CHAPTER FIVE- Shut up, Ezren!

Ezren:

You ever walk into a room and feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t know what the hell is actually going on?

That’s how I felt as I breathed in slow, stepped back into the room Eli was in, and lowered myself onto the same chair beside Eli. The one Gareth had pulled out before heading off to check on dinner.

In less than twenty-four hours, my life’s already spinning off track and I’ve got Eli’s charming asshole of a brother to thank for that.

Sorry, ‘Stepbrother.’

Still can’t believe I kissed the guy.

I’ve got questions. A thousand of them but, no one here will give me the answers I want.

And what’s messing with my head the most? Somehow, Eli’s tangled up in my past. And now, every damn person in this house apparently knows the name Raveni and knows that I’m one.

Even Eli. The one person I thought I’d been fooling this whole time.

And like life doesn’t know when to stop screwing with me, the self-centered bastard I called a father is still out there obsessing over the damn drive that cost me my brother.

Eli never talked about this side of his life. And yeah, that stings. Two years of being friends, and I never knew the first real thing about him. Never met his dad and never even guessed the kind of family he came from.

It all clicked because of that one photo in the living room. Hung smack in the middle of the wall.

In it was Eli and Knox, sitting side by side, looking like they actually liked each other back then. Eli had braces and don’t ask me why that made me sad but, he was smiling and it looked real.

Standing behind them were Gareth and Alex. Their fathers.

Eli actually looked happy in that photo. Those ridiculous silver braces on his teeth weren’t doing him any favors, but at least he smiled.

And Knox, he looked unrecognizable. Not just because of the absence of muscles or the clean hair but, because he was ‘smiling’ too. At Eli. A real, genuine smile.

Unlike now, he’s got the dyed ginger hair, the brooding face, and the grown-up edge. He looks like he’s trying too hard to be someone he’s not. The black hair in the photo? Suited him better. He should go back to that or just shave it all off and stop pretending.

Can you believe the psycho called me a guest few minutes ago?

He actually said, “I hope the guest won’t be disturbing to have over the night, Gareth Pa?”

You ever want to slap someone with a chair?

Me? Guest?

If he only knew.

If he only knew how I’ve been the one Eli talks to when he can’t sleep. How I’ve seen the real version of his brother, the one Knox doesn’t even know exists.

And I’m supposed to sleep under the same roof as that? Guest?

Eli was already awake when I stepped into the room. He was sitting up against the headboard, looking pale and out of it.

His eyes were mostly hidden behind that mop of dark ginger hair, but I could tell he was watching me because he followed my movement until I sat beside him.

I looked away, adjusting in the chair. I hated how warm I felt sitting next to him. Like now.

He’d always been stubborn. The kind of person who’d keep everything in until it cracked his ribs. He’d rather cough out a lung than ask for help. That’s probably why he got caught in the first place. Ravenites don’t exactly go after nobodies. You have to mean something.

But, what in the hell does Eli mean to them?

Still hard to believe he lied to me about going to the Academy. And I believed him and didn't see through it like I usually do.

I knew he wouldn’t let be alone after how this morning went down, but it didn’t explain why he’d gone out there in the first place.

Alone.

“Idiot,” I muttered under my breath.

He must’ve heard me because he let out that little “tch” sound he does when he’s being annoying on purpose.

I lifted a hand to brush the hair from his face, just to see his eyes, but he leaned back slightly and the movement stopped me.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice a little rough. “I don’t think I can look you in the eye right now.”

“Why not?”

“I-I lied to you, remember?” he said. Then, before I could even say anything, he asked, “Did.. did we get the drive though?”

I frowned. “You should be asking if your lungs still work, idiot.”

He let out a weak laugh. “I figured if you’re here, I’m not dead. Or am I?”

I ignored the sarcasm. Leaned forward, and rested my elbows on my knees. “Does it hurt? Still, I mean.”

“A little,” he admitted. “Mostly just tired. It’s always like this before the pain fades.”

That stopped me. “Always?”

He turned his head away, I didn’t like that but I continued anyway.

“What exactly did they inject into you, Eli? And you were caught by the actual Ravenites?” I asked, just to be certain.

