Page 31 of I’ll Find You

I open the bedroom door to see Ezra awake and sitting at the small kitchen island with his coffee and his laptop out. I hang my head, groaning as I grab the other mug in the kitchen. He continues typing, then asks, “You know you only have two mugs?” before resuming what he was doing, looking up at me expectantly. I shrug, filling up the cup as steam rises from the top.

“Yeah, and apparently only one plate.” I smile at the memory, taking a big sip and sighing. “So good.” Leaning over the countertop, I nod to the computer that now sits closed in front of him. “What were you doing up so early?”

He leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “Talking to Mom.” He looks over at me, and I already know where this is going.

“You didn’t tell her, did you?” I throw my head into my hands, rubbing them over my eyes. I retrieve my phone from the charger and see a few missed calls from my own mother, along with a text from Dad asking me to call him. “Great.”

“Yep,” he says, popping the P at the end. “It’s funny because they had no idea that Rose was living with you either.” He narrows his eyes at me, and I can’t help but wish that I had the chance to tell them myself. I can already anticipate all the questions they’ll have.

“Okay,” is all I manage to get out as I read through the text messages from dad.

Ezra walks over to the sink and washes out his mug, placing it on the drying rack. “To answer your question as to why I’m up so early…” He trails off, pulling a key out of his pocket. “I went to get Rose’s car from the restaurant. It was undisturbed and left just the way it was last night.” He frowns. “Her backpack is there.” He tosses his head in the direction of the couch. “There are no cameras at that restaurant, by the way.” I look up quickly. “Just in case you were wondering.”

Rose walks out of the bedroom, and we both look up as she heads for the sink. She grabs the clean mug Ezra left on the drying rack, fills it with coffee, and starts toward the couch. She stops short when she spots her backpack sitting neatly beside it.

Her eyes immediately find mine. “Don't look at me,” I say, lifting my hands in surrender before jerking a thumb toward Ezra.

She turns to him instead. “I picked up your car and tidied it up as best I could,” he says.

Rose sets her mug on the coffee table before looking back at me.

“Thank you, Ezra,” she says, biting her lip. Then her brow furrows. “Wait… if he picked up my car, then who brought you home? You don't live here…”

Ezra smiles. “I’m resourceful, Rosie.”

I growl lowly.

Ezra throws his head back, laughing and pointing at me. “See,” he says, animatedly, “I told you he growls over his things. Possessive fucker.”

“I’m not his—” Rose starts, but shakes her head instead. “Whatever.” She huffs. “Who took you to pick up my car, if Alex didn’t?” she asks, forgoing Alex’s rebuttal.

“Oh, there’s a really nice couple that lives up here. They were walking their dog.” Rose scrunches up her nose. “Who?” She looks at Ezra, then at me.

“Callie and her boyfriend Denver,” I explain, and Rose’s eyes widen.

“So that’s how you know them.”

I scratch the back of my neck because she had accused me of stalking her that day, when in fact it was just fate throwing us in each other’s path yet again, but she refused to see it.

Ezra snaps his fingers. “Yeah, that's them. I asked if there was anything I could do for them, and they asked if you guys would be around the week of Thanksgiving.” He absently picks at his nail while I glance at Rose. She's watching him, trying to figure him out, just like the rest of us. When I look back, he's pulling out his phone to check something before slipping it into his pocket. Then he walks over and pulls me into a hug, clapping a hand against my back.

“Your dad told me to tell you to take care of her,” he murmurs. When he steps back, he adds, “I told him you wouldn't make it home for Thanksgiving, but they can't wait to see you both over Christmas break in a couple of weeks.”

He jerks his chin toward the table. “Your mail was in the car, so I brought it in, Rose.” Then he turns to her and pulls her into a quick hug. “It was nice finally meeting you,” he says with a grin. “I can't wait to hang out again.”

With that, he heads for the door just as an Uber pulls up outside, its illuminated sign glowing through the windshield. The door clicks shut behind him, and we both watch him leave. Even after the car disappears down the street and the sound of the engine fades into the distance, neither of us says a word. The townhouse settles into silence once more.

“Is all your family like this?” Rose asks, hesitant.

Taking another sip of my coffee, I stare off, wondering what the fuck all that was about. I shake my head. “Nope. He’s the tamer one of the bunch.”

“Fuck me,” Rose says under her breath, and she couldn’t be more correct.

Chapter

Nineteen

Rose