Define Ezria

Chapter 39

I was still sobbing, so I wasn't sure if Ezra had just said "Scoot over" or if I imagined it.

My suspicions were confirmed however, when he started taking off his jacket.

I could only stare, tears streaming silently down my face, as his dress shirt joined his jacket on the floor and then off were his pants as well.

I made myself look away and shortly after felt his hands on my back, gently pushing me forward to make enough space for him to fit behind me.

My heart was thrusting so hard in my ribcage I was dead sure he could feel it when he pulled me on him, careful not to disturb my leg that was still hanging out of the tub.

I was aware of every single place my skin touched his. Every surface was on fire, even underwater.

Despite everything that had happened on my birthday I was still feeling self conscious about my tiny bruised body.

"Just relax" he whispered in my ear and wrapped his hands around my stomach underneath the bubbles.

"Now you need to listen to me Aria". I still couldn't matser the courage to talk so I just nodded staring straight at the fast dissolving bath bomb and trying really hard not to think about what was happening underwater.

"Those pictures you saw" he paused took a deep breath and continued "Those pictures were real. Her name was, is, Jackie. We met at college, dated and I thought she was the one."

My stomach dropped and I would have moved away from him if it wasn't for his iron grip on my stomach.

"When we graduated, we went on vacation to Italy and that's were I proposed. I was over the moon when she said yes and spend the next two days showering her with expensive gifts, foolishly spending all my savings until we got back to the States. That's when she decided she didn't want this. She didn't want me, or whatever I had to offer her, marriage included."

She left him? What woman on her right mind would do something like that to Ezra. She had everything. They weren't illegal or dysfunctional and she blew it off? I would give anything to be in her shoes.

"She broke off the engagement, gathered her things and was gone from our apartment in no time. I haven't had any interaction with her until she emailed me."

I couldn't gather my thoughts in time to say anything. I was embarrassed at how I had handled things when I saw the email and their pictures.

If I hadn't jumped the gun and assumed the worst maybe I wouldn't have left his apartment that day and maybe just maybe Jason wouldn't have gotten  the chance to run me over.

"I know it's a lot to take in Aria but I swear I would never do something to hurt you like that. I was devastated when Jackie left and I would have laughed at your face if you'd told me that I would fall in love so shortly after she was gone but I did Aria, I did."

I let my hand fall back on his torso and he kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry" I mumbled, "after everything that happened with Ali I always assume the worst is happening. I really am sorry Ezra, that she did that to you first of all and secondly for the way I handled it".

"Aria stop. Don't ever apologise again. It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have possibly known" he kissed my forhead again but I took hold of his face and brought my mouth to his.

I had missed him I had missed touching him, kissing him being with him and I wanted more.

"Let's get out of here" he whispred in between kisses and I nodded against his mouth.

I told him where we kept the clean towels and watched as he rinsed himself from the bubbles and got out. I gulped after realising I wasn't alone in being excited.

After he wrapped a towel around his waist, he took another huge one and helped me stand up before engulfing me in it.

I didn't waste a minute before wrapping my hands around his neck and bringing my lips against his.

He kissed me back with equal force his hands roaming my entire body drying me halfway before giving up and letting my towel drop to the floor.

"Mike?" he asked when I broke away from him to take a breath.

"Gone til tomorrow" I said and he mouthed thank god before picking me up and leaving the bathroom til I told him to stop in front of my bedroom door.

"Lock it behind you" I ordered and climbed off of him, dragging my leg to the bed.

I watched him doing what I said, all along thanking God that the lights were off and the moonlight coming through the window was doing wonders to conceal the mess in my room and to a certain extent my naked self.

The door clicked and Ezra was beside me in two seconds.

"I don't want to hurt you" he kissed the cast on my leg and arm and I pulled him to me so that he was hovering above me "You won't".

And we were kissing again,  everywhere this time and with each time our bodies locked, the gap that was created between us kept getting smaller and smaller before disappearing all together when Ezra moaned "I love you" in my mouth and I fell asleep on his chest.

...

"Aria!" came a muffled sound followed by loud banging on my door.

I cracked one eye opened and saw the nob on my door turning before the lock took hold keeping it closed.

"Aria!" came the voice again that clearly belonged to a hammered Mike.

"Why is this gate closed. Are you harmed?"

Gate? Exactly how drunk was he.

"Mike I'm okay and unharmed. Go to sleep we'll talk later" I yelled from my spot and there was a minute of silence in which Mike's intoxicated mind registered my words before he yelled back "Okay! Protect our castle in my absence" and something that sounded suspiciously like "The North remembers".

I waited until his bedroom door closed, before letting my head drop back to the hard, moving pillow.

"Comfortable are we?" the pillow spoke and I smiled against it.

"Very. IKEA would never"

He laughed and pulled me gently so I was laying on an actual pillow this time.

I cracked both my eyes open this time and saw Ezra examining my room.

"So many books" he mumbled.

"Sorry for the mess"

"Spencer is judging me" he said and pointed to a picture of us 4 taken at the beginning of the year.

So much had changed since then and it had only been a few months.

"You love them don't you?" He pulled me out of my thoughts.

"My friends? More than anything. They are family in ways my family isn't."

"Then I'm glad they know about us" he said and I gasped at how sinced our thoughts were.

"Me too. But we have to tell my actual family at some point"

"We will" he turned back around and kissed me. "One step at a time"

He stood up and headed to the door to get his clothes from the bathroom.

"Hey Ezra" I called "one more thing before you leave"

"What?"

"Why are you wearing my Victoria Secret panties?"

---
Hiiiiiiiii peeps. This chapter was awful I apologise but I promised yall an update.

I wanted to ask you something. Since this was the 39th chapter and we're already at 35k reads I was thinking of making this out to around 50-60 chapters instead of writing a sequel since the story isn't done yet but not enough for me to start a second book.

But then again it's all up to you. Tell if you agree or not and we'll decide together. Thank you for your support ❤