Page 111 of Bless My Body

against what I want just to make him happy. I want to be with Ezra, but I can’t be what he wants. I

can’t be what his family wants.

So here I am, having crazy feelings for my best friend, eating pancakes lathered in three different

flavors of syrups, wondering how the fuck I got myself in this situation. Just a few weeks ago, I was

partying without a care in the world, and now it feels like everything is sitting on my shoulders at

once.

It’s stifling.

After breakfast, Ezra drives me home. Before he leaves, he wraps his arms around me, and I try

my best to memorize the way he feels against my body. He pulls back and kisses me gently.

“I know this is it, Celine.” He puts his forehead on mine. “I know you don’t want this to continue,

and I don’t need you to say it because hearing it from you might actually kill me.”

He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I want you to know that I love you, Celine. I know you

don’t want to hear it, but you have to know that I’ve been in love with you for the past four years. I

know you feel something for me, too, but I’m not going to force you to admit it, ok? I’m going to

respect your decision even though it breaks my heart to do it.” I swallow hard as he drags his thumb

over my lips and kisses me one last time.

He doesn’t wait for me to respond—probably because he knows I don’t know what to say after

his declaration of love—before he gets back in his car and backs away.

I carry my bags to the house. As soon as I open it, Stella is standing there with a huge smile on her

face, waiting for the details from the party.

She takes one look at my face, and her smile falls. She closes the distance between us and wraps

me in her arms. I drop my bags and let her comfort me like I did for her all those years ago when she

and Ozzy broke up.

She pulls me from the entryway into the living room, where I unload every thought that’s running

through my mind on her. She listens sympathetically until I ask, “What am I going to do?”

Chapter 23

Celine

F ive days.

It’s been five days since Ezra dropped me off at my house, and my head has been a

scrambled mess ever since.