The one he never claimed. (Complete)

39.

"What did I do now?"

We do this thing where we joke around with each other, this is to ignore the tension that still exists with us.

We walk around acting like everything's cool and I guess it is, to an extent but there's clearly stuff that was left unsaid with us. For way too long.

That is why,

"I just wanted us to talk - to clear the air."
If I'm serious then we won't waste time joking around.

I want to do more than just 'clear the air'. It's been years and we still haven't really talked about what happened.

He takes a seat across from me and then,

"Yeah sure."
His tone gets a bit serious and that allows me to continue.

"Where's Bruno?"
I don't see him around anymore, for years actually.

I know they'd remained friends after we broke up, for a while. I'm not sure what happened with them but clearly something did happen because wherever there was Ezra, Bruno was somewhere around. Never one without the other.

"I don't know."
He says simply.

His face is void of emotion, like that was not his best friend in the whole universe at some point. Like they didn't grow up together.

I decide not to pry, whatever happened doesn't matter. Bruno is still dead to me.

"I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be a hundred percent honest with me."

He nods.

"What was going through your head when you saw him assault me at that party?"

I've always wondered. But I couldn't ask him this back then because he would've thrown a fit.

'You're starting again,' probably would've been his exact words. And then he would've just walked out on me and not spoken to me for as long as he wanted.

This certainly happened too many times. It's beyond me how I'd stayed for so long.

There's a slight discomfort in his form before it's replaced by absolutely nothing.

He tightens his jawline and then,

"I was conflicted. I wanted to push him away from you but I also wanted to keep my friendship with him. And then I thought about what people would think if they saw me standing up for you."

I look into his eyes but he moves them to stare at the ground.

He continues on tightening his jawline. Something he does to seem all tough but he's not at all. I know internally he's an emotional wreck.

I don't stop there. I've got so many things I still need to know.

So,

"When you beat him up at the stadium, what was going through your head then?"
He returns his gaze to me, his eyes are soft.

"I was angry, I wanted to - I wanted to kill him for what he did to you."
His jawline tightens again, and I can see the veins in his hands from how hard he's holding his fists.

I don't doubt he means what he's saying.

But,

"And when you got sober and wanted to apologize for what you did to him. Did you want to take it all back?"

I'm no fan of violence at all. But I remember a part of me smiling a bit at the fact that he finally stood up for me. Even if I wasn't there.

Even if the world didn't know why. I did.