditching you," she said, caring.

I understand where she was coming from, but I hate to be the friend who keeps her away from him. I saw the way they looked at each other it was passionate. To passionate that I couldn't keep her away from something like that.

"Please go, and I'll be fine I promise. And your no more than ten feet away from me." I say her.

She throws a big smile my way. Making her way out the water, "This is why we are friends, Aubrey." She grabs a towel to dry her self making her way to Michael; she stops mid-walk and turns back to me. She walks back over to me kisses me on my head, "thank you," She mouths, As she makes her way over to him.

I look around me, watching everyone as my feet swing back and forth in the water. I didn't know if all these people were friends of Emily or if they happened to be invited by others. Michael was here with Emily enjoying themselves; I saw Sebastian in the hot tube a while ago chatting with a girl. I saw Harvey walking in with a few other guys, but I didn't see Ezra.

I expected him to be around his friends, but I didn't see him around Michael, Sebastian, or Harvey, but maybe he had other friends.

Or maybe he was with a girl like every other guy here.

Slipped in the back of my mind, the feelings of jealousy washed over me, how I wish to be any girl who's beside him in any way.

"You know I was beginning to question where you went," Michael says, eyes lingering on someone behind me.

I heard the voice before I could turn around and check who. "Didn't realize you were my mother" came from the only male voice that makes shivers run through my body.

Ezra, speaking of the devil.

When I looked behind me, he was fully clothed in a pair of black jeans and a white tee paired with a black jean jacket. He could make anything look good on him. Without a doubt, he was just that attractive. I was jealous of anyone who personally knew him for anyone who gets to see the side of him he hides behind those eyes.

When our eyes connected, that same feeling for that very night. Everything around me went silent. It was just him and me like we were the only ones who mattered in the world.

Like all the conversations around us didn't matter; only our tiny silent eye movements mattered.

"So, where did you go? No, I mean, who did you go with?" Michael says.

I finally turned my head around. The last thing I needed was for him to think I had some starring problem.

"Not your business Michael," he says from behind me. He was making his way back into the house.

Like that, he was back into his world, and I was in mine. The party continued for a few more hours. Everyone eventually made their way back into the house. I decided to call it an early night and head out before dark, but I previously remembered that I didn't drive myself here. So I went to look for Emily, who I found pretty easy with only a few people here.

She sees me walking her way and smiles "don't tell me your planing to leave?" She says.

"I should; with classes starting tomorrow and being new to campus, the last thing I need is to get lost," I say through the loud music.

"I can call myself an Uber if you are still not ready to call it a night," I add

She shakes her head. "No way, hey Ezra!" She calls from behind me. I turn around to see Ezra almost making his way out the door, but he turns and walks our way.

"Emily," he says

"Can you please give Bee a ride back to her place? You're headed that way, and I'm heading to Mic—"

"You don't have to. As I said, I can Uber back," I say, protesting against the idea.

"Why waste the money when Ezra is also leaving, and you can just a ride with him, and Uber is so not safe," she says, looking Ezra's way.

Ezra looks over at me and says, "sure, and I can do that. Let me know when you're ready to leave," he says to me.

"She's ready now," she says. Then she hugs me and whispers, "text me when you get home."