"WHAT?!" Elara could not help but exclaim in shock. She could not believe that Isla had been right about the situation. She had been so sure that the woman was not pregnant and that her friend had said it to buy them time. Maybe they did not think that she would be meeting Ezra soon and that she might be asking him about it."She is infertile and can never get pregnant; if she is pregnant, then it is a miracle and it is definitely not mine," he said. From his expression, she could tell that he was being serious."Are you saying that...""I am saying that we have not had sex in a year.""You date but..." She did not know if they were supposed to be having this conversation and even more the reason she was upset to hear that before now they used to have sex. She cleared her throat and gently rubbed her throat. "I mean, I did not deserve to know all of the details.""You asked so I thought you wanted to know," he said and then shrugged."I wanted to know but not all of the details," she
Ezra sat in front of Elara with a smile breaking from the corners of his lips; he held down his lips and wanted to scream yes to her but her finger went up in his face. "I am not saying that we are going to date; I am just saying that we should take it slow and easy and see where this goes," she said again to clarify. She would hate that he got the wrong idea.After the words had left her mouth, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Olivia-Marie and her friends had made it clear to her that they were not going to give up on Ezra and she knew what mean girls like that meant when they said things like that. She did not want to be caught in the crossfire and still at the same time, she felt like she would be at a loss if she let him go.After eight years, she wondered what her heart would bring; she wondered if she really was able to tuck away the feelings she felt or if this was her way to get over Micah. Her mind was running rampant with questions but she pushed them all to th
Elara opened her eyes and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. "What are you doing?" he asked again. She could hear the teasing in his voice but she did not know how she was to get herself out of this. She knew that it was all still too weird for her; she had to find a way to get comfortable around him again if they were going to do something like this. "I guess something got into my eyes," she murmured, pretending to close her eyes and rub them gently. That had to be her story; she couldn't tell him that when he leaned into her she thought he was going to kiss her and that was the reason she had her eyes closed. "Do you want me to help you?" he asked and she shook her head. "I got this." "Well, I thought that you reacted that way because I leaned in," he said and she wished he would let it go. "Of course not, I got something in my eyes." That was her story and she was sticking to it to the end, no matter what. "Well, I mean, it would be a bit awkward for you if you t
"I had the best time today," Elara said as they stood before her car door. The driver had hurried down to help her with the door but Ezra had waved him down before he could get to them and the man understood it immediately. He stopped in his tracks and got back in the car."So you are saying that you are glad you came out this evening?" he asked and she smiled, knowing what he was trying to say. \"Thank you, Ezra." She turned to the car and tried to pull it open but his hands hovered over hers and without as much contact as necessary, she felt herself catch a breath. Her hand fell from the handle to her side as she tried to steady her breathing with her hand clutching onto itself by its side. He pulled the door open, very aware of what he had done while choosing to act as if nothing had happened.She mustered together all of the courage she had left and slid into the car quickly. She turned to him and smiled at him while murmuring a light thank you. "Thank you too," he said and then
Ezra struggled to get her inside and to bed because she kept acting up. She kept on speaking about wanting to get back together. Ezra knew it was impossible but with her state, how could he tell her that he had just gotten back from a date with Elara and she did not stand a chance? If she slept over there, he would tell her in the morning, and maybe they would find a way to end things in the right way and both be out of each other's hair.As soon as he stepped out of the room that he prepared for her, he met his father by the door. "Why did you bring her in here?" he asked without waiting for any pleasantries."She was drunk outside all by herself; I did not want to give her the wrong idea by driving her home," Ezra replied."Mr. Nice Guy, why would you need to drive her home?" Jacob asked, causing Ezra to stare at him in confusion. Was his father suggesting that he leave her out in the open? That would have been too wrong of him to do."Should I have let her out there?""What about c
"I came here because I can't give up on you," she said. She had drunk the water he put by the bed and felt a bit better. She had been drinking every night since they met Elara at the store because she had no idea what to do. She was the master of scheming and still nothing made sense to her; she had no idea what to do."Even after I have told you countless times that we can't be together?" he asked. He could not understand how she was so hung up on her. "Ezra, you know that I cut off all ties with my family and moved out here with you." "I told you not to do any of that but you insisted. Every decision in this relationship has been taken solely by you" he interjected. He did not want to hear her make it seem as if he asked her to move out there with him and promised her a life only to then change his mind in the end. "But Ezra..." "Olivia-Marie, I gave in to everything you asked of me before now because I thought there was no chance for me but now that I know that there is a way f
