CHAPTER 53

CHAPTER 53

EZRA

If there was ever a moment where I thought God genuinely loved me more than the others… it was right then.

Because when Genevieve started announcing the room pairings, and the boys all leaned forward like we were at some suspenseful lottery draw, she read out:

> “Room Four: Ezra Vale and Father Dorian.”

My soul left my body.

Lily’s gasp was loud. “No way.”

Ryan nudged me.

Jordan coughed loudly. “Saints are watching.”

I tried—really tried—to keep a straight face, but my cheeks were already betraying me, heating like crazy. I was doomed. There was no coming back from this level of internal giddiness.

Rooming. With. Him.

Lord have mercy.

Dinner was served in the massive dining hall. It felt like we were in some Victorian movie—long tables, golden lights, way too many forks. The food was surprisingly amazing. Roast chicken, rice, plantains, salad. Lily nearly cried over the mashed potatoes.

“The philanthropist is living soft,” Jordan muttered, stabbing a piece of chicken. “I might fake my own death and haunt this place.”

“You’ll have to fight me for it,” Ryan said around a mouthful of rice.

Genevieve shot them a sharp look from the head of the table. Silence followed immediately. Even Lily stopped giggling mid-sentence.

After dinner, no one got the luxury of rest.

“Rehearsal, everyone,” Genevieve announced, her hands clapping like a whip. “The philanthropist arrives tomorrow, and the competition begins in two days. We are not here to play.”

Lily groaned. “We just ate.”

Jordan sighed. “She’s serious.”

She was. Within minutes, the living room was transformed into a mini concert hall. Stands, music sheets, microphones. Ryan started warming up by doing those weird vocal runs that made him sound like an ambulance.

Lily whispered to me, “She’s in war mode.”

“She’s always in war mode,” I whispered back.

We practiced for hours. Song after song. Hymns, harmonies, solos. My throat was starting to ache, but the thrill of it—the adrenaline, the choir blending together—it was addictive.

Halfway through, Genevieve called for solos.

“We’ll need one for the first round,” she said, scanning the room. Her sharp gaze landed on Lily. “You.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Yes. Your voice cuts through beautifully.” Genevieve’s mouth twitched. “Don’t look so shocked.”

Ryan whooped. “Go Lily!”

Lily flushed but straightened her back. “I’ll crush it,” she declared.

“Good,” Genevieve said. Then her gaze landed on me.

I froze. “...What?”

“Final round,” she said simply. “If we make it that far, you’re the hidden card. We need to keep an element of surprise. Understood?”

My heart slammed against my ribs. “Y-Yes.”

Jordan smirked. “Look at our little secret weapon.”

Lily elbowed me. “Better practice, hotshot.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. Final round. Me.

By the time Genevieve finally dismissed us, it was almost midnight. My throat was sore, my legs were jelly, and everyone looked exhausted but buzzing.

“This is going to be insane,” Ryan said, slinging his arm over my shoulder as we walked up the stairs. “We’re gonna wipe the floor with the other choirs.”

“Hope so,” I said, adjusting my hoodie.

Lily stretched like a cat. “I’m taking the longest shower known to man. Tomorrow we rest, then rehearse again. Good night, Ezra!”

“Night.”

I lingered behind as everyone dispersed. My brain was already spinning through harmonies and melodies, half-anticipating what walking into our room would feel like.

I turned down the corridor… and froze.

Nico.

Standing casually against the wall near my door, like he’d been waiting.

My stomach dropped. “What do you want?”

He smiled that smooth, snake-like smile. “To talk. I owe you an apology.”

My grip on my bag tightened. “For which time exactly?”

His eyes glinted. “For before. I may have… crossed lines.”

“May have?” I muttered.

He chuckled softly, like I’d told a joke. “You’re fiery when you’re upset. I like that.”

I stepped to the side. “Move.”

“Ezra—”

“No.” My voice was sharper than I expected. “You want to apologize? Fine. I heard it. Now move, Father.”

For a moment, his expression hardened—just for a second—before he stepped aside. “Have a good night,” he said, like he hadn’t just made my skin crawl.

I shoved past him, heart hammering.

By the time I entered the room, the adrenaline from choir practice had mixed with the leftover unease Nico always left me with. I threw my bag on the chair, rubbed my arms, and took a deep breath.

Forget him. He’s nothing.

