Every crow dies- EZ Reyes (under edit)

Ch. 7 First loves and hard goodbyes

Flashback
I watched Emily carefully trying to find the right time to cut in. Her once infectious laugh was making me cringe as I remembered waking up to Rhi on my shoulder yesterday. Her big brown eyes tiredly opening and a dumb grin spreading across her face. That memory was now giving me chills. I could see myself waking up like that forever. There was just something about her that led me to believe we were better matched.
"I really think I was just overreacting," Emily stated waving her hand in front of my face. "EZ are you listening to me?" She huffed. I hummed a response at her. No I wasn't listening. I loved Emily. I did, but I was no longer in love with her. It wouldn't be fair of me to pretended to be.
"The distant just got me that's all." She continued tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Or maybe you were right." I didn't mean to be so blunt. Emily stared at me dumbfounded. "Maybe we had our run. Em you know I love you."
"Then why would you even say that!" She snapped. A small knock on the door made us both tame ourselves. Emily said something I didn't catch as I was met by Rhiannon. Her smile dropped the minute she heard the female voice behind me.
"I forgot one of my textbooks," she sneaked passed me reaching her hand out to Emily. "Hi I'm Rhi. It's nice to finally meet you. Emily right?" She shot me a look as she painted on a friendly face. I could feel the rage radiating off her tiny frame from across the room.
"That's right. Nice to meet you!" Emily replied back not noticing how fake Rhiannon's kindness actually was.
"You make an adorable couple. Sorry for interrupting. Have a lovely day." She grabbed the book and was quickly out the door. Her voice was low as she snuck past me.
"I don't want to hear it. She's your first love. I'll try to understand." I should have chased her. Left Emily standing there so I could explain how she just showed up and I wasn't the broken guy from a few weeks ago. I wanted us to be over, because who I wanted to be with was her. I knew that for certain.
"Can we continue our conversation now?" Emily questioned. Her arms wrapped themselves around my waist and for the first time since I met her, her touch didn't send sparks through my body. I looked at her and saw a beautiful girl with a brilliant mind but knew she wasn't who I wanted to be with. Yes it broke my heart, and yes I knew it would break hers to but I couldn't let us continue this.
"Emily do you love me?" She looked surprised at the question.
"Of course," she spoke saying it like if it was obvious.
"I love you to, but I think we were doing the right thing breaking up," my voice was shaky and each word tasted bitter as I let them escape my lips. I took her hands in mine and pulled them to my chest watching helplessly as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Can we still be friends?" She mumbled letting the tears fall faster. I wiped them away and kissed her softly letting our lips linger.
"Of course."
"It's her isn't it?" Em asked when we finally pulled away. "Actually I don't want to know. I just want you to be happy. If you change your mind..." she wiped the tears off her face and plastered a weak smile on her face. "You know how to find me."
"Thank you Em." I walked her to her car. A part of me wanted to take it back. Not risk what I was about to by running after Rhiannon, but staying in this relationship was safe. The kind of safe that would make me feel stuck in a few years.

It felt like hours before I made it to Rhiannon's. Flowers in hand and my heart sewn to my sleeve. No one answered the door. I called three times before giving up. I should have just ran after her. Maybe then she wouldn't be hiding from me.
-- -

My sleep was restless. I tossed and turned half the night my mind focused on the past. On her sitting at his kitchen counter. On me trying to return his calls only to get static on the other end. I knew now he was stuck in Stockton, but I never knew why he called. I made my way to the kitchen the smell of coffee filling my nose.
"How did you sleep?" Angel questioned passing me a cup.
"Awful," I sighed. "Can I ask you something?" I stared at the dark liquid in my cup contemplating how to ask.
"Of course. What's up?" He chuckled sitting down beside me.
"Does he still have feeling for Emily?" It felt awful to say out loud. I wanted to grab the words out of the air and push them back down.
"He met a girl at school Rhi. He ended things with Emily before prison. I learned recently the girl he met. The girl he was falling fast and hard for was you," I felt my eyes go wide.
"I tried to find you that day you came to my apartment." EZ spoke from behind me. "But you weren't home. I wanted to tell you I didn't get back together with her. I was in love with you." Angel snuck out of the room leaving EZ and I to hash things out.
"So that's why you called?"
"I went to jail a few days later. I didn't get anyone to find you because I thought maybe you hated me. That would have been fair, but also no last names remember." I was in disbelief as I sat there.
"In need to tell you something, but only if you're serious about trying us," him kissing me was answer enough so I sat him down and told him about my first love, about the man I killed in self defence and then finally I told him about Galindo.
"We will take him down somehow do you hear me!" His voice was so sure and his eyes so full of rage.
"I got it under control. I just needed you to know the risks. I'm a ticking time bomb...I can't guarantee things aren't going to get worse before they get better." I warned him.
"Any risk is worth it. I'm not going to mess this up. Not again."