Elara stared at her phone; she could not understand why Ezra had not responded. She did not want to make a big deal out of it but she had thought that with the way he was after her, he would have responded immediately. She glanced at the clock and then murmured to herself. "Elara, you are overthinking this." Somehow she could not help herself; she was even shocked that after the heartbreak she had been through just recently, she had thought of the possibility of getting into another one. Was she trying to rebound? She could not help but overthink; had she been too easy? Did she allow him to talk her into it? Was he now thinking it through? She sat on her bed and put her phone on the nightstand. Lying in the bed, she pulled the covers over her body. She had to force herself to sleep even though she knew that her mind would be raging with all kinds of thoughts; she would wish that he would end something for her even if it were some gibberish that made no sense. She lay in bed for a w
Elara swallowed the lump in her throat just because she could not take it anymore; it felt like someone had taken time out of their busy day to tie up her throat, and it felt itchy. She cleared her throat and straightened her back as she walked through the restaurant.She looked to one table in the corner; her boyfriend Micah's back was to her, and she took a deep breath, clutching tightly to the handle of her purse. As she approached the table, she wished that this was different.When she first caught on that he was cheating, she did not believe it one bit because there was no way that her boyfriend, who swore to love her even though he was too closed off to show it to her, was showing another girl with flowers and chocolates and dinner dates; she could believe that the same man she had been with all these years was cheating on her.But when her sister called to tell her that she was getting out and that everyone knew that he was getting married to Zara, she knew that she did not sta
Elara stared at her phone; she could not understand why Ezra had not responded. She did not want to make a big deal out of it but she had thought that with the way he was after her, he would have responded immediately. She glanced at the clock and then murmured to herself. "Elara, you are overthinking this." Somehow she could not help herself; she was even shocked that after the heartbreak she had been through just recently, she had thought of the possibility of getting into another one. Was she trying to rebound? She could not help but overthink; had she been too easy? Did she allow him to talk her into it? Was he now thinking it through? She sat on her bed and put her phone on the nightstand. Lying in the bed, she pulled the covers over her body. She had to force herself to sleep even though she knew that her mind would be raging with all kinds of thoughts; she would wish that he would end something for her even if it were some gibberish that made no sense. She lay in bed for a w
"I came here because I can't give up on you," she said. She had drunk the water he put by the bed and felt a bit better. She had been drinking every night since they met Elara at the store because she had no idea what to do. She was the master of scheming and still nothing made sense to her; she had no idea what to do."Even after I have told you countless times that we can't be together?" he asked. He could not understand how she was so hung up on her. "Ezra, you know that I cut off all ties with my family and moved out here with you." "I told you not to do any of that but you insisted. Every decision in this relationship has been taken solely by you" he interjected. He did not want to hear her make it seem as if he asked her to move out there with him and promised her a life only to then change his mind in the end. "But Ezra..." "Olivia-Marie, I gave in to everything you asked of me before now because I thought there was no chance for me but now that I know that there is a way f
Ezra struggled to get her inside and to bed because she kept acting up. She kept on speaking about wanting to get back together. Ezra knew it was impossible but with her state, how could he tell her that he had just gotten back from a date with Elara and she did not stand a chance? If she slept over there, he would tell her in the morning, and maybe they would find a way to end things in the right way and both be out of each other's hair.As soon as he stepped out of the room that he prepared for her, he met his father by the door. "Why did you bring her in here?" he asked without waiting for any pleasantries."She was drunk outside all by herself; I did not want to give her the wrong idea by driving her home," Ezra replied."Mr. Nice Guy, why would you need to drive her home?" Jacob asked, causing Ezra to stare at him in confusion. Was his father suggesting that he leave her out in the open? That would have been too wrong of him to do."Should I have let her out there?""What about c
