Used

Nokiah

I hadn't heard much of Ezra and Camille's conversation. Only the words "Dorian" and "dead".

The glass of water slipped from my hands, announcing my presence. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and I felt faint.

In all honesty, I didn't care that he was dead, hell, he deserved it. It was that Ezra had done it. Killed him. Took his life.

Ezra. The boy I loved. Murderer.

I slipped out the door and made my way towards the bathroom. Finding some medical supplies, I picked out some tweezers to pull the shard of glass out of my finger.

Rapping on the door caused me to miss the glass and stab my finger.

"Fuck." I whispered as the cut started the bleed again. "Who is it?"

"Kiah, it's me. I just need to explain to you...please let me in." Ezra's voice was soft on the other side of the door. "Please let me explain."

"I don't know what to say to you right now, Ezra." I had a million questions, I just couldn't bear the look that would on his face when he told me the answers.

Did he regret it? Did he feel guilty? Did he feel remorseful?

"You don't need to say anything, baby...but please open the door and listen to me. That's all I'm asking." I heard him try to open the door, the lock jiggling loudly.

"I'm not leaving here. I will wait here until the entire house is empty." There was a pause before he continued. "I love you."

I dropped the tweezers. I had waited my whole life to hear that. To hear someone other than my friends and family tell me they loved me.

But did those words still have the same meaning when they were coming from a murderer? Were those words now tainted with the color of Dorian's blood?

"Nokiah? Did you hear me?" Ezra said. "I love you."

I finally opened the door and I could feel the tears stinging the corners of my eyes.

"What does that mean, Ezra?" I searched his eyes. "You say you love me but-but you killed someone."

Ezra cupped my fave with his hands and brushed away the tear with his thumb. "It means that I love you. There is no other meaning behind those words. Dorian did a cruel act and he got punished for it."

"But did it have to be you that carried out that punishment?"

"Oh, sweet baby." He whispered. "Yes, it had to be me. I would kill a thousand men if it meant you would never be hurt again."

I had never known love like this. He would kill for me. He did kill for me. "I would kill a thousand men" he had said. For me? What did I do to deserve that; to deserve him?

"When?" I asked, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in. "When did you..."

"The night Arthur died." Ezra turned and closed the bathroom door, to keep prying ears and eyes from noticing. "I decided that night, after you told me that you wished you could get your revenge but I knew you didn't have the heart to do something cruel like that."

I sat on the counter and Ezra stood in front of me. He didn't look sorry, like he was regretting the decision he had made.

"You-you're so sweet and kind and you didn't deserve what had been taken from you. I had so much anger from the news about my dad...I wanted revenge."

He cupped my face again. "I wanted you to get your revenge. I did this for you."

I swallowed as waves of different emotions flooded me. I couldn't help but feel relieved; Dorian was dead. He couldn't hurt me, or anyone else for that matter.