The girl behind her smile

- 29 -

"Boyfriend, huh?" Ezra's hard voice, interrupts my thoughts, and I raise from my lying position to view him looming by the door. Jasper had left only fifteen minutes ago, but I was held down by mum, and giving reluctant answers as she asked me questions about us.

He walks in, grabbing a pillow from the floor and hugging it to his torso as he rests on my swivel chair, "So, what did you guys do today?"

"Ugh, I can't be bothered to answer," I groan, flopping back down on to the bed, "I already answered all of mums questions."

"Fine." His curt reply came from the corner of my room.

There was something clipped about his tone, which confused me. We had come to an agreement that I get to choose what I want, regardless of his opinions. Besides, they were civil now, weren't they?

"What is it?" I ask, one arm covering my eyes.

"Nothing." He shrugs, playing with the ends of my cushion.

"I can't do this, just tell me."

Elijah barges in through the door, cutting off whatever voice of objection Ezra was about to raise, "He's just butt hurt that you're actually dating Jasper now."

Ezra scoffs, as he watches Elijah lower himself onto the floor.

"What's your problem now then?" I mumble.

"I don't don't have a problem." He protests.

"Just spit it out for God's sake." Elijah groans.

"Fine," He clenches his jaw, "Don't you wonder how Jasper is as rich as he is? Why he's living here, in our small shitty town, when he can easily be living comfortably somewhere in London?"

I shrug, "I know his dad owns some kind of business, that's probably doing well. And maybe he wanted a change of scenery for his final years of school."

Ezra scoffs, shaking his head, "You are the definition of naive."

"Well then you tell me, what is the reason he came here?" I challenge.

His eyebrows raise as he shrugs his shoulder, "I don't know either."

"Oh my God." I drag my hand down my face, "You are something else Ezra."

"I'm just telling you to watch out!" 

"He has a point, Izzy," Elijah finally cuts in on our conversation, "We don't know anything about him, where he's getting all this money from, why he's got multiple rings, and why he's decided to stay here of all places."

"What is so wrong about our city?"

"It's not so much what's wrong with our city. It just doesn't make sense, why someone with money, influence, power and a background like him, chose to live in this town, as apposed to staying in places like London, Birmingham, or Manchester. How many teen millionaire's do you know that live in our city?"

"I don't know any full stop, and he's definitely not a millionaire." 

"Izzy, I've been to his apartment before, if he's not a millionaire, he's very close to being one," Ezra joins in, "But the specifics doesn't matter, all I'm trying to say is, he feels-"

"Sketchy." Elijah finishes, "I feel like the wealth he owns is not clean, and all we are advising you is to be careful."

I sigh and groan simultaneously, "Fine."

I couldn't help but feel that their skepticism was way too far fetched, Jasper owns his own set of illegal rings, but it doesn't feel as though he's involved in anything further than that. For once, I'm going to listen to myself and give him a chance, and if I feel unsafe or like something is wrong, I can withdraw myself from our relationship.