Having Difficulty Erasing Her!

Ezra lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling while catching the ball he had tossed into the air. His mind was consumed by thoughts of the peculiar girl he had met just two days prior, and he found himself reflecting on Scott's advice, letting out a few heavy sighs in the process. Eventually, he dropped the ball onto the bed and sat up, feeling the burden of his restless night.

Sleep had eluded him, filled with dreams of Emma that lingered even after he woke. Despite Scott's insistence that he should involve the police, Ezra felt paralyzed by the thought; he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, his mind kept drifting back to her smile—an infuriatingly captivating image that wouldn’t leave him alone.

When a knock interrupted his thoughts, he called out, inviting the visitor in. His mother, Josie, stepped through the door, balancing a plate in her hands. She was a beautiful woman with brown wavy shoulder-length hair and bangs. She had a baby face, and one wouldn’t guess she had two grown children. She approached his bed with a concerned look. “Today is Sunday, but you don't even bother getting ready for church.” A devout woman, Josie longed for her family to share her reverence for God. She set the plate down on the table and glanced at him, noting that since his return the previous morning, he hadn’t ventured out to spend time with anyone. “Is everything all right?” she asked.

Ezra met her gaze. “I’m fine, Mom. You should head to church unless you want to risk being late and making God angry.” His teasing brought a smile to her face, and he shifted his attention to the table, curious about the contents of the plate. “What is that?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“Leftover cake from the celebration of Grandma.”

“Why are you giving it to me? Just give it to Dad or Cody,” he replied, looking less than thrilled.

“I can’t give it to Cody; he’s a dog, and it wouldn’t be good for him. I thought about giving it to Winter, but she’s refusing to come home. I can’t tell if she’s just trying to get under your dad’s skin or if it’s something else. Maybe enrolling her in that boarding school in England was a mistake; I really should have thought that through.” She sighed, glancing at Ezra, who seemed unfazed.

“Don’t look at me like that. I warned you she’d be upset about going to England, but it’s like no one in this house listens to me. Now you have to deal with the fallout.” He rested his head back on the pillow. “You should probably head out now; you don’t want to be late for church. If you miss the second service, don’t come crying to me. I’ll eat the cake.”

As she turned to leave, she shot him a final look. “You have to eat it, alright?” He didn’t respond, and she stepped out of his room.

Once alone, he closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated groan. Even trying to catch some sleep felt impossible. When he finally reached for the cake, his expression soured upon realizing it was vanilla-flavored, and with a huff, he dropped the plate back onto the table.

He got to his feet and stepped out of his room, only to be greeted by Cody, who rushed over as he entered the living room. With a gentle pat on his dog's head, Ezra made his way to the refrigerator, feeling the effects of having skipped meals the day before. He hadn’t realized that, in his desperate longing to have her back in his life, he had neglected his own well-being—going so far as to starve himself. His mind was consumed with thoughts of holding her again, but it was more than just the memory of her scent or the way she laughed; it was the anger bubbling inside him for not being angrier at her for taking so much from him. His car was gone, along with the money he had set aside for his sister, and that realization stung.

Oh, Boy!

Winter popped into his head, and he felt a wave of dread wash over him—he hadn’t reached out to her about the money, and she was bound to be furious. He opened the fridge, and his stomach growled in protest, but it was empty. It seemed like his mother had served everything for breakfast that morning.

Ezra shut the fridge door with a sigh. Then he turned to Cody. “This is what I get for not spending enough time with my family. Come on, buddy, let’s go find some food. What do you think?” Cody responded with a wagging tail, his big pink tongue playfully licking Ezra’s pants, clearly content as long as he had food, shelter, and plenty of affection.

As Ezra stepped outside, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Scott's number. He desperately needed a ride but had cleverly kept his parents oblivious to the fact that a girl had made off with his car since his return home. He would never admit it outright, of course; instead, he would spin a tale about how his car had been taken during the party and how he had searched high and low for it without success. He was confident his parents would buy into his little fib.

“Hey, man!” Scott answered, his voice bright and teasing. “It’s unusual for you to call, so I’m guessing you need something. What’s up?”

“I could really use a lift. Are you free?” Ezra replied, feeling a twinge of annoyance at having to ask for help. They had been friends since childhood, sharing everything from playdates to high school classes and even college lectures. “Please say you can help.”

“Look who finally decided to get out of bed!” Scott chuckled, clearly amused.

“Very funny, Scott. I’m just really hungry and need some food,” Ezra admitted, his stomach growling in agreement.

“You don’t have to go anywhere for that. I’ll bring it to you. Just hang tight; I’ll be there soon,” Scott assured him before they hung up. Ezra went back inside, his eyes scanning the empty room. It seemed his father wasn’t home yet, as he would have heard him by now. After a few moments of waiting, the sound of a car pulling up outside broke the silence, and Ezra felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Scott pulled up in front of the house and popped his head out of the car, a playful grin spreading across his face. “That was quick, huh?” he remarked, clearly pleased with himself.

