“Going with you.”
“Why?”
“Ezra.” Rya squeals.
I jump in my car, put the keys in the ignition, expecting Ez to get in the passenger seat, but he reaches in and takes the keys out of the ignition.
“I’m driving,” he snaps.
My brows furrow. “What? Why?”
“Because you’ve been drinking,” he says, tilting his head up, motioning me to the passenger seat.
“How do you know?” I ask as I swing one leg over the console.
“You smell of it.”
I get myself over to the passenger seat. Ezra gets in the car, but before he can shut the door, Rya’s hands clamp onto his shirt. Ezra grips her hands and throws them off him. She stumbles a little from the lack of balance she has in those heels. He hurries and shuts the door, presses the lock button, and starts the car.
Rya is pounding on the windows. “Ezra, talk to me.”
He slowly backs out. So slow so he doesn’t run her over. I don’t even fucking care at this point if he does run her over.
“Ezra.” Rya squeals, still pounding on the window. “Are you going to fuck her to get back at me?”
That’s the last thing she says before Ez speeds off, tires squealing on the pavement.
We drive across town in silence. We’ve been driving for an unquestionable amount of time. Time has blurred all day today. But the silence is heavy, the unspoken words even heavier. We haven’t even looked at each other. We’ve been staring out in front of us at the passing cars, streets, and businesses. Like we’re both at a loss for words and don’t know how to break the silence.
With the lack of words, my breath has become steady. My trembling hands lie still on top of my thighs. My body is locked in place, molded to the seat as if I’m in a hypnotic state. Even with everything going on, being next to Ez seems to have calmed me. His presence alone has always calmed me in a way. But tonight, not even the vodka helped, yet somehow he has.
I don’t know where we’re going. I don’t know what he is thinking. We’re both lost right now.
Ez pulls up to a gas pump at a local gas station. I glance over at him, the first look I’ve given him since we drove off in the car together. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly, making his knuckles turn white. He exhales sharply before releasing his grip and turning to me.
“We need gas.” He opens the car door, gets out quickly, and shuts the door behind him.
Well, okay, nice way to break the silence. I look around the gas station. The lights illuminate the lot. No one else is in sight but Ez and I. I reach down, grab the bottle I stashed underneath the seat earlier, and take a sip. The warmth of the liquor trails down my throat and chest. The first time feeling the burn of the night because of the liquor.
The driver door swings open and Ez takes a seat, eyeing the bottle in my lap. “You’ve been holding out on me this whole time.”
My eyes dart to his, a tight smile on my face. “Sorry.” I give him the bottle, and he takes it from my grip.
I watch as he twists the cap, puts the bottle to his lips, and takes a big gulp. I watch as it slides down his throat. He makes no facial expression. No shutting of the eyes, no winced face, nothing, just a blank face as he stares out in front of him.
He turns his gaze over to me. “Are you okay?”
I meet his gaze. The softness behind his green eyes is back, staring at me with so much sympathy, as if I’m the only one who got my heart torn out.
“Right now, I am,” I murmur. “Are you?”
He nods. “Same. Right now, I am too.”
A slight grin forms on both of our faces as we stare back out in front of us.
“So, where should we go next?” I ask, wondering where else he wants to drive us to. We’ve been around the whole town now.
“You hungry?”