Chapter 4 - Zoe
I had no words. Not even one.
For a moment, I could only stand there and question if I heard him right, all while Ezra’s arm fit snuggly around my waist and held me against him.
There had been a time when I would’ve been willing to beg just for the chance to be so close to him. To feel like we were something to each other and that he really did have feelings for me.
But unfortunately, I knew better.
Fiancée .
As much as it annoyingly stirred something in my chest to hear that, I couldn’t wrap my head around why he called me that or what he was getting at.
We were far from it, and as far as I knew, he wanted nothing to do with me. He had the chance before and completely stomped over it, so I was as lost as ever.
Hearing that question from him and the mere suggestion that we were anything to each other made my blood boil.
It felt like he was rubbing it in my face since only the two of us knew our history. Almost like it was a cruel inside joke that I didn’t ask to be a part of.
Thinking about it more only increased the urge within me to shout at him—to shove him off me and question what he was possibly doing.
Nothing would feel more satisfying than finally reaming him out and giving him a real piece of my mind. To let him know just how much I despised him for everything.
As I glanced up at him, feeling his firm grip on me, I could sense that there was something else under the surface—something he was keeping from me, given the faintest glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
Looking at his smug grin as he gently squeezed my hip only angered me more, flushing me with complete fury.
He had no right to hold me…to look at me like that and play some twisted game with me.
Loading up everything I wanted to say to him, I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Ezra swooped in and pressed his lips against mine.
I froze up immediately at the feeling, eyes going wide before they eventually shut.
It felt like forever since the last time we kissed, and there was something nostalgic about it…something familiar. Almost like my body never forgot how it felt to be held by him, and my mouth never forgot what he tasted like.
It was cruel how good it felt, and how something in me, despite myself, wanted it to continue.
When he pulled away, I was wordless, breathless, and just as lost as before.
I couldn’t even begin to speak as I took him in, overwhelmed by his surrounding me completely—forced to inhale his scent.
“It’s you,” the man said, reminding me he was there at all. Recognition filled his eyes as he looked at Ezra, seeming confused as he glanced between us.
“Ezra?”
Out of nowhere, two people emerged from the foyer. Their incredulous expressions took us in, making me wish I could shrink away from their eyes. Between the couple and the man, I felt more like a science experiment than a person.
I didn’t know who they were or what was happening…and I certainly had no idea why Ezra kissed me.
“Rory,” Ezra said, wearing a triumphant grin as he held me against his side still. He looked between the couple next. “Mom. Dad.”
His parents.
My cheeks warmed slightly at the thought, and my mind was reeling from it all.
I never imagined meeting his parents that way, and as hard as I tried to push those old feelings for him away, something about that prospect made me even more flustered.
As much as I wanted to push away and put as much space between myself and the situation as possible, I could only stand there in utter shock and watch as the situation unfolded before me. I was nothing more than a confused witness, at a complete loss about what was up Ezra’s sleeve.
The shock on his parents’ faces was clear as day, but his Mom forced out a breath and looked at him firmly. “What’s going on here?”
“You heard me,” Ezra said, sounding vaguely smug. “This is Zoe. My fiancée.”
They blinked back at us several times, unable to speak as they grasped at whatever words they could find. It was like they were both in disbelief yet irritated by the thought. I didn’t know why, but I had the feeling something else was going on that I didn’t know about yet.
“And when did this apparent engagement begin?” His dad asked, brows knitted together with annoyance.
“We were dating for two years, and I was so head-over-heels that I proposed just a few months ago,” Ezra said, grinning still. For whatever reason, I could tell he was laying it on thick. While his parents and Rory didn’t know he was lying, the fact that I knew the truth made it all the more confusing to me. “It was love at first sight, and I knew I’d be an idiot not to pop the question.”
Like a fish out of water, his mom looked me over. She gestured vaguely at my hands. “And where’s the ring then?”
Ezra hummed, pulling me into him by a fraction and squeezing my hip. My heart clenched.
“I proposed without one because I wanted her to pick the ring herself, seeing as she’ll be the one stuck with it, right? We just haven’t found the right one yet,” he reassured them, adding even more lies.
Even as I listened and tried to put the pieces together, I couldn’t think of any good reason for him to lie. Obviously, he was putting on some sort of performance, but I just didn’t get it.
Why would he need to convince his parents we were engaged? What did I have to do with any of it?
It didn’t make sense.
While his parents didn’t seem entirely convinced yet, his dad sighed. “You never brought this up when we spoke with you.”
“It just didn’t come up, I guess.”
“And you’re sure this is what you want? You’re set on this?” His mom asked, looking doubtful. Or at least, like she had a hundred other women in mind, she’d rather her son marry over me.
Even connecting those words in my mind made me feel ill from those old feelings.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything before,” Ezra said, tone unwavering.
For a moment, even I believed him.
But with that delusional acceptance immediately came the physical pain it brought me. My chest ached as I listened to him sound so sincere while he lied to his parents—saying all the things I once hoped to be true.
When things were good between us, I hoped we would find ourselves in that position one day. I wanted us to be perfect for each other and to share our engagement with his parents. I wanted us to be something and have a future together.
At least, I had hoped to at one point.
But ever since we hooked up and it became incredibly clear he had only used me for sex and had no qualms about breaking my heart, I couldn’t even consider the idea of having anything to do with him.
Even being that close to him, breathing in his refreshing scent and feeling his warm body pressed against me, was hard enough to handle.