Ezra nodded in agreement, relief washing over him. “I’m just glad you didn’t get pulled over for speeding.”

Scott retrieved the food he had brought from the back seat of the car. “My dad’s got money, so if the cops see me, they’ll let me off easy. I’m Scott Jones, after all,” he said with a wink, handing a bag to Ezra while glancing down at Cody, who was eagerly waiting. “And I didn’t forget you, buddy. I brought you a little something too.”

Ezra stepped into the house, and Cody bounced around, barking excitedly at Scott. Once in the kitchen, he set the food down and opened it. “I was worried you’d bring something I wouldn’t like, but you know me too well. I’ve been craving chicken since yesterday,” he said, pulling out an extra plate and placing it on the table.

Scott raised an eyebrow, teasingly questioning, “How can you be hungry when there’s a girl out there who’s taking advantage of your money?”

Ezra shot him a look. “So you want me to starve just because some girl took off with my car and cash?” he retorted.

“A car worth millions, no less. I’m still puzzled as to why you haven’t called the cops.”

Ezra sighed, meeting Scott’s gaze. “We talked about this yesterday morning. I can’t involve the police.”

Scott’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re already falling for her.” When Ezra remained silent, Scott exclaimed, “Seriously? What’s wrong with you? You just met her! That’s not how this works!”

He shook his head. “I’m not in love with her.” Yet, the truth was undeniable: he had spent the entire night consumed by thoughts of her, which only pointed to one conclusion—he was indeed in love with her, or perhaps had already started to fall. “I just figured she’d call me and…” he trailed off, lost in his own hopes.

Scott interrupted, his tone sharp. “And what? Once they pull a stunt like that, those types of girls don’t come back, Ezra. When will you get it? You need to take a page from my book.”

Ezra frowned, frustration bubbling up. “That’s exactly what you don’t get, Scott. I’m not like you. I’m not a playboy, and I don’t sleep with my best friend’s girlfriend!”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, Scott was at a loss for words. He looked away, gathering his thoughts before finally meeting Ezra’s gaze again. “I—I thought we had moved past this.”

Ezra let out a groan, the memories flooding back. The betrayal of Heather and Scott had haunted him throughout college. Scott had a knack for pursuing girls who flaunted their looks, and Heather was no exception.

“I’ve apologized more times than I can count. I regret messing around with your girlfriend.”

“Ex-girlfriend,” Ezra corrected him, his voice steady but laced with hurt. “Sometimes I really question why I’m still friends with you. You hurt me, man. I understand you found her attractive and wanted her, but you should have thought about me. And don’t even try to say you did.”

Scott hesitated, then replied, “Well, I did think of you, but honestly, Heather didn’t deserve you. I’ve always known she’s a–” He caught the look on Ezra’s face and quickly stopped, muttering, “I’m sorry.”

Ezra let out a heavy sigh, his expression revealing the weight of his thoughts. “I noticed the way she looked at you, Scott. I genuinely think she had feelings for you—more than she ever did for me. I loved her, but I knew I had to step back for your sake. I let her go so you could have a chance, but in the end, you ended up hurting her.”

Scott fidgeted with his car keys, a nervous habit of his. “You know me well enough to understand that relationships aren’t really my thing. I wasn’t the right fit for that, and Heather wanted something more,” he replied, casting a glance at Cody, who was happily gnawing on a dog biscuit. “When he’s this sweet, it makes me smile.”

Ezra cleared his plate after he was done eating, feeling unprepared to dive into a conversation about Heather Walls. He was relieved when Scott shifted the topic. “Yeah, that’s just Cody being himself,” he said, trying to keep the mood light.

Suddenly, Scott turned to him with a spark of inspiration. “I have an idea that might help you out. How about we hit a party tonight? You could meet someone new and maybe forget about Emma for a while.”

Ezra shook his head, dismissing the suggestion as he made his way up the stairs. Just then, he caught sight of his father stepping out of his room, causing him to pause. “You’ve been inside this whole time?”

Ben chuckled lightly. “If I wasn’t here, where else would I be? I was actually on my way to find you.”

“What’s going on, Dad?”

Ben took a moment before responding. “I’ve been thinking. Now that you’ve graduated and are serious about the business, how would you feel about a promotion? I’m considering making you the CEO.”

Ezra stood there, momentarily speechless. He hadn’t expected his father to bring this up so soon, but he was thrilled. The idea of leading had always been a dream of his, and now it seemed his father recognized his potential. A grin spread across Ezra’s face as he replied, “I would love that.”