Enemies with benefits

Chapter 18: Wanted

"Morning, Ezra." Brent greeted. He was smiling at him with a cup of coffee in his hands. Finley came up behind Brent and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You look like shit." Finley commented, Brent whacked him on the arm for being rude making Finley pout at him.

"Where's Colby?" Ezra asked.

A smirk formed on Finley's face. "Oh, are you looking for him so you can ask who gave him those hickeys up his neck? Because I think I know who did it." Finley winked at Ezra, he did not need this right now. Brent looked at Finley curiously, still not catching onto Finley's teasing.

"Where. Is. He?" Ezra asked again. He could feel himself becoming more and more aggravated but he kept it down, the last thing he needed was to lash out at somebody right now.

"He's in the living room watching TV." Finley finally answered.

"Is Sophie homophobic by any chance?" Ezra asked, hoping Brent didn't put two and two together.

"I'm not sure but her parents are super duper religious. Not that religion is bad, my parents are Christians, but her parents are the old fashioned kind of religion if you catch my drift. You know the 'there's only one right way to live and it's our way' kind of thing, they're freaky man." Finley explained.

Ezra didn't stay in the kitchen any longer and stormed into the living room slamming the door behind him. He had planned on being angry at Colby, to yell at him for letting it slip to both Finely and (possibly) Sophie that he had... homosexual tendencies. However, that changed when he saw Colby lazily lounging on the leather sofa and staring back at Ezra with sleepy eyes. Colby smiled at Ezra and he could've sworn that Colby's face was like the sun, and he felt warmer just being in his presence.

"Good morning." Colby said. Ezra looked at Colby in the daylight and noticed that Finely was right, Colby's neck was covered in hickeys. He was still wearing his clothes from last night but his lavender shirt was crinkled and the top three buttons were undone. Somebody was testing Ezra by presenting such an irresistible sight to him just as he'd decided to stop finding Colby so beautiful. It was cruel.

"Morning." Ezra muttered. Colby patted the space next to him for Ezra to come and sit down. "How did you get those?" Ezra pointed to Colby's neck.

Colby's cheeks became tinted with blush and he avoided Ezra's eyes. "I mean I thought you'd know since they're your doing." Ezra knew he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help but feel relieved that it had been him and not Joanna or anyone else for that matter.

He couldn't stay focused on being with Colby right now though. "Does Sophie know what we did together? Did you tell her?"

That got Colby's attention. "Listen Ezra. At the party last night-"

"Oh my god, you did. You told her!"

"No, would you let me finish!" Ezra stayed quiet but he was an overwhelmed mess on the inside. "At the party last night, you got very drunk, like stupid drunk. And I was upstairs and then you came in and then- and then we fooled around for a bit. Sophie walked in on us."

Shit. Now he couldn't even tell Sophie that Colby had lied about his sexuality or something because she'd seen him acting on it firsthand. This was bad. "How much did she see? What were we doing? Were we having sex?"

"No we weren't having sex, you were way too drunk for that!" Colby looked offended that Ezra had asked him that. "But she did kind of see you..."

"See me what? Tell me!" He needed to know how much she'd seen so he could start thinking of a plan to fix things.

"She kinda saw you dry humping me." Colby said shyly. "And you didn't stop doing it when she came into the room."

Oh crap. How was he going to explain that? Oh you misunderstood Sophie! Colby and I were just wrestling on the bed. Easy mistake to make and not to worry, I am indeed the straightest of men. She wasn't going to buy that.

"Does it matter that she saw us?" Colby asked.

Ezra knew Colby could be a bit dumb at times but he was just being naive now. Was he not able to see what could happen if this got out? Did he not care what his parents would think of him if they knew what they were up to? "Do you not think it matters?" Ezra asked.

"I don't know. Not to me. Because... well... I... and you... ugh..." he stumbled with his words for a bit, his face turning pink. "Well, um because, because don't you want me Ezra?"

More than anything, was Ezra's internal immediate reply but he didn't say anything. He probably looked like a hungry fish with his mouth hanging open in shock. Sure, it wasn't a confession or an 'I love you' but this had to be pretty close, right? He had waited so long for something like this to happen and yet he was in no position to act on it.

"Maybe I just imagined it or misunderstood what you were saying but I think I know what I feel. Actually that's not true I don't understand my feelings at all but I want you, Ezra."

Ezra felt an onslaught of emotions. On the one hand, his heart was doing somersaults that Colby Williams had said that to him. On the other hand, he thought of his father and realised that he had corrupted Colby with the same feelings that he had; and he felt like shit for it. Colby had liked girls before Ezra had tried to convert him to his lifestyle. Colby doesn't know what he's saying he's confused, Ezra had confused him, he was sure of it.

"Hey what's wrong?" Colby's voice intercepted his spiralling guilt. He wrapped his arms around Ezra and hugged him. "Whatever it is you can tell me, Ezra. I'm here for you."

Ezra wanted to wrap his arms around Colby too. He wanted to let out all his feelings, To tell him since the moment they met that Ezra had longed for Colby in ways he couldn't understand before but now he did, to tell him how hopelessly and desperately Ezra loved him-

-but he couldn't.

Ezra had done enough damage. He'd confused Colby into liking him and wanting him sexually. That was it, Colby only wanted him sexually, Ezra had corrupted him: that's what his father would say.

He pushed Colby away.

"I'm sorry, Colby. I'm sorry I did this to you." Ezra whispered hoarsely.

"What do you mean? You haven't done anything." Colby replied, he sounded concerned.

Ezra stood up from the sofa and left the house, he could hear Colby calling out for him to come back, even Brent and Finley tried to shout out to him but he needed to go. He needed to go before he ruined Colby more than he already had.