MALACHAI
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, still feeling the sting of Elvis's slap on my cheek. My jaw clenched as I paced back and forth, debating whether to return to Ezra's room immediately or give him some time. The argument with my brother had spiraled out of control, and I knew Ezra had overheard more than he should have. His fragile heart had already endured too much, and now I had just given him one more reason to doubt me.
I couldn't let this fester. With a deep breath, I pushed open the door to Ezra's room, expecting to find him sitting on the bed, maybe curled up in a blanket, waiting for an explanation. But what I saw instead made my heart plummet.
Ezra was lying on the floor.
For a split second, my entire body froze. He looked so still, so lifeless. My stomach twisted painfully as panic surged through me. Rushing to his side, I knelt down and carefully slid my arms under his frail frame, lifting him off the cold floor. His body was limp, and his face was turned away from me.
"Ezra? Ezra, talk to me," I whispered, cradling him against my chest. My voice trembled, fear sinking its claws into me. "Baby, what happened? Did you fall?"
His body wasn't completely unresponsive, his breathing was uneven, his shoulders trembling slightly. Then, as I shifted him in my arms, he flinched.
That small reaction sent a sharp pain through my chest.
I gently laid him on the bed, brushing his hair back from his face, my fingers barely grazing his damp skin. When I finally got a good look at him, my breath caught in my throat. His eyes were bloodshot, swollen, his cheeks stained with dried tears. He had been crying.
For how long? And why?
"Ezra," I murmured, cupping his face, forcing myself to stay calm despite the turmoil inside me. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"
But he didn't look at me. He didn't move. He just lay there, his back turned slightly, shoulders rising and falling in shallow breaths.
I swallowed hard, trying to fight the ache in my throat. "Please, love… I know you heard what I said. But you misunderstood…."
He jerked away from my touch, curling in on himself as another choked sob left his lips. My heart shattered.
"Ezra, no… don't shut me out."
Nothing. No response. He just kept his back to me, his body stiff, rejecting my presence completely.
"I'm not playing with you," I whispered, leaning in closer. "I swear to you, it's not what you think. Let me explain, please."
Still, he wouldn't look at me.
The silence stretched between us, suffocating, heavier than anything I had ever felt before. He wasn't just mad, he was hurt. Deeply hurt. And I had done that. I had caused this pain.
I sighed, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of his head, even though he didn't react. My lips trembled against his soft hair. "I love you, Ezra. More than anything."
His shoulders tensed, as if my words pained him instead of soothing him.
"Don't say that," he finally croaked, his voice hoarse and broken. "You don't mean it."
I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily. "I do. With everything in me."
Ezra turned his face deeper into the pillow, still refusing to look at me.
I felt so helpless.
"Elvis forced that conversation out of me," I tried again, desperate to reach him. "It wasn't something I wanted you to hear like that. I was going to tell you…."
"Just go, Malachai."
His voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through me like a blade.
I froze. "Ezra…"
"Please." His fingers curled into the sheets, gripping them tightly. "Just leave."
Every part of me screamed against the idea of walking away, but I could see it in his posture, in the way his body shook, he needed space. Right now, he didn't want my comfort. He didn't even want me near him.
It hurt more than any wound I had ever suffered.
Clenching my jaw, I slowly got up from the bed, swallowing back the lump in my throat. I hesitated at the door, looking back at his curled-up figure one last time. My hands trembled as I reached for the doorknob.
"I'll fix this," I vowed softly. "I swear it."
Ezra didn't reply.
With a heavy heart, I stepped out, closing the door behind me, leaving him alone in his grief.
But I wouldn't let it end like this.
I was going to make him see the truth. No matter what it took.