Falling for Ezra Thomas (Life With the Thomas Brothers #4)

2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Ezra

Several weeks ago…

“Are you going to talk to me?” I ask, glancing at Beck, who still has a death grip on the steering wheel.

“I’m still in shock, that’s all.” He lessens his grip, but not by much. “You promise you’re going to make this right? You’ll talk to Lorelai and figure it out?”

“Yes, I said I would. I can’t make her talk if she’s not ready, though.”

“Do you want a relationship with her?” he asks.

Isn’t that the million dollar question? Do I? I’m not sure, but I’m not opposed to exploring the possibility…except, I’m about to leave town. My family doesn’t even know that I joined the Army, let alone my best friend and her sister, but I can’t exactly tell Beck that after what just happened between Lorelai and me. He’ll pull over, beat me to death, and leave me in a ditch.

“I don’t know. I never did before, but I mean…I guess I must have had some kind of feelings for her or else I wouldn’t have had the urge to kiss her. Right?”

“How would I know?” Beck shrugs and silence fills the car again. He rotates his hand, likely trying to ease the pain in his broken wrist. True. How would he know when basically the same thing happened to him? Only Vivien didn’t know it was Beck when she kissed him.

Instead, I gaze out the window and try to focus on what happened. The snow comes down hard, but Beck has everything under control. My mind wanders back to that moment. The second Lorelai Mays became different. She’s been my friend as long as Vivien has, but with a two-year age difference between Lorelai and me, Vivien and I have always been closer. Still, it isn’t like I don’t know Lore. The Mays and Thomas families have vacationed together more than once, and we’ve spent practically every moment at each other’s homes during summer breaks.

That was before Lorelai graduated early and went to college, then veterinary school. I sigh and sink deeper into the seat. That’s a problem. Not her being a vet, but her drive. She has dreams, big ones, and me swooping in and kissing her, knowing I’m about to leave for basic training was probably a jerk move.

But one I could not help if I had tried.

Lorelai is beautiful. Her drive and tenacity only add to her attractiveness. There’s no denying that, but until tonight, they were things about her I simply knew. Like a checklist of data about my friend.

Beautiful.

Intelligent.

Courageous.

Driven.

A person whose whole life is planned down to the second.

And I am not a part of her plan. At least, I’m pretty darn sure that I’m nowhere on her radar. She hasn’t dated since high school and it is highly unlikely that she would suddenly decide that Ezra Thomas is her new priority.

I want to bash my head into the window, but I refrain since it will only perk Beck’s interest further. Fortunately, he’s too focused on getting us home in this storm to grill me with more questions.

By the time we reach the town house, I know I need to clarify things with Lorelai…only, they’re about as clear as mud for me. I should have been a man and ignored my sudden urge to kiss her. However, that checklist of things I happen to know about my friend has suddenly become more… enticing.

Beck parks and immediately opens his door, ready to get inside and end tonight.

“What am I doing?” I groan and scrub my hands over my face. I cannot entertain thoughts of getting involved with Lorelai. It’s a horrible idea, and one that I’m going to have to explain to my brother, my best friend, and to Lorelai without making all of them hate me in the process.

“You coming?” Beck screams and throws his arms in the air.

I push my door open and navigate the icy lot as best as I can. If I hadn’t up and kissed Lore, we could have slept on their sofas, but no. I had to act like an impulsive teenager and make out with her, then get caught and embarrass her to the point she didn’t even want to see me, let alone talk to me, before I left.

Halfway to the town house door, something occurs to me.

I didn’t just kiss her.

I kissed her…and she kissed me back.

A lot.

And if Beck and Vivien hadn’t walked in on us, we might still be kissing.

I run my hands through my hair, slip, and fall on my side.

“Are you okay?” Beck calls.

I raise one hand in a thumbs up and take a second to stare at the stars, but they’re blotted out by the snowflakes tumbling down all around me. I can’t help wondering what I’m doing with my life. I was so pulled to join the Army, I didn’t even talk to my parents about it. Not my twin, not even our pastor. I thought about it for a few weeks, prayed about it, then went down to the recruiting station and signed up.

Then I waited.

Time passed, and no time seemed like the right time to tell my family. Still, I can’t bring myself to regret my decision to join…until now. Right this second, staring up at the night sky studded with stars and snowflakes, I’m beginning to question everything I thought I wanted, everything I thought God was telling me to do, and there isn’t a single thing I can do about it.