I walked toward the bed—our shared room had two twin beds, but still, it felt too close—and reached for my charger when I heard the door click behind me.

I turned.

Dorian.

His shirt was damp from the rain outside, hair a little mussed, his expression caught between tired and intense.

And then something in me snapped.

I didn’t even think. I moved.

Before he could say a word, I jumped into his arms, lips crashing against his.

He made a low, surprised sound against my mouth, hands automatically gripping my waist to steady me. The door shut behind us with a dull thud.

And then he kissed me back.

The second Dorian’s lips met mine, all the tension I’d been holding back—choir, Nico, rehearsals, everything—exploded. His hands gripped my waist firmly, thumbs pressing into my hips as I tried to anchor myself. I could barely think, barely breathe.

“You couldn’t wait, huh?” His voice was a husky whisper, lips brushing against mine as his fingers skimmed the hem of my hoodie.

“Couldn’t… help it,” I gasped, fingers tangling in his damp hair. My heart was hammering like a drumline.

Dorian smirked, low and dangerous. “Noted,” he muttered against my mouth before his lips slid down my jawline, nipping softly, careful, deliberate. “But Ezra… very quiet.”

I froze, a shiver crawling down my spine. “I—yeah,” I breathed, though I was dying to scream.

His hands were expert, sliding under my hoodie, warm against my bare skin. My hands roamed over his shoulders, feeling every sinew, every taut muscle. He pressed me back gently but firmly against the door. “Shh,” he murmured, a finger pressing to my lips before crashing them with his again.

“I’m gonna lose it,” I whispered into his mouth, breathless, desperate.

“Not here,” he growled. “Bed. Now.”

I barely had time to blink before he grabbed my hand and guided me over to the twin bed. The rain outside tapped against the window in a chaotic rhythm, almost like it was cheering us on. My stomach flipped as I sank onto the mattress, and Dorian hovered above me, fingers tracing the line of my jaw, teasing my neck.

“You feel… so good,” he murmured, eyes dark, teeth grazing my bottom lip.

I whimpered, tugging him closer. “Dorian… I need you.”

He smirked, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “Then you’ll get me. Quietly.”

His hands moved with precision, stripping off my hoodie, sliding over my chest, teasing my nipples just enough to make me arch. My fingers dug into his shoulders, desperate for friction, for contact, for… more.

“I can’t—I can’t…” I breathed, but Dorian’s lips pressed firmly to mine, muffling my protests.

“Ezra, focus,” he said softly, almost sweetly, and then his mouth left mine and dipped lower, brushing over my collarbone and down my stomach. “Eyes on me… not sounds.”

I bit my lip, heart racing, watching as he pulled my shirt over my head, and then, oh god, he slowly, deliberately, lowered himself between my legs. My hands flew to the pillow, pressing my face into it as he teased me, tongue flicking, lips sucking. I couldn’t stop the sounds that threatened to escape, muffled by the pillow, but every moan, every whimper was burning straight through me.

“Ezra…” he purred, fingers tangling in my hair, holding me steady. “You like that?”

“Yes! Oh god yes!” I choked into the pillow, legs trembling, hands clutching the sheets.

He hummed, sliding his tongue deeper, moving with a deliberate, torturous patience that had me gasping, writhing. “So tight… so sweet. So desperate.”

“Dorian… I—oh god…” I couldn’t see him, couldn’t focus, just felt… everything. My stomach tightened, my thighs quivering. My fingers gripped the pillow so hard I thought I’d tear it.

He was relentless, skilled, driving me higher with every flick of his tongue, every teasing slide of his fingers along my thighs. “Ezra, quiet… keep it in.”

I whimpered again, muffled, heat pooling between my legs. “I’m—ah—gonna…”

“Then do it on me,” he murmured against me, voice low and urgent. “But silently. Can you do that?”

“Yes…” I groaned, arching into him, face pressed into the pillow. Every nerve on fire, every muscle tight, every breath stolen by the intensity of him. He took his time, and I was trembling, shaking, clenching around him as he guided me toward that edge.

His fingers traced patterns on my thighs, his mouth worshipping me like he’d memorized every inch. “So perfect… so tight… you’re mine to ruin tonight,” he whispered, and my stomach twisted.

“Dorian… oh—god!” I moaned, but muffled, muffled by the pillow, muffled by him. My legs were trembling, my hands gripping the sheets like life depended on it.

