Dusk & Dawn

17- beneath the scars

Ezra

Me

Charity case

Less fortunate.

I knew it was stupid to let Chloe's words get to me. I knew she was just an insecure person jealous of the attention that Ezra gave to me. But I couldn't control the way it took over all of my thoughts.

I had just woken up hours after what happened, I couldn't sleep without those thoughts disturbing my bed rest. What exactly did Ezra think of me, was I like a charity case like she mentioned.

I grew restless over time, tossing and turning unable to find the sleep I so desperately needed. A knock came on my door and I looked up to find Naomi peeping into my room.

"Are you fine?" She asked me and I nodded in response, sitting up to see her well. "Do you need anything?"

"A clipper will do, I'm going to get rid of my hair." I told her with a smile. She flipped my elbow slightly knowing that I cherished my hair more than anything. But I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to chop them all off.

"Harper is downstairs talking to Ezra, he's been outside for a while," she passed my phone to me and I found the missed calls notifications on my display screen. "Do you want him to leave?"

I thought about it. It wasn't his fault that Chloe pushed me to the ground and pulled my hair out of my scalp, she was her own person.

"I'm going to talk to him," I answered her and she nodded in agreement. Naomi helped me up and sat me on the stool. She combed my hair through and hid her worry and concern when a part of it came out through the comb.

I was losing a lot of hair lately.

She packed it into a low bun and put some lipgloss on my chapped lips. I wondered what she was doing but I didn't complain either ways. She took me out of the apartment and the breeze rushed through and gave me tingles on my skin.

Ezra released his folded arms and left the car which he leaned on to approach me. Naomi waved me goodbye and Harper also nodded and patted my back before leaving us. My friends were everything to me.

Ezra doesn't say anything, he picked up my hands and assessed my entire body, scanning it for any kind of injury, and feeling my temperature on impulse.

"Raine..." he drawled, unsure of what to say. "Are you hurt anywhere, we can go to the hospital?" He asked me, opening the car door for me.

"I'm okay, Ezra, just a scratch on my hand." I answered him waving it off as I went into the car.

As I walked into his apartment, the memories of when he spoke harshly about his father popped in my head randomly. He helped me sit on the stool and he stood opposite the counter, facing me again with folded arms.

"Did you eat? I can order in." He asked me.

"I already did," I answered him and he nodded putting his hands behind his back.

He opened his refrigerator and brought out a cold juice carton. He handed me one as well as a straw. I realized that just as much as I had questions I wanted to ask but couldn't ask, Ezra seemed to be fighting his hesitation to say the things he wanted to say as well.

He led me to his balcony so that we could take in fresh air and watch the cars pass by on the road. It was a nice view from his apartment as I could drown in the beauty of the night sky.

"I figured you didn't bring me all the way to watch me drink from a juice box?" I asked, taking a glance at him.

"No Raine, I brought you here to talk," he answered and doesn't say anything again.