Trepidation
"Has she woken up yet?"
"No, she hasn't. I said I'd call you when she did. Go get ready for school!"
"But I don't want to go!"
"Just leave, please! She needs rest."
The sound of loud bickering coerced Ezra into consciousness. So much for rest. Her eyelids felt heavy and her head throbbed while her body ached heavily. She blinked, looking up at white ceiling when she felt something heavy on her hand as she tried to lift it to rub her eyes. She looked down to see a cast, the names of her friends scribbled messily all over it. Perhaps she did break her hand during the fall.
"Ezra!" She was suddenly held into someone's tight embrace, their grip tightening as if they were scared she'd disappear if they were to let go. From his sobs and the smell of his cologne Ezra knew who it was immediately. She leaned into the hug, allowing herself to feel safe in his arms as tears slid down her cheeks.
"It hurts." She said eventually, weakly tapping his back causing him to finally let go. Sonny's young eyes stared back at her despairingly, biting his lip as he recalled the way he had found her last night, laying on the floor in the middle of the night, looking almost dead.
"Sonny get the door!" John had yelled from upstairs, and the youngster rolled his eyes, grumbling about how he had to do everything in the house.
"Hello?" He called into the darkness once he opened the door and saw there was no one. Rain poured down from the sky and he stretched out his hand, taking a step forward when he stumbled over an object. He looked down and his eyes widened, letting out a loud yell upon the sight of Ezra, hands trembling as he shook her to see if she was alive.
"Sonny?" Ezra brought him out of the awful memory and he gave her a small smile. Ian, being a medical student as well, was able to act quick and give her the care she needed without having to go to the hospital, which they all knew she would've hated. "Don't you have school now?"
"Yeah but how can I go whe-"
"You're going Sonny." Ian interrupted, giving him a stern look.
"Dad's spoken." Ezra joked, earning a groan from both men.
"Alright, alright I'm going." The teenager grumbled, he gave Ezra another worrying stare which she returned with a reassuring smile before leaving the room. Ian closed the door as soon as he left before sitting next to her on the bed.
"What the fuck happened to you last night? We had just left the library together and then- I should've taken you home." He shook his head, mentally chastising himself and Ezra hated to see it.
"No, Ian. It had nothing to do with you, I've being going home alone since I was twelve and no one can control or predict future events so don't try to bear that responsibility." She grabbed his hand reassuringly when the door burst open and Theo rushed in, he was wearing a suite and his work badge hung loosely around his neck.
"Are you alright?" He let out breathless and Ezra nodded, he sighed in relief. Arms on his waist and he hung his head back while trying to regain his breath. " What happened?" He asked, after sitting down at the foot of the bed, Ian looking at her, wanting the answer as well.
"I- uhm, I basically uhm," Ezra didn't know how to put into words what had happened last night, it was something so crazy and traumatizing she could hardly make out if it actually happened at all. She wondered if it was even a good idea, telling Ian, knowing how hot-tempered he was. But at least, Kian and John weren't here, she knew that those two would have marched her to a police station immediately. "I was walking home from the library when I saw a fire in the distance. I ran towards it, ready to call the fire brigade as well as help anyone that needed it when I saw these two men carrying what seemed like a body. One of them chased after me and he-" Ezra hesitated, her stomach turning with anxiety, she was only realising now just how terrifying that moment was. Just how sure and afraid she was that she was going to die.
"Hey, it's ok Ezra. We're here for you." Theo reassured, reaching over to pat her shoulder gently.She nodded, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"He shot at me." Theo and Ian's eyes widened, they stared at each other, both of them thinking the same thing. " Somehow I was able to escape that situation but he caught me again, I blacked out and when I woke up I was in the trunk of a car. I opened the trunk and jumped out of the car, which is where all these injuries came from but I ignored the pain in the moment, and began running as fast as I can to safety. I was able to hitch a ride back to the city and that's how I ended up in front of your door." She didn't look up at them, keeping her eyes on the duvet cover.
"Jesus Christ Ezra." Ian let out, biting his lip nervously.
"He tried to choke you didn't he?" Theo questioned and Ezra looked at him, surprised.
"How did you know?" He pointed at her neck and Ezra touched it, assuming she must have amassed several sets of bruises. "You need to go to the police Ezra, you know this right?" She nodded.
"I know, Theo, I know."
"Today, please. I'll go with you." Ezra knew Theo would be the most adament about making sure she went to the police about this. A large part of her was grateful, she knew it was the wisest and most rational thing to do in this situation.
"Go back to work, I'll rest in the meantime. We'll go as soon as you come back. I promise." Theo nodded, getting up and adjusting his tie.
"Do you think he wanted to kill you because of what you saw?" Ian asked nervously, he felt like everyone was forgetting the most crucial part of the story. Ezra had quite literally witnessed a crime.
"Probably, which annoys me because I didn't even see enough to be making any assumption. He only made it clear once he started chasing after me."
"Still, you saw something you shouldn't have." Theo concluded, "I'm going, I'll see you after work. We'll get this sorted Ezra, you'll be safe I promise."
***
"What the fuck? At least put her on witness protection or something!" Theo slammed his hand on the table annoyed.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down. This is a police station. " The officer warned, glaring at Theo before turning to Ezra, his look softening again.
"It's not that I don't want to put you on witness protection, I can't. I don't doubt that you witnessed that crime, however, the source of the fire has been confirmed and the owner of the home has been contacted, he happened to not have been at home at the time and he has confirmed that everything checks out. So far nothing illegal has been reported nor were any bodies found at the site. I can't just put you on witness protection based on claims, I need evidence."
"Officer, he shot a gun at me." Ezra whispered and the officer grimaced, hating to be in this position.
"I really hate to say this and I'm going to sound like an asshole but you're sitting here unscathed. Guns are illegal in this country, most of the officers in this room don't even carry around one. There's no proof of anything, I checked the CCTV cameras in the area and there was nothing but the fire. I'm sorry, I really am."
"I- I understand." She conceded while Theo scoffed.
"Unscathed?Do you see her face? Her neck? Do you think she did it to herself?"
"Of course not." The officer took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "How about this? Stay at home for the next few days, I'll have a patrol car around your neighbourhood until the coast is clear. It's the only compromise I'm willing to, or even able, to make." Theo and Ezra looked at each other, it was the only option they had.
"Such an asshole." Theo muttered, walking ahead of Ezra towards the car. Ezra lagged behind, staring at the cast on her hand wondering if she was going crazy. There were CCTV cameras literally everywhere in this country, let alone this city. At least one of them should have caught her frantically running for her life or the fight that had occured between her and her attacker. And yet, nothing.
"Ezra!" Theo called, waiting her for by his car and before she could take a step in his direction she noticed someone walking into the police station, the person looked oddly familiar and she had the sudden urge to approach him but Theo's sudden hold on her arm held her back.
"Hey, hey, come on let's go." He said, pulling her in for a hug, thinking she was too afraid to go home again. "Everything will be ok, Ezra, you'll see. Everything will be fine." She closed her eyes and sank in to his touch, allowing herself to foolishly believe those words.
A/N: Another chapter in the bag!! I hope you like this one and are as excited as I am for this book. Please vote and comment!