Finally, he let me come undone, my body shuddering violently, but he didn’t stop. He held me there, savoring every spasm, every gasp that threatened to escape. My face burned, sweat slicking over my skin, hair sticking to my forehead.

The moment Dorian pulled back, giving me a hot, teasing look, I felt an ache deep in my chest. My lips ached to feel him again. “Your turn,” I whispered, voice shaky, desperate, heat pooling between my legs again.

“Ezra…” he growled softly, his hand cupping my cheek, thumb brushing over my trembling lips. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I gasped, arching into him, eyes wide. “Please… let me.”

A smirk ghosted across his lips as he settled onto the bed beside me, cock pressing against my thigh. “You’re insatiable,” he murmured, low and rough. “Fine. Show me how much you want it”

I swallowed hard, heart hammering, and moved lower, teasing his hips before taking him into my mouth. The taste, the heat, the sheer intensity of him filled me with a hunger I couldn’t control. My tongue traced every vein, every ridge, licking, sucking, coaxing moans from his lips that he quickly swallowed to keep it quiet.

“Fuck… Ezra…” he whispered, eyes fluttering closed. “God… you’re perfect… your mouth… oh shit…”

I hummed around him, feeling him throb against my tongue, moaning softly into the pillow as I bobbed up and down. “Dorian… you feel so… so good…” I gasped, lips sliding along him.

“You’re… you’re insatiable, baby,” he breathed, hand threading into my hair, tugging lightly as I worked him over. “I—oh God—I can’t—quiet…”

I teased him, tongue flicking, lips sucking, and he shivered, gripping the sheets. “Ezra… I’m gonna—fuck—” he hissed.

“Please… Dorian,” I begged, muffled by him, eyes burning, body trembling. “Please…”

With a sharp intake of breath, he let go, a spray hitting my face, but I didn’t care—I drank every drop, licking quickly, eagerly. His hand cupped my jaw, thumb stroking my cheek.

I shivered, licking him clean, fingers gripping the sheets, desperate for more, aching to feel him fully inside me. “Dorian… I want you… please…”

He smirked darkly, eyes flashing.

I nodded frantically, breath hitching, heart racing, heat pooling unbearably. His hands were suddenly on my wrists, pinning me gently but firmly to the bed. My chest rose and fell rapidly as he hovered over me, lips brushing my ear.

“You’re mine, Ezra,” he murmured, fingers tightening slightly around my throat, thumb pressing softly against my pulse. “So fucking good… so perfect…”

I whimpered, body arching, tears pricking my eyes from the intensity. “Dorian… oh god… it’s too good…”

“Shh…” he whispered, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “Quiet. I want to hear nothing but me in your mouth… your eyes on me, Ezra…”

And then he slid inside me, slow at first, testing, stretching me, his cock filling me entirely. My hands dug into the sheets, body trembling, a sob escaping despite my best efforts. “Oh… fuck… Dorian…”

He groaned low, rocking into me, each movement deliberate, hard, perfect. “You like that, baby? Huh?”

“Yes… yes, oh god…” I cried, head thrown back, tears streaking my cheeks. “Please… don’t stop…”

His hand tightened around my throat again, eyes dark, intense.

He leaned down, spitting softly into my mouth, teeth grazing mine as he caught my moans, swallowing them, holding them hostage. “That’s it… Ezra… you’re mine… all mine… taste yourself for me, baby… let go quietly.”

I couldn’t hold back. I came hard, body convulsing around him, tears streaming freely, eyes rolling, chest heaving. “D-Dorian… oh god…”

He groaned, chest pressing to mine, not letting me go, fucking me through every tremor, every shiver. Finally, he pulled my legs around him, hips snapping faster, faster. “God… so fucking perfect… you feel incredible, baby… I’m gonna—”

“Yes… Dorian… please…” I begged, lips quivering, barely able to breathe.

With one last, hard thrust, he came inside me, filling me completely, hands gripping my hips, holding me still. “Shh… mine… quiet…” he whispered, panting, lips brushing against mine in a soft, possessive kiss.

We lay there, sweat slick, bodies tangled, hearts racing, breaths ragged. I could feel him relaxing against me, chest rising and falling, his cock still buried deep, holding me like I was the only thing in the world.

“You okay?” he murmured, voice low, teasing even though we were both exhausted.

I nodded weakly, still trembling, lips brushing his shoulder. “Yes… perfect…”

He smirked, tugging me closer into a cuddle.