Two Worlds Distanced

Chapter 87

RACHEL

When getting inside the car, I just keep wishing that Ezra would finally say something, anything but nothing; now I wish that the wedding wasn't mentioned because I have a feeling of what this is about his mother getting married, I can be wrong. I walk towards the passenger's side, and grab the door handle before getting it smacked away, "What's the problem?" I shout out to Ezra who's behind, shakes his head no and opens the door.

"Let me get that for you," he responds, and I go inside the car. Ezra rushes to the other with the boyish grin he has going on. Who is this person? He's not the grumpy boy I met on a plane. Well, he's still grumpy. Ezra gets inside the car all so quiet that he doesn't seem like himself from not talking until saying one single word that means the world to him, "Skylar,".

"Why all the sudden mention of Skylar?" I ask, he takes a breath, rubs his face with a single tear falling down his cheek, "I'm not going to the wedding because of her," he tells me, "She should be here but," he starts smacking the steering wheel until his hands are completely. I take his hands off the steering wheel, place them on my face along mine on his, "Ezra? Ezra?" I yell out of his mumble screams. He doesn't look up, contine shaking his head, and keeps saying, 'I'm not going. I'm not going,'.

I lift his head up, his green eyes are all glassy looking, "You should go, I think your mother would want you there. I know it's hard for you to forget about what happened but it doesn't mean you will lose or forget about her," I admit to him as wiping his tears away with his sweater that smelled like his cologne. I missed wearing this and smelling his cologne. Moments later, suddenly I see Ezra getting out of the car, going behind it to throw up. I looked through the car to find something he can wipe with, the only thing I could find was a bandana; get out of the car, go up to him and hand him the bandana without saying a word.

After wiping his mouth, putting the bandana back in the car, turn towards me, "I was thinking about whether we could go to the mall?" he blurted out unexpectedly. I tilt my head, put my hand on his forehead, "What are you doing, Rachel?" he chuckles.

"I'm checking your temperature to see if you are feeling right because you don't seem like the Ezra I know who wants to go the mall," I joke with him and he rolls his eyes yet chuckles again, "Oh really. We can just not go and have car sex or I can just finger you," he teases as bringing his lips closer to mine but I back away and , "Yeah, you are still the same Ezra who has still has sexual jokes in his brain,".

"Oh but you love the sexual jokes, huh?" he asks and I walk away with the feeling of he's not wrong about liking the jokes I just pretend I don't.

...

Meanwhile, as we arrive at the packed mall you can barely find a parking space, especially around the holidays. We walk inside with Christmas music blasting through the place and Ezra seems annoyed by covering his ears, "You are not a joyful person right now. I thought you loved this song, 'WALKING IN THE WINTER WONDERLAND," I start singing the song and he pushes me aside.

"Haha, very funny. So I was thinking that we would split up for a while so we could shop for each other, then meet up at the food court. I'm starting to get hungry," he tells me, setting a thirty minute timer on his phone without acknowledging that he has a picture of me on his screen.

I was reading by the window in a little library he built for us a month after I moved in. My hair was in a messy bun, and only wearing a raggy old Bud Light beer t-shirt, his shirts. I love wearing his things because they always smell like him, like citrus and mint.

"What's so funny?" Ezra asks me not knowing I was laughing.

"Nothing, but I will meet you at the food court and do you wanna buy your mother's wedding gift together?" I tell him as soon as he begins to walk away when mentioning the wedding, "What is with you and not wanting to go to the wedding? Don't you want your mom to be happy?" I questioned him, and all he did was walk away but I pulled him towards me before he's far away.

"HEY!"

"Hey you, answer my question. Please?" I beg him.

"Yes I want my mother to be happy but not with the imbecile of a fiancé she got engaged to and his wacko son is going be my fucking brother. I don't need a sibling, I already have— had a sibling," he admits the truth, and sits down on a bench and runs his hands through his hands. I nod now understanding old what's going on, "Ezra? Is that why you are not going to the wedding?".

He looks up with watery eyes, and signs, "Yes, I don't wan—"

"EZRA!" Someone across the mall yells out his name and starts running towards us. It's a little boy, maybe seven, with big blue eyes and blonde hair, "Leo?" a woman behind him grabs his hand, "Leo Byron Stone, what did your parents tell you not to strangers?" she yells at him, looks up at us and it's Lauren from work, "Oh hi Ezra and Rachel. I'm sorry that my nephew bothered you guys. He forgot his manners. Leo, how do you know Mr. Miller?".

"Kinda, he was at the hair store when I was there with Grandpa Donny," Leo told her and she nodded, "Oh okay. Again, I'm sorry to bother you guys," she apologizes again,". Ezra and I smile, bend down, Leo shows a goofy smile with a tooth missing on the top row, "It's okay. I'm Rachel. Do you happen to like pizza, Leo?".

Before he responds, I hear a 'Oh my fucking god' coming out of Ezra quietly. I hit him on the leg with my elbow and heard a grunt "You and your Aunt Lauren are more than welcome to join us for lunch. How does that sound?" I utter out to Leo, and immediately he grabs my hand and starts dragging me to the nearest food count, "Come on. I'm starving," he shouts out.