Ice Cream In Malibu

17

I feel the car stop and there's sounds of someone fiddling with something metal.

The car door opens and the light turns on, only to be swiftly shut off once more, my head is laying against the cool glass window and my breath is fogging it slightly. My car door opens and someone pushes my head so I don't fall down.

I look up into dark gray/green eyes and white teeth.

They're saying something that I don't hear, they laugh and I try to sit up, only for this mysterious person to be there first putting their arms under my back and knees, I curl myself up into the strong male body and lean my head on their shoulder, a small deep laugh rumbles through the person and I fall back asleep.

~

I jerk into consciousness and look around the brown room, honeyed in the morning light, and my head spins so I lay down onto the pillow.

My arms and legs are sprawled about and I'm extremely comfortable.

I notice the absence of Ezra and I sit up slowly so I don't have a dizzy fit once more. I look around the room, at the plush white carpet, and the small brown tables on either side of the massive bed.

There's a television at the foot of the bed, and there's a window at the end of the room.

I get up, groaning as my feet hit the ground and walk over to the window, pushing back the curtain to look out.

It's just a parking lot, with a large town sprawled out in front of me.

It seems the room is on a high floor by the view.

I'm taken by it for who knows how long until I hear the clicking of a door behind me, and I turn around to see Ezra.

His hair is wet and he's wearing black jeans.

And that's all.

I don't feel my mouth fall open, but after a few moments I close it, Ezra seems frozen on the spot.

"Hi." He says and crosses his arms, making his arm muscles flex in the movement. I know my eyes are wide and that I'm accidentally staring. "I though you were asleep." He seats before going back into the bathroom, most likely getting on a shirt.

He comes back mere seconds later, fully clothed.

"Sorry 'bout that," He offers me a lopsided grin and I shrug.

"What happened last night?" I ask truthfully unsure, I only remember my own thoughts and falling asleep on the window, with a vague dream of someone carrying me.

"Oh, uh, you fell asleep, and I left you in the car for a couple minutes, sorry about that." He says self-consiously shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Well, I don't think I was abducted so it's alright." I smile at him, my voice hoarse from disuse. 

Ezra lets out a small laugh and I walk slowly to the bathroom.

"You're done?" I ask, and he nods; I all but fall into the bathroom closing the door behind me. 

The bathroom is big as well, and it's very white, and spacious.

I look down and see I'm wearing a night gown.

Did he...

 My thought fade out and my face heats.

I open the door and Ezra is squatting in front of his bag rifling through it.

I cough, "Uh hey, Ezra?" I ask, and his head pops up.

"Yeah?"

"Um did, you put me into pajamas last night??" I ask, my face warming more as I look down, yes, he definitely changed my clothes last night.

He clears his throat as well.

And that's my answer.

I nod and close the door.

~

"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere." 

The lyrics have always been close to me; for some unknown reason. The guitar riff starts and I play air guitar, earning a laugh from Ezra as we speed along the highway. We're only a few hours away from our destination.

Malibu.

Even the word just sends chills of me. Thinking of all the dreams I've had since childhood, and now they're so close.

And I was afraid all of it would be so awfully disappointed.

Ezra asked a question from my left that I didn't catch.

"Yes?" I ask, and he looks over at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't hear?" He says and I shake my head. "Ah, never mind than." He gives me a smile. I'm so confused by everything, what was the label on their relationship? What would happen, what will happen? 

Were they together? Were a few stolen kisses the end? What was the end? Would there be one?

So many unanswered questions. So many missing pieces of the puzzle.

I guess the puzzle of life never fit together quite right. There was always so many missing pieces you had to cut s they would fit. There'd always be the holes that would never be able to be filled. The ones of a broken family, missing siblings.

A disappearing father.

So many holes. I had so many in my life. More than others, I always think I have an interesting life. But than I talk about it, and it turns out to not be so interesting.

"Are you hungry?" Ezra asks me, I wasn't, not really. But anything would be better than the silence. It wasn't awkward, and it wasn't uncomfortable. But it was there.

Like a third person in the back seat. Its presence blanketing everything. My thoughts, my feelings. Our conversations.

I guess I'm thankful there've been no more kisses. 

It's just been there. last night, hanging over our heads, will he tell me he's sorry again? If he replays the past I won't be very happy.

The sun shines through the car, and the road in front of us is waving from the heat.

We don't have the windows down, but the air conditioning is on. Cooling everything off. 

I'm getting goosebumps down my half covered legs. I'm wearing a pair of loose long shorts and a loose sweatshirt.

I didn't remember what just happened or if I answered Ezra, but there's an unanswered question hanging in the air. So I guess that's my answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry I zoned out and forgot to answer." I laughed it off and shot him a smile. He laughed, a tense unreal laugh, "But yes, food sounds lovely." I say, and he nods getting his answer.

So we're off to get food to break the silence. I knew food was wonderful, but I didn't know it was all powerful. As I'm treating it.