One Shots & Drabbles

Those Eyes - Ezekiel Reyes

8 Years Earlier

Three years is a long time. Wars have been fought during that time span. College semesters finished. Some say it takes that long to walk the world.

For you in three years you fell in love, gained trust, and became part of a family.

The Reyes family accepted you as one of their form the moment EZ introduced you as his girlfriend. Angel was like the older brother you never had; always poking fun at you. Felipe and Marisol treated you as their daughter; inviting you to cookouts, birthday parties, and holidays.

You always loved spending time with the Reyes. EZ would joke that you loved his family more than him. But you knew that he loved how well you got along with his family.

With EZ though, you loved him more than anything. Possibly more than yourself. He was the most important person in your life. No matter how you felt or what you were going through, EZ was there for you. He was the perfect boyfriend.

But when Marisol was murdered in Felipe's butcher shop, EZ fell apart. He was the one who found Marisol's body in the shop. That was the day EZ changed. You never said anything out loud but you knew.

After the funeral, you saw less and less of EZ. Angel wasn't even sure where EZ ran off too. When you did spend time with him, he was so focused on his mom and who could have murdered her. It broke your heart to see EZ like that but you supported him the best you could. You were the strong one in the relationship.

Then you received the call from Angel. EZ was in jail for killing a cop. That night you couldn't sleep. Too scared of what would happen to EZ. Too afraid that you would never see him again.

You hardly slept the nights leading up to EZ's trial. You had panic attacks almost every day. When you did sleep you had nightmares of EZ being attacked in prison.

When he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, your heart shattered. You cried in the courtroom as EZ was taken away in handcuffs. You wanted to scream and beg them to free him. To plead with the judge and tell him EZ wasn't a criminal.

Angel and Felipe held you outside the courthouse as you all cried together. That was the worst day of your life. Your entire world crashed around you.

**

Over a week passed until you could visit EZ. The drive was long, the waiting time agonizing. Being in that prison was uncomfortable. But when you saw EZ it all would be worth it.

When the heavy metal door opened and EZ stepped through, you breathed out a sigh of relief. You stood from your chair, ready to hug EZ. You remembered the guards telling you that you are allowed two hugs. One at the beginning of the visitation and another at the end.

Seeing EZ in that blue prison uniform brought tears to your eyes. That wasn't him. That wasn't the EZ you knew and loved over the past three years.

You had hugged him tightly but EZ didn't embrace you in the way he had before. He didn't nuzzle his face against your neck or squeeze his hands around your waist. He just wrapped his arms around you and that was it.

You two sat across from one another. You couldn't figure out what to say. The situation had been hard on both you and EZ.

"I was so worried about you. I thought you would get hurt. I wasn't sure what would happen to you in here." You admitted.

"I'm sorry," EZ spoke with no emotion, he barely looked at you, "But I'm looking at 20 years, Y/N. It doesn't matter what happens to me. My life is done. Seeing you makes me think there's some kind of future but it's bullshit. We don't have a future." EZ revealed to you.