As the conversation lingered, with his parents asking more questions and being far too nosy in general, the whole thing felt incredibly agonizing for me. I just wanted it to be over so I could scrub those thoughts and memories from my mind again.
Finally, whether his parents decided they had heard enough or assumed Ezra was telling the truth, they gave Ezra a disapproving look before they turned back around and left. They certainly looked irritated, regardless of Ezra’s satisfied expression. Rory’s eyes lingered on me for a moment before he followed them out.
With a sense of relief the moment they were gone, it was quickly overshadowed by the immediate anger that rose to the surface and pushed its way through.
I felt Ezra’s eyes on me as I wriggled out of his grasp, at least grateful that his arm loosened enough for me to slip away.
Doing everything in my power to keep those old feelings down and to ignore the pain and confusion coursing through me, I walked off to another room and made myself breathe.
I didn't want to see him even if I wanted to know what it was all about. I needed space.
***
As the event ended, and I finally had the chance to stop and truly think again, I could feel my senses snap back into place.
Ezra caught me completely off-guard, and I spent some time trying to wrap my head around what the hell happened. Why did he apparently need to convince Rory and his parents that we were engaged despite it being an insane idea?
When the guests were on their way out, I did my best to center myself again as I thanked them for coming, but in the back of my mind, I could only think about how angry I was all over again.
I couldn't believe Ezra had the gall to rope me into something like that and mock me in a sense. It felt horrible, and I wasn't sure if he realized that.
But as the last few stranglers left, I found Ezra as he lingered in the background, almost like he didn't intend on leaving yet. That made me even more furious.
Something in me was screaming to ignore him and forget about it, but the other part was feeling spiteful. Furious. I didn't want to let him off that easily.
Finally, given the opportunity to give him a piece of my mind, I could not resist and began in his direction.
Before I was even that close to him, he turned around and furrowed his brows at me, silently questioning me already.
"What the hell was that all about?" I demanded of him, expression serious and tight with anger.
"What? Me saving you from Rory?"
I scoffed. "Saving me?"
Ezra rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Yes, saving you. You were floundering, and he wasn't catching a damn hint."
"I was fine," I muttered, bristling at his recounting of the situation from his perspective.
It was true, I was mortified, and Rory wasn't leaving despite how uncomfortable I was. But that didn't mean I was about to start thanking him for acting like a different kind of creep.
Seeming just as annoyed, Ezra forced air out of his chest. "I'm not at all convinced you were."
"That doesn't matter!" I snapped at him, unwilling to deal with his usual back and forth. "What matters is why you forced me into that bullshit situation in the first place."
He studied me for a moment, and while the truth seemed to gleam through the surface for a moment, I also noticed that internal battle behind his eyes. Then he sighed. "All right! I acted on impulse when my parents came in. I needed to convince them we were engaged to get them off my back. Besides...it helped you too. Rory left you alone, didn't he?"
I could only blink back at him then, in complete disbelief.
When I didn't say anything, Ezra took another breath and shifted slightly on his feet while looking down at me. "It was a knee-jerk decision, but it helped both of us. To be honest, I think it could continue to help us. I'm sure you get hit on by enough creeps and would probably prefer not to be."
Catching on to what he was insinuating, I narrowed my eyes at him. I wanted to refuse outright. It was so ridiculous, and I wanted nothing to do with him.
Yet, I was still too stunned to say much of anything, and Ezra took full advantage of that.
"Look, my parents are pressuring me to accept a completely bogus arrangement, and I want to stick it to them. They plan on staying around my pack grounds for a while to convince me to change my mind, and despite putting this idea in their head, I know they won't fully believe it yet. But if we manage to convince them, then I'm sure I'll be able to shake them for good," Ezra continued, sounding more sincere than he had before. "Plus, if we convince everyone, then creeps will leave you alone once they believe someone already claims you. Of course, we'd have to let close friends in, but otherwise, nobody else will know it's just a ruse."
For a moment, I felt like I was going crazy. There was no way that was his plan. There was no way he genuinely wanted to pretend to be engaged.
I didn't even want to consider it. I wanted to blow him off and leave him hanging like he did to me before. I didn't owe him anything, and I knew that.
But Ezra was showing me a level of desperation I wasn't used to seeing from him. And the more I thought about it, the reality of that situation set in for me. Ezra would never ask me for help so easily. He was more stubborn than anyone I’d ever met and wasn't the type to go to anyone about his problems.
It was obviously serious.
Letting go of a reluctant breath, I sighed. "And how are we supposed to convince them then?"
A surprised glimmer reached his eyes, but Ezra maintained his serious air. "Well, if we were really engaged, then we would probably live together. And if my parents are lingering around my territory, then it would only make sense for you to stay with me. At least, until my parents finally give up and leave."
The suggestion took me back a moment. I was not expecting it or the way it made my heart leap.
Looking up at him, I found it difficult to avoid the stirring of old emotions in me. It was painful, given that it was something I once wanted more than anything. Yet, there was something almost enticing about it, too.
As those green eyes took me in, seeming surprisingly sincere, I couldn't help but feel both irritated and pulled in by them.
I should say no. I should walk away and go back to avoiding him.
But for some reason, I couldn't say no to him.
Reluctantly, I took a breath and tried to temper the annoying stirring within me at the idea of us living together, even if it was all just pretend.
"Fine. But only until your parents leave."
I hated giving in to what he wanted, but at the same time, it was like a piece of me was still connected to him in some way, and that pesky empathy wouldn't let me just walk away.
Worst of all, that stupidly charming smile made my stomach flip, and I had a bad feeling about how the arrangement would affect my emotions.