Page 44 of Bless My Body

full day of classes, but he hasn’t been responding to any texts. He left me no choice. I’m not going to

lose my best friend over a stupid—well, it wasn’t all that stupid—kiss.

Ezra’s eyes look me up and down, taking in every inch. He looks shocked that I’m here. But

shocked is way better than mad, so I guess I’ll take it.

“Yeah, come in,” Ezra says after what feels like an eternity. The girl rolls her eyes but steps out of

the way to let me in. I step into the apartment, taking in my surroundings. It’s hard to believe I haven’t

visited once in the three years Ezra has lived here. I guess that kind of makes me a shitty friend. But

he hasn’t really come back to Brunswick all that much either, so maybe we’re both shitty friends.

“What are you doing here?”

I look around, extra aware of the two other people here with us. I’d rather not have this

conversation in front of an audience. So, I deflect, “Can I have some water? It was a long drive.”

Ezra nods and grabs me a water bottle from the fridge. I grab it and take a long sip, hoping this

awkwardness between us will go away. I put the cap back on and thank him.

“Can we maybe talk in private?” I ask, eyeing the girl who hasn’t left my side since she shut the

door behind me. I can only assume she’s one of his roommates.

I can see Ezra debating in his head if he’s going to take me to his room or not, but he finally nods

his head toward a door. He turns, and I follow, noting that the girl keeps her eyes on me the whole

time. I’m not sure what her problem is. I thought girls were supposed to stick together. And she

doesn’t even know me.

I wonder if Ezra has said something to her about me. She seems protective of him, which also

makes me wonder if they’ve hooked up. That thought makes my jaw clench, and I try my best not to

glare at the girl.

I follow Ezra into his room, and he shuts the door behind me. His room is just what I expected it

to be. It’s almost exactly how his room was at the house in Brunswick. He has a good-sized bed he

didn’t bother making today, a dresser with a TV, and a desk with books and papers everywhere. His

walls are bare, and there are only a few pictures on his nightstand. I don’t fail to notice that one is a

picture of him and me. A selfie I took of us so many years ago. Both of us have huge smiles on our

faces. I remember that night. We were on the couch eating ice cream and watching movies. It was so

simple, but I’ve never forgotten it. It was one of the first nights we really clicked.

“So, your roommates seem nice,” I say, trying to defuse the tension.