Define Ezria

Chapter 36

Everything started making sense the more I looked at him.

"You're married?!"

"Aria what are you talking about?" he went to hold my hand but I pulled it away, bringing the crisp hospital sheet up to my neck. All of a sudden I felt exposed.

"Don't lie to me. I saw the pictures on your laptop. There are hundreds of shots of you and ... her. She's wearing an engagement ring" I willed myself not to cry but it stung. Betrayal stung.

Ezra looked confused. Until he didn't.

"Oh my God it's true. You are married."

"No. Let me explain." he stood up and sat on the bed.

"Please leave"

"No, you don't get to do this to us after everything, Aria"

"Watch me" I hit the red button on my side and seconds later a nurse came running in my room.

"I'm sorry but I'm not feeling well. I'd like to be left alone." the nurse wrote something on the bed's progress chart and adjusted my IV before holding the door open.

"Sir?"

Ezra looked at me for a minute longer before storming out of the room.

The first tear rolled down my cheek right when the door closed behind him with a bang.

It wasn't just my body hurting anymore. I was aching all over.

I didn't want to believe it. I was sure there was an explanation, but if I was being honest with myself I didn't want to hear it.

He had lied to me and that was all I could think about.

I was getting sleepy from the medication and I welcomed sleep with open arms. Everything to avoid the mess I had gotten myself into.

The next time I woke up my mom was sitting on the chair grading papers.

"Hey baby. How are you feeling?" she put them down, once she realised I was awake.

"Honestly? I dont know" I felt empty. It was an improvement from hurt but it didn't feel right.

"It's over baby. I'm sorry you had to go through this and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you but it's over"

I leaned in a much needed hug and for a second I wished I was like a normal teenager. I wish I didn't have to be the adult one. I should be getting in fights with my mom about staying out late, not over life and death situations.

"I'm taking you home. You're gonna stay with me for a while. The apartment is small but we'll manage."

I nodded and went to the bathroom to change out of the hideous robe, making a promise to myself to not wear it again.

The ride to my mom's was quiet. My mind kept going back to Ezra but I forced myself to stop thinking about him.

For the next two days I busied myself with mom's apartment. Arranging all her papers and having the occasional break when the girls came over to visist.

Word had spread out about what had happened and once again the four of us were the center of every single whispered conversation between classes at school.

We were used to it by now but I still wasn't thrilled to go back. For starters I was dreading first period English more than everything.

Praying for a sub however, proved unsuccessful, once I walked, or rather hopped, into class the next day. Ezra didn't look at me and I tried to pretend that it didn't hurt.

"Alright class" Ezra clapped once everyone was sitting " as most of you know we are gonna be working on a play for the rest of the semester. The roles have been already been handed out and if you were absent" he briefly glanced at me " stay after class to discuss your parts".

He then went on with the days lecture and didn't even breathe in my direction.

I didn't know why that annoyed me so much but it did. Those few days I stayed at my mom's he hadn't called or texted once. It was me that should be giving him the cold shoulder not the other way around.

Maybe I was being petty. It was times like these that my age showed.

The bell rung after one agonising hour and the rest of the class slipped out but the usual suspects.

Ezra cleared his throat and handed Spencer a paper " I'm guessing you can handle the lead"

Spence scanned the page and smiled. "Child's play".

"Emily I need to you to be the choreography captain. Can you handle that?"

Em nodded and he turned to Hanna who hadn't stopped glancing between him and me during the entire period.

"Hanna, you're in charge of costumes-"

"Okay stop" she cut him off. "What is going on between you two?" She pointed at me and then him. "One day you're all over each other and the next-"

"Hanna stop!" it was Ezra who cut her off this time. "This isn't the place for that kind of conversation and not your business"

"You know what? This isn't the right place but it is my business. You made it our business the minute you chose my best friend's life to mess with" she picked up her bag and headed out of the classroom right after saying "can't wait to dress these clowns".

"I'm sorry about that" Spencer said and nodded at me before following Hanna with Em right behind her.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't even look at him but I felt him hovering over me.

"You were supposed to be my personal assistant" he breathed handing me a stack of papers that I just stared at.

"I can of course give the place to someone else"

"No" I went to grab the papers with my good hand but ended up grabbing his hand.

My breath caught but I didn't let go.
"Let me explain" he whispered and I looked up with tears in my eyes.

Truth was I couldn't do this without him. School, recovery, life. I couldn't do it if he wasn't by my side.

"Okay"

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Im sorry this was short and pretty uneventful but i promised yall an update and i keep my promises.

Love you all so much.