"I had the best time today," Elara said as they stood before her car door. The driver had hurried down to help her with the door but Ezra had waved him down before he could get to them and the man understood it immediately. He stopped in his tracks and got back in the car."So you are saying that you are glad you came out this evening?" he asked and she smiled, knowing what he was trying to say. \"Thank you, Ezra." She turned to the car and tried to pull it open but his hands hovered over hers and without as much contact as necessary, she felt herself catch a breath. Her hand fell from the handle to her side as she tried to steady her breathing with her hand clutching onto itself by its side. He pulled the door open, very aware of what he had done while choosing to act as if nothing had happened.She mustered together all of the courage she had left and slid into the car quickly. She turned to him and smiled at him while murmuring a light thank you. "Thank you too," he said and then
Elara opened her eyes and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. "What are you doing?" he asked again. She could hear the teasing in his voice but she did not know how she was to get herself out of this. She knew that it was all still too weird for her; she had to find a way to get comfortable around him again if they were going to do something like this. "I guess something got into my eyes," she murmured, pretending to close her eyes and rub them gently. That had to be her story; she couldn't tell him that when he leaned into her she thought he was going to kiss her and that was the reason she had her eyes closed. "Do you want me to help you?" he asked and she shook her head. "I got this." "Well, I thought that you reacted that way because I leaned in," he said and she wished he would let it go. "Of course not, I got something in my eyes." That was her story and she was sticking to it to the end, no matter what. "Well, I mean, it would be a bit awkward for you if you t
Ezra sat in front of Elara with a smile breaking from the corners of his lips; he held down his lips and wanted to scream yes to her but her finger went up in his face. "I am not saying that we are going to date; I am just saying that we should take it slow and easy and see where this goes," she said again to clarify. She would hate that he got the wrong idea.After the words had left her mouth, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Olivia-Marie and her friends had made it clear to her that they were not going to give up on Ezra and she knew what mean girls like that meant when they said things like that. She did not want to be caught in the crossfire and still at the same time, she felt like she would be at a loss if she let him go.After eight years, she wondered what her heart would bring; she wondered if she really was able to tuck away the feelings she felt or if this was her way to get over Micah. Her mind was running rampant with questions but she pushed them all to th
"WHAT?!" Elara could not help but exclaim in shock. She could not believe that Isla had been right about the situation. She had been so sure that the woman was not pregnant and that her friend had said it to buy them time. Maybe they did not think that she would be meeting Ezra soon and that she might be asking him about it."She is infertile and can never get pregnant; if she is pregnant, then it is a miracle and it is definitely not mine," he said. From his expression, she could tell that he was being serious."Are you saying that...""I am saying that we have not had sex in a year.""You date but..." She did not know if they were supposed to be having this conversation and even more the reason she was upset to hear that before now they used to have sex. She cleared her throat and gently rubbed her throat. "I mean, I did not deserve to know all of the details.""You asked so I thought you wanted to know," he said and then shrugged."I wanted to know but not all of the details," she
DAY OF THE DATE BETWEEN EZRA AND ELARAElara was nervous; if she was being honest, she had not been on a date in a long time and it was weird for her. It felt like a time for her to reject him officially. He wanted a date to the extent that he had to involve their parents and since that was what he wanted, she gave it to him but now she was going to make sure it ended there."Thank you for coming out tonight," he said as they sat down. He had gotten to the restaurant earlier and waited for her outside so they could go in together. She did not like the idea but the restaurant he chose was not crowded so she did not express her displeasure out loud."Well, you basically forced me out so you are welcome.""I forced you out? When did I do that?""You sent your dad to my dad and voila, we are sitting here on a date when you have a fiancée." She watched the expression on his face harden and release immediately. She did not know how the evening was going to go but she knew that she had to te
"My father found out" Chole said pacing the floor of the hotel room. They always met in a hotel room, Ephiram assured her that was the best place to meet, as they would never get caught by anybody. As soon as he noticed her father leaving the house she called up Ephriam and asked that they meet. They had just left each other but they were back to each other gain."I think that is the best news I have heard all day" Ephriam beamed with joy."What?" Chole asked confused. "This is not supposed to go like this" she replied with a frown on her face."How is this supposed to go?"Ephriam asked as he shifted in the chair. "We are getting married aren't we?""Yes, of course we are," she said in a hurry because she did not want him to overthink it."Then what is the big deal of him finding out?""That is because I am sure he has gone to confront your dad and now your dad would know too.""I was planning on introducing him to you this week; remember the date I asked you to go with me? There is a