I don't know, maybe I find it hard believing whatever Knox says.

He looked at his hands for a second, then muttered, “It’s not your business.”

He then added quietly, “..and I’m not reckless.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Did I say you were?”

“You’re thinking it,” he said.

Before I could try to deny it, my phone buzzed from the coffee table. I reached for it, tried hesitating for a second, then walked a few steps away to answer.

It was Nessa.

Her timing was always impressive.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound normal. Silently hoping she hadn’t heard about the kiss with Knox yet.

“I just wanted to check on you,” her voice came through the speaker. “You didn’t text.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Things got… intense. I’m staying over at Eli’s. His family’s place.”

“Oh my God! Is he okay?”

I glanced at Eli. He wasn’t saying anything, but his head was tilted slightly like a cat pretending not to eavesdrop.

“It’s nothing. He, um… fell. Down the stairs.”

He scoffed, loud enough for her to hear if the speaker picked it up.

Nessa hummed suspiciously. “You sound weird though. I miss you.”

“Yeah. I.. me too. I’ll call you later, alright?”

“Don’t forget. Love you!”

“Love you too.”

I ended the call and turned to Eli. He had pushed his hair out of his face and was staring right at me now.

“What?” I asked.

“‘He fell down the stairs’? Really?” He gave a teasing smile. “You could’ve said a bike accident. Or training injury. Or literally anything that didn’t sound like a bad sitcom excuse.”

I shrugged, raising my shoulders with a playful smile. “I panicked!”

“Noo,” he said, “you’re just a terrible liar and that was genuinely embarrassing to hear.”

“You caused it. You were the one half-dead and wheezing. I had to improvise.”

“Still, ‘stairs’ is just wild. What am I? Five year old?”

It ended with my laughter and we went quiet for a few seconds. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Your girlfriend? Nessa?”

“...Yeah.”

That answer hung in the air longer than I expected it to. I didn’t explain, not like I owed him one but, somehow, It felt like I should’ve said more.

I looked back at him.

He was already staring.

And this time, he didn’t look away.

“It’s weird…” he muttered. “I always imagined you dating someone with… I don’t know. More edge?”

I sighed, already tired of where this was going. “If this is about her cheating, she already swore it wouldn’t happen again.” I even raised my hand a little too stupid. “So?”

“And you believed her?” he said,“You’ve got to be shitting me, Ezren.”

I opened my mouth, but whatever was about to come out probably wasn’t going to help. And before I could get my dignity back together, the front door creaked open.

Knox walked in, his hair still wet and dripping, a towel flung over his shoulder. He looked different. Or maybe it was just because he was wearing a shirt that didn’t scream 'Look. at. me.’

His eyes went straight to Eli.

“How exactly did you get caught, genius?” he asked without a greeting, heading for the nightstand.

I caught myself watching his every move. Not because I wanted to, but because he was the kind of guy that made you suspicious just by existing.

The KOK tattoo was still a stupid idea and it was still right there on his neck, surrounded by those flowery designs he probably thought made it subtle.

“Nice to see you too, Knox,” Eli muttered, dragging the blanket tighter around himself. “How long has it been, really?”

“I’m serious.” Knox dropped the towel, like he owned the room. “You snuck off without backup. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking maybe someone should actually try to fix this mess,” Eli shot back.

“Alone? Are you that dumb? You really thought you could waltz into Ravenite territory with zero support and not die?”

“I don’t need your dramatics,” Eli said through gritted teeth. “I figured you weren’t going to do anything, so I—”

“I had a fuckin’ plan!”

“Oh yeah?” Eli barked a laugh. “Let me guess. That plan involved sitting on your dumb ass until someone else gets hurt?.”

“And your plan was to probably get killed and turn the whole damn rescue into a waste. You’re such a self-righteous major pain in the fuckin’ ass.”

Knox was practically spitting now.

“And you’re a fuckin’ coward hiding behind your father’s silence!” Eli fired back.

Okay. That was enough.

“Guys. Maybe we shouldn’t do this right now..” I raised my hand, because apparently I hated where it was heading.

“Shut up, Ezren!”

They both snapped at me. At the same damn time. What the actual hell? I'm done here.