𝐄𝐳𝐫𝐚 | 18+

15

I pin my hair up with a claw clip and swing my bag over my shoulder. Ezra invited me out for Starbucks and I couldn't refuse. I haven't had Starbucks in forever, and who am I to turn down such an offer.

He told me to meet him downstairs. He's probably too lazy to get out of the car.

I waltz up to his car, a grey sky looming above our heads signaling the arrival of rain, a smile plastered across my face I couldn't quite get rid of.

He's staring down at his phone and he doesn't notice me until I open the passenger's door and shut it behind me. He looks up at me, startled for a few seconds before mumbling a quick 'hi' and starting the engine.

"Hola amigo." I smile as he speeds out of the parking lot.

"You're going to get us killed." I chirp, stating the obvious.

"Mm." He grumbles. I look over at him to see him staring- no, glaring out of the windshield, his jaw tight and his knuckles white around the steering wheel.

"Do you need a hug?" I ask, quietly. He seems to be in one of those moods where you just need a hug.

"No."

"Mk." We make it to Starbucks and he jumps out of the car and rushes over to my side before opening the door for me.

"Thank you." I smile, shutting the door behind me. He says 'you're welcome' before he grumbles something the lines of shooting himself in the balls. That sounds like a him problem not a me problem.

We step inside and wait in line. He crosses his arms and glances around the shop, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were holding a grudge against someone. He left in a good mood last time, right?

I look up at him with a sad face and when he looks down at me, his expression falters a bit before holding its rigid look again.

"What?" He asks. Without giving it a second thought, I wrap my arms around his torso keeping my head against his chest. His body stiffens and when he doesn't respond, I pull away. But he has other plans, he puts his hand behind my back and pulls me close to him, hugging me tightly. I smile, hugging him back with the same intensity. He rests his cheek on the top of my head and I keep mine on his chest, listening to his heart beat, as the scent of his cologne envelops my nose. If I could freeze time, I would. I feel safe when I'm with him.

Maybe he just needed a hug.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly. He sighs before answering.

"Work stuff." He mumbles. Work can be stressful at times. Especially when you're nocturnal like this weird ass man and only work at night. I don't get that, why not work during the day??

"Stressful?"

"Yeah. The guys I work with can be really fucking stupid at times."

"I understand. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm free. But not right now, because it's our turn to order."

"Oh shit-"

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"Wasn't the whipped cream worth it?" I smile as he eats all of the whipped cream in one bite. I look at him in horror.

"Where I come from, that's illegal." I say.

"Cuff me, then." He says, challenging me.

"I will. I'll bring you to the police department and tell them to lock you up for eating whipped cream wrong." I laugh.

"I'll be waiting." He chuckles.

As we go to sit down at a table and start talking again, two shots ring out in the room. Everyone screams and two more shots go off, shattering the glass on the window behind me. I realize that I've been pulled under the table by Ezra. He shields me with his body as chaos erupts throughout the café. My heartbeat is thumping in my chest and ears, I can feel blood trickling down my face but everything is foggy. My eyes bolt around the room but it all seems so slow. Ezra's hand finds my shoulder and he tries to shake me out of my daze but I can't quite manage his figure out. I can't tell if it's blurry from tears or what.